Why this ride
From Rosell it runs 497 km to Rosell; allow about 9 h 42 of riding. The stops in between: Abric d'Esquarterades I, Cabra feixet, Abric de Gallicant and The. The line favours views over speed.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Abric de la Tenalla and The
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 497 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 9 h 42
- 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 la Tenalla
The Tinença de Benifassà is one of the wildest corners of the Valencian region, a cluster of tiny villages in the mountains where Valencia, Catalonia and Aragon meet, and the Abric de la Tenalla lies on its southeastern edge, near Rosell. It is one of the many rock shelters in this area with prehistoric paintings, part of the UNESCO-listed rock art of the Mediterranean Basin, and the nearby Serra de Godall and the Ulldecona shelters to the east are among the most important sites in Catalonia. The landscape is dramatic: limestone cliffs, deep gorges, pine and holm oak forests, and abandoned terraces where shepherds once grazed their flocks.
Read the complete Abric de la Tenalla write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Abric de la Tenalla is where the day begins. Next is Abric d'Esquarterades I.
2. Abric d'Esquarterades I
In the dry hills behind Ulldecona, near the southern tip of Catalonia, small figures painted in red ochre run, hunt and gather across the walls of shallow rock shelters. These are the paintings of Levantine rock art, made by prehistoric people some seven to eight thousand years ago, and the shelters of the Serra de Godall, including the Abric d'Esquarterades, are among the best examples. They are part of the World Heritage site that covers rock art in the Mediterranean Basin of the Iberian Peninsula.
Read the complete Abric d'Esquarterades I write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Abric d'Esquarterades I comes up about 41 km into the recorded legs. Next is Cabra feixet.
3. Cabra feixet
El Perelló is a hill village on the old coast road between Tarragona and Tortosa, and it is famous for honey. Bees have been kept on these scrubby limestone slopes for centuries, feeding on rosemary, thyme and wild flowers, and every winter the village holds a honey fair that draws visitors from across Catalonia. In the hills around, sheltered under an overhang, is the rock art of Cabra Feixet, part of the Levantine paintings of eastern Spain inscribed together by UNESCO. The figures are small and faded, and the site is best visited with a guide or after asking at the village; please do not touch the rock.
Read the complete Cabra feixet write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 102 km into the recorded legs you reach Cabra feixet. Next is Abric de Gallicant.
4. 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, about halfway. Next is The.
5. 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 sits at 178 km, about halfway. Next is back through Abric de Gallicant.
6. back through 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
back through Abric de Gallicant comes up about 302 km into the recorded legs. Next is back through Cabra feixet.
7. back through Cabra feixet
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Cabra feixet write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 393 km into the recorded legs you reach back through Cabra feixet. Next is back through Abric d'Esquarterades I.
8. back through Abric d'Esquarterades I
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Abric d'Esquarterades I write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Abric d'Esquarterades I, late in the day. Next is Abric de la Tenalla.
9. Abric de la Tenalla
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Abric de la Tenalla 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 497 km.
Leg by leg
Abric de la Tenalla to Abric d'Esquarterades I
Abric de la Tenalla → Abric d'Esquarterades I is 41 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Abric d'Esquarterades I to Cabra feixet
Abric d'Esquarterades I → Cabra feixet is 61 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Cabra feixet to Abric de Gallicant
Cabra feixet → Abric de Gallicant is 93 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Abric de Gallicant to The
Abric de Gallicant → The is 52 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
The to back through Abric de Gallicant
The → back through Abric de Gallicant is 55 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Abric de Gallicant to back through Cabra feixet
back through Abric de Gallicant → back through Cabra feixet is 91 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
back through Cabra feixet to back through Abric d'Esquarterades I
back through Cabra feixet → back through Abric d'Esquarterades I is 61 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Abric d'Esquarterades I to Abric de la Tenalla
back through Abric d'Esquarterades I → Abric de la Tenalla is 43 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.