The wind is the first thing you notice on the plateau between Culla and Villafranca del Cid. It comes in over the Maestrat from the sea or down from the mountains, depending on the day, and it has been put to work: lines of wind turbines stand along the ridges, turning slowly against a sky that seems to start at your shoulder. Caseta de Irene, a hut-sized name on a map, lies in this upland between the two villages, a little under seven kilometres from each, and the shelter belongs to the wider cluster of Gasulla and Valltorta sites that make this district special.
On a motorcycle the wind is a real factor. Gusts across the open ridge can lean you off line, particularly when you are passing a lorry or crossing a gap in a wall, so ride relaxed and give yourself room. The roads themselves are good, with a clean surface and unhurried bends, and traffic is rare. Late spring and early autumn are the best times, since the plateau can be raw in winter and the summer heat is dry and fierce. Penyagolosa stands on the horizon, a pyramid of limestone that is the highest summit in Castellón.
Both villages are worth a visit. Culla has the ruins of a castle that belonged to the Templars and later to the Order of Montesa, and a labyrinth of narrow lanes that climb to the ridge. Villafranca del Cid, a larger place of about twenty-five hundred people, is the district's market town, with shops and bars, and a long history as a centre of sheep and wool. Benassal is not far away either.
Fuel needs planning. Neither Culla nor the hut has a pump, and Villafranca's services are modest, while the nearest real town is L'Alcora, thirty-five kilometres away, which is known for its ceramics, made there since the eighteenth century. Fill up before you leave the lowlands. At the shelter, as elsewhere, keep to the paths and leave the paintings alone.