The Vall de Gallinera is one of those valleys that seems to exist slightly outside time. Running east to west in the mountains of northern Alicante, it holds eight tiny villages strung along a single road, terraced slopes of cherry trees, and above them limestone ridges cut by steep ravines. The Barranc de Beniali is one of those ravines, and in a shelter on its walls prehistoric people painted figures that are now part of the World Heritage site of Levantine rock art. The valley next door, the Vall d'Ebo, is just as wild, and its Cova del Rull is a show cave full of stalactites.
This was Muslim country for centuries after the Christian conquest. The Moriscos, Muslims forced to convert, lived in these valleys until their expulsion in 1609, when the whole population was deported to North Africa. The rebellions and the emptying of the villages left a deep mark, and the remains of Morisco villages and terraces can still be found on the slopes. Later settlers from Mallorca and elsewhere repopulated the area.
The riding is fantastic. The road through the Vall de Gallinera from Pego up to the Port de Salem and beyond is narrow and winding, with tight bends, good views and very little traffic. The roads through the Vall d'Ebo and the Vall de Laguar are even more extreme, with steep climbs, hairpins and dramatic drops. Surfaces are generally good but narrow, so take care on blind corners. Spring is the best time, when the cherry trees blossom in a cloud of white, usually around March and April.
The landscape is a mix of terraced orchards, pine woods and rocky slopes, with the smell of wild herbs in the air. The mountains are home to eagles, wild boar and goats, and the views from the passes stretch down to the coast and the sea. In early summer, the cherries ripen, and the villages sell them by the roadside.
Pego, about nine kilometres away, is the nearest town with fuel and shops. Villalonga and Adsubia are smaller villages with basic services. Pego also has a marshland nature reserve, the Marjal de Pego-Oliva, rich in birds. The local food is rustic and hearty, with dishes like olleta, a bean and vegetable stew, and the cherries are famous across Spain.