By the second or third visit to the Gasulla you stop expecting the big painting and start seeing the small things: the way the cliff catches the early sun, the swifts shooting along the face, the rust-coloured drip stains that streak the grey. The Cingle de la Mola Remigia keeps its shelters in a limestone wall a little over five kilometres from Benassal, and the rock holds as many natural marks as painted ones, so your eye learns to sort one from the other.
The name Maestrat goes back to the military orders that ruled this country in the Middle Ages: first the Templars, who held castles at Culla and elsewhere, and after their dissolution the Order of Montesa, whose master gave the region its name. The villages here still carry the look of fortified places, with houses packed tight around a church on a rock and walls that were once real defences. Culla is the best example, a hill village with a castle ruin that you can reach by a short walk.
Riding on the plateau demands little skill and rewards in feeling. The roads are good, the bends are well judged, and the traffic is almost nonexistent, so you can slow to a crawl and watch the land open out. You may see kites and vultures overhead and perhaps a fox crossing a field at dusk. Winters can be icy and foggy, so aim for the months between April and October, with an early start in the hottest weeks.
Fuel is at Alcalà de Xivert, thirty-three kilometres away, or at Villafranca del Cid, twelve kilometres away, which is small but larger than the hamlets on the plateau. Benassal can supply a meal and a bed. Make sure you book any visit to the shelters in advance, as access is controlled to protect the paintings.