The plain of Lleida is one of the great orchards of Spain, a flat, fertile basin of peach, pear and apple trees, irrigated by canals drawn from the Segre. Alfarràs, Algerri and Almenar are villages in this agricultural world, set among fields and ditches on the edge of Catalonia, where the green plain begins to rise towards the dry hills of the Montsec to the north. In spring the orchards bloom in pink and white, and in late summer the fruit lorries crowd the roads. It is not dramatic scenery, but it is a landscape built by water, and the canals, including the long Canal d'Urgell and the canal of Aragon and Catalonia, are the reason it exists.
The hills on the northern margin of the plain hold shelters with prehistoric paintings. The best known in the region is at Cogul, in the Garrigues, where a rock shelter called the Roca dels Moros has a painted scene of women in bell-shaped skirts dancing around a small male figure, one of the most celebrated images of Levantine rock art, which UNESCO listed in 1998. The shelter has a small interpretation centre, and visits are usually guided, so check opening times before heading out. Other shelters in the area are small and fragile, and many are closed to the public.
The riding in this part of Catalonia is gentle. Roads run in straight lines across the plain, past irrigation channels and fruit farms, and then rise into the hills with gentle curves and views over the plain. The wind can be strong, and summer afternoons are very hot. Spring blossom is spectacular, and autumn light is warm and golden. Be careful near the farm entrances, where tractors and trailers pull out onto the road.
Fuel and food are best found in the larger towns, such as Almacelles, about 20 km away, or Balaguer and Lleida, and small villages may have little. A plate of grilled lamb with allioli, snails cooked in a rich sauce, which Lleida is famous for, or fresh fruit from a roadside stand are the local pleasures. The olive oil of Les Garrigues, made from the small arbequina olive, is considered among the best in Spain, and a bottle makes a good souvenir.