Joan Miró painted his farm. The great Catalan artist's family owned a farmhouse at Mont-roig del Camp, a few kilometres from the coast of Tarragona, and he came here every year from his youth, and in 1921 and 1922 produced there the large painting called The Farm, which captured the landscape of rocks, carob trees, chickens and tools with an obsessive tenderness. The village, sixteen kilometres from the Cova del Racó d'en Perdigó, is a reminder that this corner of Catalonia has been seen by artists as well as by hunters.
The hills inland from Mont-roig are rugged and dry, with scrub, rock and terraces of almond and hazel. The Serra de Llaberia, a range of low, craggy mountains, rises behind, and the land to the north and west is the Priorat, home of some of the most celebrated wines in Spain, grown on steep slopes of dark slate. The village of Siurana, perched on a cliff above a reservoir, was the last Muslim stronghold in Catalonia, and the legend says that the last queen leapt from the cliff on her horse rather than surrender, leaving a hoofprint in the rock.
For a motorcyclist this is excellent country. The roads over the Serra de Prades and the Priorat are twisting and well maintained, with views over terraced vineyards, and they are popular with cyclists and riders, so expect company on a spring weekend. Take care on the bends, where gravel and the odd wild boar can appear, and avoid the midday heat in summer. Spring and autumn are the best seasons.
Mont-roig del Camp, with nearly thirteen thousand people, is the town for fuel and supplies, and it has beaches nearby if you want to end the day in the sea. Ginestar and El Perelló are smaller. The cave is a small shelter with painted figures, and access may be limited, so ask locally before you set off. Bring water, and take care with the rock.