Aitana is the mountain you can see from nearly everywhere in this part of Alicante, and at 1,558 metres it is the highest in the province. The village of Benimantell sits in its shadow, a tiny place of fewer than five hundred people with white houses and a view that ends in blue haze. The shelter named here, Barranc del Sord, belongs to the Tabla de Pochico group, a scatter of Levantine paintings in the hills of the Marina Baixa that form part of the UNESCO-listed rock art of the Mediterranean Basin.
It is a strange thing to ride from the beach resorts of Benidorm, with their high-rise towers, into this country in half an hour. Within minutes the road leaves the coastal plain and enters the Guadalest valley, with its turquoise reservoir, its terraced almond and olive groves, and the dramatic rock on which the castle of Guadalest stands. The village is a tourist favourite, with a string of small museums, and gets busy at weekends. Go early.
The road beyond Benimantell climbs steadily toward the passes of the Serra d'Aitana and the interior. Here the riding is at its best: long, sweeping bends, clean surfaces, big views of terraced slopes, and almost no traffic once you pass the last villages. Spring turns the valley pink with almond blossom, while autumn gives clear skies and cool air. In winter the highest parts can be icy, and fog sometimes pours up from the coast.
Callosa d'en Sarrià, down the valley, is known for its nísperos, the loquats that ripen in spring, and the fruit stalls beside the road are a signal that you are in the right area. The Algar waterfalls near Callosa are a pleasant place to cool off in summer, though they get crowded.
Fuel is the thing to plan. Benimantell has none that you should rely on, and the nearest larger town is La Nucía, about fifteen kilometres away, which has pumps and shops. Fill up there or on the coast, and take water for the walk.