The name Garrofers means carob trees, and the Barranc dels Garrofers is the ravine where they grow. The carob, with its dark, leathery leaves and long brown pods, is a tree of the dry Mediterranean, and it was once a staple of the poorest farms, feeding mules, goats and, in hard years, people. The ravine lies about three and a half kilometres from Planes, a village of some eight hundred people in the Comtat, the green interior country of northern Alicante, between the mountains of the Serra de Mariola and the Vall de Gallinera.
Abric II is one of the shelters in the barranc with prehistoric paintings, part of the Mediterranean Basin rock art listed by UNESCO in 1998. The Comtat has several such sites, and the Peñón de los Machos and the Cueva de los Arcos, which share the ride, are among them.
Planes is a pretty, quiet place with a medieval castle on a rock above the village, an old Moorish tower and a church with a high bell tower. Nearby is the reservoir of Beniarrés, a long, narrow lake in the hills that is popular with kayakers and anglers, and offers a good view over the valley. The countryside is a patchwork of almond groves, olive terraces and holm oak, with stone farmhouses and drystone walls. In spring the almond blossom comes in January or February, and the whole valley turns pale.
Roads here are twisting and narrow, climbing over low passes and descending into green valleys, and the traffic is light. The bends are tight in places, and the surface can be rough, so concentration pays. In summer the heat is dry, with long, still afternoons, while autumn can bring sudden storms that wash gravel across the road. Winter is mild but can be damp.
Beniarrés, about six kilometres away, has a population of some thirteen hundred and a few shops and bars, and Cocentaina, a larger town in the valley, will certainly have fuel. Local cooking includes rice dishes, stews and the tasty nougat of Alicante, and the cafés in the villages serve strong coffee with almond pastries.