Alginet sits in the Ribera Alta, the flat, fertile plain south of Valencia where the Júcar river spreads out among orange groves, rice fields and small towns. To the west, the plain meets the first hills of the interior, low ridges of limestone covered in pine and scrub. The Barranc de la Falaguera, the ravine of the fern, cuts into these hills near Alginet, Alfarp and Benifaió.
The ravine holds rock shelters with painted figures, part of the network of Levantine and schematic art that UNESCO protects along Spain's Mediterranean side. The Barranc de la Falaguera is one of the few sites close to the Valencian plain, showing that prehistoric communities used these hills as well as the more remote mountains. The site is protected and small.
The Ribera is the heart of Valencian citrus country. The orange groves stretch for kilometres, and in spring the scent of orange blossom, the azahar, fills the air. The towns are agricultural, with warehouses where oranges are packed for export across Europe. Alginet is also known for its Moorish-style tile-domed churches. The Albufera, the great lagoon south of Valencia, with its rice fields and fishing villages, is a short ride east.
The riding here is flat on the plain, through orange groves and villages, with a lot of local traffic and tractors. The roads into the hills to the west, toward Llombai, Catadau and the Serra de les Agulles, offer more interesting riding, with bends through pine forest and views over the plain. The road over the hills toward Montroy and Real, and on into the Hoya de Buñol, is a good loop. Watch out for gravel and agricultural vehicles on the smaller roads.
Alginet, about four kilometres away, has fuel and all services. The Ribera is the home of paella, and every town claims its own version; the classic Valencian paella is made with chicken, rabbit, green beans and garrofó, a large white bean. Spring, with the orange blossom, is the best time to ride here.