The Ceja de Piezarrodilla is a rock shelter in the mountains of southern Teruel, near the village of Villel and the Rincón de Ademuz, a curious enclave of the Valencian region surrounded by Aragon and Castilla-La Mancha. Its paintings, part of the Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin listing, include human figures and animals in the Levantine style, and they sit on the red sandstone that characterises this area. The landscape is rugged and dry, with pine forests, limestone cliffs and the valley of the Turia river, which flows south towards Valencia.
The Rincón de Ademuz is one of the most isolated parts of the Valencian region, with small villages perched on hills above the Turia, terraced orchards and vineyards, and a slower pace of life. Ademuz itself, the main village, has a church and a ruined castle, and the valley produces apples, walnuts and wine. Villel, on the Aragonese side, sits below a castle on a rock, and the road between Teruel and Ademuz follows the Turia through a series of gorges and valleys.
For riders, this is a quiet and rewarding corner of Spain. The roads along the Turia valley are winding and scenic, with little traffic, and the roads into the mountains, towards the Sierra de Javalambre and the Montes Universales, offer climbs, descents and views. Surfaces are generally good, but watch out for gravel and wildlife, and the winters are cold, with snow in the mountains.
Teruel, twenty-three kilometres away, has fuel and everything else, and Ademuz has a few shops and bars. The villages have bars and restaurants serving local food, including the cured ham of Teruel, lamb and migas. Carry water and fuel, as services are scarce in the mountains. Teruel itself is worth a visit for its Mudéjar towers, decorated with glazed tiles, and for the mausoleum of the Lovers of Teruel, the city's tragic legend.