Behind the holiday coast of Dénia and Xàbia, the mountains of the Marina Alta fold into steep, narrow valleys that have more in common with the Moorish past than with the beach towns. Vall d'Ebo, Adsubia and Villalonga are small places among the ridges, and the Barranc de la Magrana is one of the ravines cut into the limestone. The Moors, who farmed these terraces for centuries, were forced to leave Spain in 1609, and the expulsion of the Moriscos began in these valleys, where some of them rose in revolt against the order, retreating to the heights before being defeated. The old irrigation channels and terraces they built are still in use.
The rock shelter in this ravine is part of the Mediterranean Basin rock art, listed by UNESCO in 1998, and it holds red paintings of the Levantine tradition. The nearby Coves Santes de Baix are another group of shelters that appear on the same route. The surrounding country is rich in nature. Pines and holm oak cover the slopes, the cliffs are home to Bonelli's eagle and the peregrine falcon, and the ravines have small pools where frogs and dragonflies gather. The smell of rosemary and thyme is strong on warm days.
Riding here is lively. Roads wind up through the valleys in long series of bends, with a few tight hairpins where the road climbs to a village, and the views over terraces to the sea in the distance are lovely on a clear day. Traffic is light, but cyclists are many, especially at weekends, and the surface varies, so keep to a speed that allows for gravel and rock fall. Summer heat is strong, and cooler air in the evening is welcome. After heavy rain, the ravines can run with water and the roads can be muddy.
Villalonga, a town of nearly four thousand people, has fuel, supermarkets and a good range of bars. A local meal might be a plate of rice cooked with beans and turnips, or a pan of lamb with potatoes. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, and the locals will remind you that the cherry blossom in the valleys to the south is spectacular in February.