Why this ride
A 314 km round trip from Tarragona - roughly 4 h 21 in the saddle. It goes by way of Albi II / Balma dels Punts, Camino de la Cova Plana II and back through Albi II / Balma dels Punts. The line favours views over speed.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Roman walls and Camino de la Cova Plana II
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 314 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 21
- 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. Roman walls
The Romans did not take long to decide that Tarragona was worth fortifying. Scipio's army landed here in 218 BC during the war against Carthage, and in time the settlement of Tarraco became the capital of the Roman province of Hispania Citerior and later of Tarraconensis, and one of the largest cities in Roman Spain. Its walls started as a Republican fortification, with huge irregular blocks at the base, the so-called cyclopean masonry, which were later heightened and rebuilt in Roman and later periods. A good stretch survives in the Passeig Arqueològic, where you can walk along the top.
Read the complete Roman walls write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Roman walls is where the day begins. Next is Albi II / Balma dels Punts.
2. Albi II / Balma dels Punts
L'Albi is a small village on a hill in Les Garrigues, the dry, olive-covered district southeast of Lleida, and its name appears in the archaeological record thanks to rock shelters in the area, including the Balma dels Punts, the shelter of the dots. The name suggests schematic paintings in the form of dots and lines, typical of the later phase of prehistoric art in the region, and the site is part of the UNESCO listing of Mediterranean rock art. The shelters are small and fragile, and some can only be visited with a guide, so check with the town hall or a local interpretation centre before heading out.
Read the complete Albi II / Balma dels Punts write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Albi II / Balma dels Punts comes up about 60 km into the recorded legs. Next is Camino de la Cova Plana II.
3. Camino de la Cova Plana II
Three rivers come together near Mequinenza: the Ebro, flowing in from the west, and the Segre and Cinca, arriving together from the Pyrenees to the north. The meeting point, now swallowed by the reservoirs behind the dams, has always been a strategic place, and the much-restored castle on the hill above the town has watched over it for centuries. The Camino de la Cova Plana is a track in the hills east of town, towards the Catalan border, and the site recorded here is one of the many prehistoric rock shelters scattered across this dry, rugged landscape.
Read the complete Camino de la Cova Plana II write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 139 km into the recorded legs you reach Camino de la Cova Plana II. Next is back through Albi II / Balma dels Punts.
4. back through Albi II / Balma dels Punts
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Albi II / Balma dels Punts write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Albi II / Balma dels Punts, late in the day. Next is Roman walls.
5. Roman walls
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Roman walls write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Roman walls. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Roman walls to Albi II / Balma dels Punts
Roman walls → Albi II / Balma dels Punts is 60 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Albi II / Balma dels Punts to Camino de la Cova Plana II
Albi II / Balma dels Punts → Camino de la Cova Plana II is 79 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Camino de la Cova Plana II to back through Albi II / Balma dels Punts
Camino de la Cova Plana II → back through Albi II / Balma dels Punts is 95 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Albi II / Balma dels Punts to Roman walls
back through Albi II / Balma dels Punts → Roman walls is 80 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.