Cocentaina is a small town with a surprisingly grand palace, and it makes a handy reference point for this corner of the Comtat. The Palau Comtal, a fortified residence from the Middle Ages, stands in the centre, and the town holds one of the oldest fairs in Spain, the Fira de Tots Sants, each year around All Saints' Day. Just down the valley is Alcoi, an industrial town built on paper and textiles, whose steep streets hold Modernista buildings and a famous festival of Moors and Christians. The villages of Planes and Beniarrés, a few kilometres away, are pastoral by comparison, and the Abric de la Gleda lies in the cliffs above one of the ravines that cut into the Serra de Mariola.
The shelter is part of the Mediterranean Basin rock art inscribed by UNESCO in 1998, and its paintings are in the Levantine style. Rock art in this region is often faint, and the shelter is best approached with a local guide. The surrounding scenery is the real reward, with pine woods, terraced almond groves, small streams, and the ridge of the Mariola rising to the north, a limestone massif that is known for its wild herbs.
Water shaped the valley and the economy. Alcoi's mills drew their power from the little rivers that tumble from the hills, and the paper mills of the area were once among the best in Spain. The old canals and mill buildings can still be seen if you look, and the town's paper museum tells the story. In spring the terraces are full of flowering almonds and cherries, and the air smells of rosemary and warm earth.
Riding here is a pleasure on narrow, twisting roads that follow the valley contours, with a lovely rhythm of bends and short climbs. Traffic is light outside weekends, and the surface is generally good, though patches of gravel are common. Fuel is easy to find in Cocentaina and Alcoi, but not in the smaller villages, so fill up before heading to the hills. Bars serve strong coffee and sandwiches, and a plate of rice with beans and local sausage is typical. Spring and autumn are best, with clear air and light.