Hikers in the Marina Alta speak of the Barranc de l'Infern with a mix of affection and fear. This dramatic gorge between Vall de Ebo and Fleix carries a path of thousands of stone steps built by the Moriscos, the converted Muslims who farmed these valleys until their expulsion from Spain in 1609. Rock shelters along the ravine hold prehistoric paintings, some of which belong to the UNESCO listing of Mediterranean rock art, and the cliffs themselves are spectacular, with layers of grey and orange limestone glowing in the late afternoon sun.
The surrounding valleys, the Vall de Laguar, Vall d'Alcalà and Vall de Ebo, are tucked behind the busy Costa Blanca coast, yet feel a century away from its high-rises. Terraced almond and olive groves, cherry orchards and little white villages cling to the slopes, and the air smells of pine and wild herbs. The cave of the Rull near Vall de Ebo is worth a stop if you want something cooler than the sun-baked gorge. Many places here still carry Arabic names, a reminder of the people who built the terraces and the long stairway.
For a rider, these valleys are a playground. The roads through Vall de Ebo, Vall d'Alcalà and the climb over the Coll de Rates between Parcent and Tàrbena are known for their tight hairpins, panoramic balconies and smooth tarmac, and they are hugely popular with road cyclists, so expect groups of them on every climb, particularly on winter weekends when teams train here. The roads are narrow and blind in places, with gravel on corners and the occasional stray goat. Spring is glorious, with almond blossom in February and wildflowers later, while summer is hot.
Murla and the other villages are tiny, so plan your fuel in Pego, a town of eleven thousand, or along the coast. Village bars serve coffee and bocadillos, and Pego has proper restaurants, with rice dishes from the nearby marsh, which was historically a rice-growing area. If you plan to walk part of the gorge, take water, good shoes and give yourself plenty of time, and remember those steps go up as well as down.