Taking a bearing on the Barranc de l'Infern is easy because the map labels it with such confidence, and the name itself has a long history. In local usage infern means a deep, hot, difficult gorge, and in a Mediterranean summer that description is fair. The ravine lies in the Vall de Laguar, a small valley in the Marina Alta of Alicante province, with a rim of terraced slopes and a floor of limestone and boulders.
The second shelter in the sixth group is part of a series of Levantine painted sites that line the walls of the gorge. They are, like all such sites, delicate, and the paintings of red figures are partly eroded. What is remarkable is how much life the area supports. The limestone supports Aleppo pine and holm oak, rosemary, thyme and the dwarf palm, the palmito, which is Europe's only native palm and grows wild on dry slopes along this coast. The cliffs shelter Bonelli's eagles, and kestrels hang over the terraces.
Rainfall is low, but when it comes it comes violently, and the gorge can rush with water that disappears within an hour. That is one reason the paths into the ravine can be dangerous in wet weather, and why local people tend to avoid it during storms. The terraces that climb the slopes were built by Moorish farmers who dug irrigation channels and grew almonds, vines and figs, and the pattern still shapes the view.
Reaching the area by motorcycle is a pleasure. Narrow roads climb from Pego or Orba through villages and orchards, with a lot of short, tight bends and frequent views over the valley. Surfaces are mostly decent, but potholes and gravel appear on the edges, and a vehicle coming the other way will often be a van. Take your time. Best conditions come in spring and autumn, when the days are clear and the heat is modest.
Murla, a village of five hundred people, is the closest place, while Pego, seven kilometres away, has fuel, shops and restaurants. Carry water.