The Maestrat is a quiet corner of Castellón, a country of dry-stone walls, almond groves and villages built on knolls, and the ravines that cut through it hide shelters painted with scenes from the Mesolithic and Neolithic. The Abric del Barranc d'en Cabrera belongs to the Levantine rock art of the Mediterranean Basin, a tradition inscribed by UNESCO in 1998, and it lies in the hills above Albocàsser, near the little towns of Catí and Les Coves de Vinromà. The best-known cluster, the Valltorta gorge, lies not far away, with a museum at Tírig that explains the art and gives access to some sites.
Walking to a shelter here is part of the point. Paths drop into ravines scented with thyme and rosemary, crossing terraces held up by dry-stone walls that took generations to build, and lizards flash across the rocks. The paintings themselves are small, red and easily missed, so go with the right expectations and look at them quietly. They are fragile, and many are fenced, so follow the rules and do not touch.
Albocàsser is a village of about fourteen hundred people, and Catí, a bit larger, is known for its goat's cheese, which has protected status, and for a handsome old centre with Gothic houses. Fuel is limited in these hills, and the nearest sizeable town on the list, Alcalà de Xivert, is some distance away on the coast, so top up before you climb. Local food leans on lamb, wild boar and stews, with honey and olive oil as the staples.
The riding is peaceful and varied. The roads climb out of the coastal plain through olive terraces, then roll across a high plateau, with views toward the sea on clear days and long, empty stretches where you may see no other vehicle for half an hour. Surfaces are mostly decent, but patchy in places. Spring is the finest time, with wildflowers and green slopes, while summer is hot and dry, and winter nights bring frost to the heights.