Planes is a small village in the hills of the Comtat in northern Alicante province, crowned by a castle and looking out over a valley of olive and cherry orchards. The Barranc de la Penya Blanca, the ravine of the white rock, lies close by, among the folded limestone ridges between Planes, Benimarfull and the reservoir at Beniarrés.
This part of Alicante holds some of the richest rock art of the whole Spanish Mediterranean. Not only Levantine paintings, but also the much rarer Macro-schematic style, large symbolic figures in red painted by early farming communities, were identified in these ravines and are found almost nowhere else. The Pla de Petracos shelters near Castell de Castells are the best known example. The shelters in the Penya Blanca ravine are part of the same rich tradition. Visits to protected panels are usually possible only with a guide, often arranged through the Museu d'Alcoi or regional authorities.
The riding around Planes is fantastic. This corner of Alicante is a maze of narrow mountain roads through orchards and pine woods, with countless bends and little traffic. The roads linking Planes, Benillup, Gorga and Millena, or heading toward the Vall de Gallinera and the Vall d'Alcalà, are a joy, though narrow, sometimes poorly surfaced and with blind corners. The Vall de Gallinera, to the east, is famous for its cherry blossom in spring, when the terraces turn white. The Vall d'Alcalà is associated with Al-Azraq, a Muslim leader who rebelled against the Christian conquerors in the thirteenth century and is remembered in local history.
Planes has a bar or two, but for fuel and a full range of services, Muro de Alcoy, about eleven kilometres away, is the nearest larger town, with Cocentaina and Alcoy beyond. The local cuisine is mountain fare: rice dishes with rabbit and snails, olleta, a hearty bean and vegetable stew, and pericana, a mix of dried peppers and salted cod in olive oil. Spring and autumn are perfect; summer can be very hot in the valleys.