High in the interior of Valencia province, where the coastal orange groves give way to limestone plateaus and pine forest, the village of Titaguas sits on the road towards the Rincón de Ademuz. Close by lies the Abric del Rincón del Tío Escribano, a rock shelter with prehistoric paintings, one of the hundreds of sites that make up the Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula, listed by UNESCO in 1998.
Levantine rock art, as it is known, shows people and animals in action: hunters with bows, deer in flight, sometimes scenes of gathering or conflict, painted in red or black under overhangs that protected them from the weather. The figures are often small, sometimes only a few centimetres high, and they reward patience. Many shelters are fenced off for protection and can only be visited with a guide by appointment, so check with the local tourist office before turning up and expecting to see anything up close.
The neighbouring village of Alpuente has one of the more surprising histories in the region: in the eleventh century it was the seat of a small Moorish taifa kingdom, and its castle ruins and old town walls still hang over the valley. The area is also known for dinosaur trackways in the surrounding rocks, which gives the place a pleasingly deep sense of time.
The riding is the real reward. The CV-35 runs from Valencia up through Llíria and the Turia valley to Chelva and Tuéjar, then climbs onto the plateau through Titaguas towards Ademuz, and it is one of the most popular motorcycle roads in the Valencian interior, with good surfaces, flowing bends and long views over ravines and terraced hillsides. Side roads branching off it are narrower and rougher but have even fewer cars. Expect cold mornings at altitude, even in late spring, and strong sun by midday. Gravel can collect on the bends after storms, and wild boar and deer cross at dusk.
Fuel needs some thought. Titaguas is small, and the nearest large town listed is Utiel, around thirty-six kilometres away, though Chelva and Tuéjar on the main road are more practical stops. Village bars serve hearty food: try the local cured meats, olla serrana, or a simple plate of eggs and potatoes after a cool morning in the hills.