The western edge of Catalonia, around Lleida, is fruit country. Irrigation canals bring water from the Pyrenean rivers to a broad, flat plain of orchards growing apples, pears and peaches, laid out in neat lines that stretch to the horizon. Les Coves lies in this area, close to the Aragonese border, between Alfarràs, Albelda and Algerri, where the valley of the Noguera Ribagorçana spills out of the hills and onto the plain.
The painted shelters of this part of Lleida province are lesser known than those of the Valencian mountains, but they are part of the same UNESCO inscription and reflect the same long story: hunting and later farming communities choosing rocky overhangs near water to make their images. Many shelters along the valleys north of here hold schematic and Levantine paintings. Visits to the more significant ones are often organised by local councils, so check in advance if you want to see anything beyond the setting.
The riding is gentle on the plain and much better as you head north. The roads around Alfarràs and Almenar are flat and straight, running past orchards and farm complexes with occasional tractors and fruit lorries. Head north toward Os de Balaguer, Camarasa or up the valley toward the Montsec range, and things change: the Montsec is a great limestone wall cut through by spectacular gorges, including Mont-rebei, and the roads climbing toward Àger and over the range are some of the best in Catalonia, with tight hairpins and huge views.
Alfarràs and Almacelles have the basics; Almacelles, about twenty-one kilometres away, is the larger town, and Lleida itself is less than an hour away, with its cathedral, La Seu Vella, dominating the city from a hill. Fruit stalls along the roads in summer sell peaches and nectarines by the box. Lleida's food speciality is snails, cooked a la llauna on a metal tray with garlic and aioli. In blossom season, usually in March, the whole plain turns pink and white, and it is one of the loveliest times to ride here.