10 amazing things to do and see in Terres de Lleida

Terres de Lleida might be one of Catalonia’s least-visited regions, but that’s exactly what makes it such a treasure. It’s rural, peaceful, full of big open landscapes, and home to some of the most authentic experiences you can have in Catalonia.

The region stretches across the plains west of Barcelona and up toward the Pre-Pyrenees. And it’s just 1.5 to 2 hours from the Catalan capital.

There, you’ll find family-run producers making some of the best olive oils and wines in the country, villages covered in mural art, and medieval castles.

And for nature lovers, it’s a paradise. It has wetlands packed with birdlife, one of Europe’s top paragliding valleys, Catalonia’s best stargazing spot, and a jaw-dropping canyon that’s perfect for hiking and kayaking.

Marc was born here and lived here for many years, so we know this area inside out. After exploring it countless times together, here is our list of 10 amazing things to do in Terres de Lleida, with our favourite spots and experiences to help you plan your trip.

See the peach, cherry, and almond blossoms

People travel all the way to Japan or Stockholm to see the cherry blossoms… but guess what? We have our own version of that magical pink season right here in Catalonia. And the Terres de Lleida is the place to go when you want to catch this blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment.

Aitona is the most famous place to see the blossoms, and once you see it, you’ll understand why! We were amazed by the endless pink fields.

Most of them are filled with peach, nectarine, and flat peach trees. But to a lesser extent, you’ll also find cherry and apricot ones.

Another lesser-known (but totally worth it) spot to enjoy the blossoms is Arbeca. The village is known for its arbequina olives. But in early spring, the almond trees steal the show with their white flowers.

For great views of the white landscape, check out the paved road between Arbeca and Floresta.

If you’re wondering how to enjoy the blossom fields, we’ve got you covered! We’ve put together a list of fun ideas, like cycling routes, hot air balloon rides, or walking trails, plus details on how to get to each place.

Board Catalonia’s most beautiful heritage train

If you’re looking for a unique, slow-travel experience in Terres de Lleida, hop on the Tren dels Llacs. It’s a heritage train from the 1970s that takes you from Lleida to La Pobla de Segur, right into the heart of the Pre-Pyrenees.

The journey starts following the Segre River past crop fields and small villages, where you’ll likely get a few waves from the locals!

But once the train leaves Balaguer, the landscape changes completely. Suddenly, you’re surrounded by huge rock walls, deep gorges, and turquoise reservoirs, while the train snakes along the Segre and Noguera Pallaresa rivers.

During the almost 90 km ride, you’ll pass through 40 tunnels, cross 75 bridges, and enjoy incredible views of iconic spots like the Montsec range (home to the Mont-rebei Gorge) and four reservoirs: Sant Llorenç, Camarasa, Terradets, and Sant Antoni.

After about two hours, you’ll arrive in La Pobla de Segur. There, you can grab lunch at a local restaurant and explore the village before heading back.

With your ticket, you can return the same day or up to six days later. This is perfect if you want to spend a night or keep exploring the area.

A few good-to-knows:

🗓️ The train runs Saturdays only, from April to October.

🐕 Pets can travel for free (dogs must be muzzled and leashed; cats and small animals in a carrier).

🚂 You’ll be riding on a charming old-school train, so expect a nostalgic vibe, not modern comfort.

If you want more info about schedules, cost, and what to expect from this train, check out our Tren dels Llacs guide.

Go olive oil tasting

If there’s one thing Terres de Lleida is known for, it’s olive oil!

This region is the homeland of the world-famous arbequina variety. And it’s also where you’ll find POD Garrigues, the first protected olive oil designation in Spain.

The area produces millions of litres every year. And honestly, once you taste it, you’ll understand why locals are so proud of it.

If you love a good olive oil (like we do), an olive oil tasting here is mandatory! These are the ones we recommend the most:

• Cuadrat Valley

Hidden in the tiny village of L’Albagés, this family-run mill completely blew us away. The building itself is stunning, and it blends perfectly with the surrounding landscape.

We visited with Blanca, who was super friendly, and got to learn about their process before trying three of their oils. They were all excellent, but our absolute favourite was the Elixir Dénoyautée.

• Clos Pons

Also in L’Albagés, Clos Pons produces both olive oil and wine.

The experience includes a generous countryside-style breakfast (with plenty of olive oil to try), a tour of the winery, and a wine tasting. Everything was delicious, and the estate is beautiful. If you want a full foodie morning out, this one’s a great option!

• L’Olivera

We haven’t made it there yet, but L’Olivera in Vallbona de les Monges is high on our list. They produce socially inclusive olive oil and wine, and their project has a fantastic reputation. We’ll update this guide as soon as we go!

Go wine tasting

Besides olive oil, Terres de Lleida is also famous for its wine.

The region is home to the Costers del Segre Designation of Origin, made up of seven wine-growing areas spread along the Segre River basin and into the Pyrenees. The landscape changes a lot from one subzone to another, so the wines do too, which makes tastings here especially fun.

Here are some of our favourite wineries in the region:

• La Gravera: A small, eco-friendly winery with a strong focus on regenerative agriculture. Their plots grow inside an old gravel pit (gravera), which gives their wines a truly unique character. We were there during the Gravera Fest, a festival which mixes concerts, glamping, and wine (definitely recommended if you’re in the area!).

• Raimat: One of Lleida’s most iconic wineries and part of the Codorníu group. The estate is huge and beautiful, and it offers guided tours and special activities. We did a cheese and wine pairing, and it was excellent.

• Castell del Remei: A historic winery set around a 19th-century estate with a small lake, a chapel, and a castle. Their restaurant is fantastic (we had a great meal there after the tasting).

• Mas Blanch i Jové: This one is worth a visit as it’s part winery, part open-air art museum (known as The Artists’ Vineyard). The vineyards are filled with large sculptures created by renowned artists, so the visit is the perfect mix of gastronomy and culture.

• Clos Pons: We already mentioned them in the olive oil section, but they’re also fantastic winemakers. Expect beautiful landscapes, great wines, and a stunning estate. Their combined olive oil + wine tastings are a perfect plan.

If you want to find restaurants, places to stay, and more experiences related to wine in Terres de Lleida, check out the Lleida Wine Route.

Discover the impressive Mont-Rebei canyon

Picture narrow cliffside paths carved directly into the rock, suspension bridges above turquoise water, and zigzag wooden staircases fixed to the cliff. Add a few vultures circling overhead, and you’ve got the full Mont-rebei experience.

This spectacular gorge sits on the western edge of Catalonia, forming a natural border with Aragon. It’s only 3 h from Barcelona, which makes it an amazing two-day escape without going too far.

Mont-rebei was shaped by the Noguera Ribagorçana River, which cuts through the Montsec mountains, creating two massive walls (up to 500 m high) with bright blue water running between them.

You have several options to enjoy this paradise: hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, doing a via ferrata, etc.

Hiking in Mont-Rebei

If you’re visiting for just one day, we recommend hiking. Our favourite route is the 16-km trail from La Masieta to the Montfalcó refuge. Along the way, you’ll cross a 40-m suspension bridge and the famous staircase systems clinging to the rock.

The first section of the hike is the path that cuts through the canyon, which is less than three metres wide and literally dug into the rock! So the views are wild from the very first step.

It’s not a circular route, so you can turn back whenever you want. Reaching the first staircase (about 9.8 km return) already gives you the main highlights without doing the full thing.

You can also start your Mont-Rebei adventure from the hermitage of La Pertusa. Before getting on the main trail, walk the short 1-km path up to the hermitage. The views from there are absolutely incredible and totally worth the detour.

From La Pertusa, the full hike through Mont-Rebei (including the famous staircases, the suspension bridge, and the carved cliffside path) is about 9 km one way.

If you want more info about the hiking routes in Mont-Rebei, including how to get to the trailhead, where to stay after the hike, and when is the best time to do hiking, check out our Mont-Rebei guide.

Kayaking in Mont-Rebei

If you’re staying longer, especially from June to August, go kayaking too. Seeing the gorge from the water is something else entirely. We paddled a 14-km route and loved every minute.

If you want more info about kayaking in Mont-Rebei, including where to rent kayaks and the best time to visit, check out our Mont-Rebei guide.

Paraglide in one of Europe’s best spots

If you’ve ever dreamed of flying over mountains, cliffs, and turquoise reservoirs, Terres de Lleida is the place to do it. This region is considered one of the best paragliding spots in Europe, thanks to its stable weather and incredible scenery.

The most famous launch area is Àger, a valley right next to the Montsec mountain range. It’s basically the place pilots from all over the world dream of flying. And they even host big international competitions here, including the Paragliding World Cup.

From up there, you get unreal views of the Sant Llorenç reservoir, and even the Mont-rebei gorge from above.

We did our first paraglide with Entre Núvols, and since we were total beginners, we booked a tandem flight with a professional pilot. Marc had the time of his life. He enjoyed every second and even managed to take photos mid-air.

My experience was a bit different… Let’s just say the views were amazing, but my stomach didn’t quite agree. I got super dizzy and… ended up puking mid-flight 😅 So if you tend to get motion sick, take a nausea pill beforehand. Trust me on this one!

If Àger isn’t on your route, another great place to paraglide is Organyà. It’s one of the world’s best spots for acro-paragliding and is home to year-round flying conditions.

So, whether you’re chasing adrenaline or just want a different perspective of the landscape, paragliding here is something you’ll never forget (for good or for chaos… like me 🤣).

Stroll through Lleida’s historic streets

Lleida is far less visited than Barcelona or Girona, but still worth at least some hours of your time! It’s quieter, more local, and still packed with history and incredible food.

And we know it well! Marc was born here and lived in the city for years, so we’ve walked these streets more times than we can count.

A must-see is La Seu Vella, Lleida’s stunning hilltop cathedral. It watches over the city, and the views from up there are great. You can visit it every day except Mondays, and you can ask in advance for guided tours in English.

Right next to the cathedral, you can also visit the Castell del Rei (Castle of the King). Locals know it as La Suda, which comes from an old Arabic word meaning “a fortified area.” And back in the day, it was the palace where the king stayed when he was in Lleida. The castle is only open on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.

After visiting, stroll down to the banks of the Segre River, which is one of our favourite places to go for a run.

When it comes to food, make sure to try cargols a la llauna (grilled snails, the local speciality). We know that eating snails sounds weird, but trust us, they’re really good!

Travel back in time in La Segarra

La Segarra is one of those places that feels like stepping straight into a medieval movie set. This region is known as “the land of castles” and for good reason.

Back in the 11th and 12th centuries, the Sió River valley marked the frontier between the Christian counties of Catalonia and Al-Àndalus. It was a tense border zone, and dozens of fortifications popped up to defend the territory.

When the frontier disappeared, the castles lost their military purpose and slowly turned into noble residences. Many of them survived remarkably well, and today there are 14 castles still standing in La Segarra.

5 of them can be visited inside: Montfalcó Murallat, Concabella, Florejacs (owned by the same family for generations. Part of the castle is still their home!), Les Pallargues (the owners still live here today and run the guided visits), Les Sitges, and the tower of Menjanell (which you can rent as a holiday house).

The other 8 can only be seen from the outside, but they’re still worth the detour: Castellmeià, Ratera, Les Oluges, L’Aranyó, Vergós Guerrejat, Vicfred, Montcortès, and the tower of Ivorra.

If you’re into castles, you can follow a 50-km route (by car, bike, or even on foot if you’re ambitious!) that links all 14.

We also recommend visiting the tower of Vallferosa, an impressive 10th-century defensive tower that once worked alongside the main fortresses. It’s gigantic, incredibly well-preserved, and one of the most unique medieval structures in Catalonia. They offer guided visits on Sundays.

Go birdwatching

Terres de Lleida is a fantastic place for birdwatching. The region is full of wetlands, open plains, riverbanks, and protected habitats that attract an incredible variety of species year-round.

One of the best places is the largest inland lagoon in Catalonia, Estany d’Ivars i Vila-sana, where you can spot waterbirds and steppe birds, like the martinet menut (little egret), agró roig (purple heron), and polla blava (purple swamphen).

We walked the 5-km loop that goes around the whole lake and loved it. It’s super easy, peaceful, and has plenty of picnic areas and viewpoints, plus a birdwatching tower and the interpretation centre Cal Sinén.

And even though we’re total bird newbies, we still had a great time spotting wildlife. If you want to learn more about the species you’re seeing, you can book a guided tour at Cal Sinén.

If you want to explore further, you can also go to L’Aiguabarreig. Located where the Segre, Cinca, and Ebre rivers meet, this is home to some of the largest riverbank forests in Catalonia.

Another option is Mas de Melons i Alfès, one of the best preserved steppe habitats in Catalonia. It’s a top spot for seeing rare and shy species that thrive in dry, open landscapes. Bird lovers consider it one of the most special birding areas in the region.

If you’re a keen birder (or want to become one!), check out the Birding Ebre Pirineus project. It’s a long-distance itinerary that links the Ebre Delta with the Pyrenees. Along the route, you can spot up to 350 different species, making it one of the richest birding corridors in the country.

Enjoy street art in the countryside villages

If you love discovering art in unexpected places, there are three small villages in Terres de Lleida that you’ll love.

Ivars d’Urgell is home to L’Enciclopèdia Mural, an outdoor art project started in 2019 by local artist Swen Schmitz Collque.

The idea? Fill the village with huge murals inspired by the birds and wildlife of the wetlands.

Today, there are 44 murals in Ivars and 8 in Vallverd, turning two tiny villages into an open-air gallery. Follow this map to find the murals easily.

A short drive away, there’s the most famous rural street-art village in Catalonia: Penelles. With fewer than 500 residents and more than 160 murals, it has become a true street-art destination thanks to the Gargar Festival, launched in 2016.

Since then, over 300 artists from around the world have painted barns, façades, garages, and old houses. The artwork is super varied and often inspired by rural life, local people, traditions, and nature.

You can explore the murals on your own (pick up a free map at the Tourism Office), join a guided tour if you want the stories and anecdotes behind the art, or visit during the Gargar Festival (which takes place from the 1st to the 3rd of May 2026).

And finally, another great stop is Torrefarrera, home to more than 50 murals created during the annual Torrefarrera Street Art Festival.

Local and international artists transform the village every year, giving new life to public spaces and even allowing locals to vote for their favourite pieces. It’s smaller than Penelles, but it’s really nice too.

And that’s a wrap! We hope this list of the top 10 things to do and see in Terres de Lleida has inspired you to plan your next adventure in this beautiful and quiet rural region. Enjoy!