Why this ride
A 468 km round trip from Alforja - roughly 10 h 25 in the saddle. The stops in between: The, Balma d'En Roc, Prop de la Cova Pintada and Abric d'Ermites VI. The line favours views over speed.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Abric de Gallicant and Abric d'Ermites VI
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 468 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 10 h 25
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Abric de Gallicant
Alforja is a village on the southern edge of the Prades mountains, where the plain of the Camp de Tarragona meets the steep slopes of the Serra de l'Argentera and the Serra de la Mussara. The Abric de Gallicant lies in the hills near Alforja, Vilaplana and Ulldemolins, and it is one of the many prehistoric shelters in these mountains that form part of the UNESCO listing of Mediterranean rock art. The name means rooster's song, a poetic touch typical of Catalan place names. The paintings in this area are generally schematic, with simple figures and geometric shapes, and many shelters are protected by fences.
Read the complete Abric de Gallicant write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Abric de Gallicant is where the day begins. Next is The.
2. The
Inside a plain-looking farmhouse building is a domed hall from the fourth century, its cupola covered in mosaics of hunting scenes, biblical stories and figures that may represent the imperial family. Some scholars believe it was built as a mausoleum for Constans, son of Constantine the Great, who was killed in 350; others are not so sure, and the debate is part of the fun. The site belongs to the UNESCO listing for the Roman town of Tarraco.
Read the complete The write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The comes up about 50 km into the recorded legs. Next is Balma d'En Roc.
3. Balma d'En Roc
Inland from the Costa Daurada, the Serra de Llaberia rises abruptly above the coastal plain, a jagged wall of limestone separating the sea from the valley of the Ebro. The rock shelter of Balma d'En Roc lies in this rough country, part of the Levantine rock art inscribed by UNESCO, and like most of its kind it is small, fragile and best visited with local guidance. The nearest villages are scattered: Ginestar on the Ebro, El Perelló on the coastal side, and Mont-roig del Camp to the north-east.
Read the complete Balma d'En Roc write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 107 km into the recorded legs you reach Balma d'En Roc. Next is Prop de la Cova Pintada.
4. Prop de la Cova Pintada
The Ports massif rises abruptly at the meeting point of Catalonia, Aragón and Valencia, a tangle of limestone peaks, deep gorges and pine forest that feels surprisingly wild given how close it is to the Ebro delta and the coast. Prop de la Cova Pintada, meaning near the painted cave, sits on its southern side, between Mas de Barberans, Valderrobres and the old city of Tortosa.
Read the complete Prop de la Cova Pintada write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Prop de la Cova Pintada, about halfway. Next is Abric d'Ermites VI.
5. Abric d'Ermites VI
Ulldecona sits at the foot of the Serra de Godall, in the southern tip of Catalonia, close to the border with Valencia and a short distance from the Ebro delta. The town is an old one, set among olive groves that produce a good oil, and above it stands the hermitage of La Pietat, with long views to the sea. The Abric d'Ermites VI is one of the rock shelters of the Ermites group, painted in the Levantine style with small red figures of hunters, and part of the Mediterranean Basin rock art inscribed by UNESCO in 1998. The shelters lie in the cliffs of the Godall range, and access is by foot with regulations to protect the paintings.
Read the complete Abric d'Ermites VI write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Abric d'Ermites VI sits at 181 km, about halfway. Next is back through Prop de la Cova Pintada.
6. back through Prop de la Cova Pintada
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Prop de la Cova Pintada write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Prop de la Cova Pintada comes up about 276 km into the recorded legs. Next is back through Balma d'En Roc.
7. back through Balma d'En Roc
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Balma d'En Roc write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 359 km into the recorded legs you reach back through Balma d'En Roc. Next is back through The.
8. back through The
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete The write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through The, late in the day. Next is Abric de Gallicant.
9. Abric de Gallicant
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Abric de Gallicant write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The route ends here after 468 km.
Leg by leg
Abric de Gallicant to The
Abric de Gallicant → The is 50 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
The to Balma d'En Roc
The → Balma d'En Roc is 57 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Balma d'En Roc to Prop de la Cova Pintada
Balma d'En Roc → Prop de la Cova Pintada is 71 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Prop de la Cova Pintada to Abric d'Ermites VI
Prop de la Cova Pintada → Abric d'Ermites VI is 53 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Abric d'Ermites VI to back through Prop de la Cova Pintada
Abric d'Ermites VI → back through Prop de la Cova Pintada is 45 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Prop de la Cova Pintada to back through Balma d'En Roc
back through Prop de la Cova Pintada → back through Balma d'En Roc is 83 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Balma d'En Roc to back through The
back through Balma d'En Roc → back through The is 54 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through The to Abric de Gallicant
back through The → Abric de Gallicant is 55 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.