Why this ride
A 350 km round trip from Torredembarra - roughly 7 h 19 in the saddle. The stops in between: The, Abric de la Serra de la mussara, Mas d'En Ramon d'en Besso and Abric de Gallicant.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
The and Abric de Gallicant
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 350 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 7 h 19
- 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. The
Just inland from the beach at Altafulla, on the Costa Daurada north of Tarragona, the remains of a grand Roman villa look out over the Mediterranean. This is the Villa dels Munts, one of the finest Roman country houses in Catalonia, built in the first and second centuries AD, with baths, gardens, mosaics and painted walls. It is thought to have belonged to an important citizen of Tarraco, the Roman capital of the province of Hispania Tarraconensis, and it is part of the World Heritage inscription of the Archaeological Ensemble of Tarraco, inscribed in 2000. The villa's setting, on a gentle slope above the sea, makes it easy to see why a wealthy Roman would choose it for a retreat.
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 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 22 km into the recorded legs. Next is Abric de la Serra de la mussara.
3. Abric de la Serra de la mussara
Climb out of Reus on a clear morning and the Serra de la Mussara rises ahead like a wall, a limestone escarpment that holds up the edge of the Prades plateau and drops steeply to the plain of the Camp de Tarragona. The rock shelters along this cliff line, close to the village of Vilaplana, are part of the prehistoric painted landscape of eastern Spain. The best reason to stop, though, is the view: on a good day you look straight down over hazelnut orchards and olive groves to Reus, Tarragona and the sea.
Read the complete Abric de la Serra de la mussara write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 61 km into the recorded legs you reach Abric de la Serra de la mussara. Next is Mas d'En Ramon d'en Besso.
4. Mas d'En Ramon d'en Besso
Behind the Conca de Barberà, where the Catalan plain begins to lift towards the Serra de Prades, a small valley holds the monastery of Poblet, one of the largest and best-preserved Cistercian abbeys in Europe. The Mas d'en Ramon d'en Besso is a farmhouse a few kilometres from Montblanc and from the village of Vimbodí, in wooded country of holm oak, pine and dry-stone terraces with the red cliffs of the Roques Guàrdies nearby.
Read the complete Mas d'En Ramon d'en Besso write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Mas d'En Ramon d'en Besso, about halfway. Next is Abric de Gallicant.
5. 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 sits at 84 km, about halfway. Next is back through Mas d'En Ramon d'en Besso.
6. back through Mas d'En Ramon d'en Besso
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Mas d'En Ramon d'en Besso write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Mas d'En Ramon d'en Besso comes up about 250 km into the recorded legs. Next is back through Abric de la Serra de la mussara.
7. back through Abric de la Serra de la mussara
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Abric de la Serra de la mussara write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 298 km into the recorded legs you reach back through Abric de la Serra de la mussara. 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.
9. 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
The route ends here after 350 km.
Leg by leg
The to The
The → The is 22 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
The to Abric de la Serra de la mussara
The → Abric de la Serra de la mussara is 39 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Abric de la Serra de la mussara to Mas d'En Ramon d'en Besso
Abric de la Serra de la mussara → Mas d'En Ramon d'en Besso is 49 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Mas d'En Ramon d'en Besso to Abric de Gallicant
Mas d'En Ramon d'en Besso → Abric de Gallicant is 73 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Abric de Gallicant to back through Mas d'En Ramon d'en Besso
Abric de Gallicant → back through Mas d'En Ramon d'en Besso is 67 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Mas d'En Ramon d'en Besso to back through Abric de la Serra de la mussara
back through Mas d'En Ramon d'en Besso → back through Abric de la Serra de la mussara is 48 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Abric de la Serra de la mussara to back through The
back through Abric de la Serra de la mussara → back through The is 36 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through The to The
back through The → The is 22 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.