South of Lleida the irrigated orchards give way abruptly to dry, open steppe, and the little village of Alfés sits on the edge of that change. The Pintures Rupestres d'Alfés are rock paintings in a small sandstone shelter near the village, schematic designs in red pigment, mostly abstract lines, dots and simplified figures, that belong to the later, more symbolic phase of prehistoric art in eastern Spain, and they are included in the UNESCO listing of Mediterranean Basin rock art. They are modest to look at, but there is something powerful about seeing marks left by people thousands of years ago in such an open, wind-swept place.
In spring, the fields are green and full of birdsong; in summer, they turn golden and the heat shimmers over the land. An old military airfield nearby, built during the Spanish Civil War, is a reminder of the battles that raged along the Segre river in 1938.
The riding here is about wide horizons rather than curves. Roads are flat or gently rolling, mostly straight, with little traffic apart from farm vehicles. The wind can be strong and gusty, especially the cierzo from the northwest, so be prepared for crosswinds. To the south, the roads climb into the Les Garrigues hills, with olive groves and stone villages, and further on into the Serra de Prades and the Priorat, with excellent twisty roads and world-class wine.
Lleida, about eleven kilometres away, is a city of about 140,000 people, with all services. Its old cathedral, the Seu Vella, stands on a hill above the city, a striking Romanesque-Gothic building with a tall bell tower and a beautiful cloister, and the view from the top over the plain of the Segre is worth the climb. Lleida is famous for its snails, cooked a la llauna on a metal tray, and celebrated with a huge festival, the Aplec del Caragol, in May.