The Noves de Segre–Argestues–Plaça de Sant Quiri route is 13.2 kilometres long and follows a path through oak forests, crossing streams along the way. In Argestues, you can also visit the Church of Santa Coloma, the nearby Fossa de Plan Cabanell and a stop on the Ruta dels Manairons, with its own legend. When planning a trip, hiking landscapes, architectural history, a megalithic monument and local tradition all come together here.

Routes and directions

The drive takes you uphill from Noves through the Pallerols Valley to Argestues. These directions provide clear guidance for getting there. The hiking route answers a different planning question: it identifies not only Argestues as a stop, but also the route’s length and characteristics. The road route and the footpath can therefore be read as two distinct pieces of information for planning your journey.

The 13.2 kilometres help you factor the hike into your day’s plans. Oak forests and stream crossings add a concrete picture of the route to the distance. The length and landscape features serve different purposes: one describes the scale of the hike, while the others tell you what the path passes through. If you are thinking of adding a hike to your plans, you can consider both aspects together.

The history of traditional paths is also part of the regional context. The Camí Vell de les Valls d’Aguilar is a project to restore, adapt and signpost old paths. Residents of Valls d’Aguilar used traditional paths to travel between the valley’s different settlements. So alongside the specific hiking route, these paths offer a glimpse into how people once travelled between the settlements as part of everyday life.

The church and the village’s history

Argestues is first mentioned in a document dating to 904. This date provides a clear historical reference point. The Church of Santa Coloma offers another way to explore the village’s history: it stands in the lower part of the abandoned village of Argestues, and its architecture provides clues to its classification.

Santa Coloma is a single-nave church with a rectangular floor plan. Its architectural features include a timber roof structure and a short vault over the presbytery. These details describe different aspects of the building: the floor plan indicates the shape of the church interior, while the timber roof and vault characterise its roof structure. Thus, the year 904 and the building’s features provide two different historical reference points: its first written mention and the church’s physical architecture.

Stone monument and local legend

The Fossa de Plan Cabanell, a megalithic cist, lies near Argestues. Its features include a rectangular central chamber made of three large stone slabs and a circular stone mound. Both the chamber and the mound are important elements of the site’s form. For travellers interested in archaeological remains, the Fossa offers a different focus from the church’s architecture: here, the emphasis is on the stone structure and chamber.

Another cultural trace can be found along the Ruta dels Manairons: Argestues is stop 6 on the route. There, a legend tells how God created the Pyrenees by dropping rocks from a sack. This tale should be understood as local folklore, not as a geological explanation. It offers a storytelling perspective that differs clearly from the architectural features of Santa Coloma and the stone structure of the Fossa.

There are several specific points of interest to help you choose what to focus on during your trip: the 13.2-kilometre hiking route and its described landscape features, the architecture of Santa Coloma, the nearby megalithic cist and the legend at stop 6. The history of the Camí Vell adds another dimension: the former use of traditional paths between the valley’s settlements.

Discover more destinations: Vilalba dels Arcs, Anserall, La Granja d'Escarp, Alòs d'Isil, Bassella, Torrefarrera, Oliana, El Palau D'anglesola

For the wider travel guide: Lleida.