Cherry trees are the secret of this valley, and for a few days in late winter and spring they turn the slopes white. The Vall de Gallinera, which lies just north of the Vall d'Ebo, is a long, narrow valley of small villages, with Adsubia among them, filled with terraced fields that the Moors once irrigated with great skill. Its cherries are among the best in the region, and the blossom draws visitors who come to walk the terraces and take photographs.
The Barranc de la Cova Negra, Black Cave Ravine, is one of the painted gorges of this part of Alicante province, and the label also refers to the neighbouring Barranc de Carbonera. The Levantine shelters here, with their small red figures, are part of the tradition recognised by UNESCO in 1998, and they are scattered across the cliffs and side ravines. Some are hard to reach and hard to see, and a walking guide is helpful if you want to find them.
The valley also has history. The castle of Alcalà, above the village of the same name, was a stronghold of the Muslim leader Al-Azraq in the thirteenth century, and its ruins still look out over the valley. After the expulsion of the Moriscos in 1609, many villages here were abandoned, and the terraces fell out of use. The cherry trees are one of the ways the valley has found new life.
The riding is delightful. The road from Pego climbs through orange groves and then into steeper country, with a series of hairpins up to the valley floor, before winding along the valley past one small village after another. Surfaces are generally fine, traffic is very light, and the bends are the kind that suit an unhurried rider. In the cherry season the verges are busy with walkers, so go slowly.
Pego, with eleven thousand people, is the nearest town for fuel and food, about eight kilometres away. Adsubia has a bar and little else. Bring water for walking.