A barranc in this part of the Marina Alta is a dry ravine that carries water for a few hours after a storm, and the Barranc de la Fita has three shelters numbered along it. Abric III is the last of them, at the same spot as Abric I and Abric II, less than three kilometres from Castell de Castells. They are part of the Mediterranean rock art that UNESCO listed in 1998, and the density of such sites in a small area is one of the reasons the region is of such interest to archaeologists.
A different thing to know about this country is that it grows muscatel grapes. In the Jalón valley, a few kilometres to the north, the vines are trained on low trellises and the grapes are dried in the sun to make raisins or pressed for a sweet wine, and in September the valley smells of ripe fruit. Villages such as Parcent, Jalón and Lliber hold harvest festivals, and the roads are full of tractors. The slopes of the Serrella above are less cultivated, covered with pine and scrub, and the contrast between the cultivated valley and the wild mountain is striking.
For riding, the Coll de Rates, between Tàrbena and the Jalón valley, is the highlight. It is a long, steady climb of regular bends, and the views over vineyards and the sea are splendid. Between Tàrbena and Castell de Castells the road is quieter and more twisting, and it continues to Guadalest. The surface is generally good, with some narrow sections. Early morning is the best time, since the heat builds quickly in summer, and the roads fill with cyclists on weekends.
Fuel is in Pego, fifteen kilometres from the shelter, or in the coastal towns. Castell de Castells has a bar and a shop, but no pumps. Take water for the walk, and expect little shade. A lunch of rice with local vegetables and a glass of muscatel wine is a fine way to end the day.