In July 2012, a huge fire swept through the hills around Cortes de Pallás, not far from Bicorp, and burned tens of thousands of hectares of pine forest, one of the worst wildfires in the history of the Valencian Community. Fire is a fact of life in these dry Mediterranean mountains, and the landscape tells the story: the pines that regrow quickly from seed, the scrub that returns within a few years, and the gaunt grey trunks that still stand on some of the slopes. It is a sobering reminder that the beauty of this country is fragile.
The Abric del Zuro lies about three and a half kilometres from Bicorp, in the rugged hills where Valencia's interior begins, and carries painting in the Levantine tradition, protected by UNESCO as part of the rock art of the Mediterranean basin in Spain. The ride links it with the Abric de Seguili, another site in the same country. The shelters here stand among limestone cliffs and ravines, and the paintings are small and faded.
The district is rich in wildlife. Bonelli's eagles nest on the cliffs, and griffon vultures glide above, with wild boar, foxes and rabbits in the scrub. In spring, orchids, rockrose and wild thyme cover the slopes, and the air hums with bees.
For a rider, the roads are narrow, winding and almost empty, with steep climbs, tight bends and big views. Surfaces vary, with patches of gravel and rock. Spring and autumn are best, and in the heat of summer, an early start is wise. Winter nights are cold at this height.
Navarrés, with nearly three thousand, about twelve kilometres away, has the basics, and Enguera, about twenty-two kilometres off, with over five thousand, is larger. Fill up before you go, and carry water.