The Marina Alta is the northern Costa Blanca at its most mixed: villas on every slope, a ribbon of coast running from Moraira to Jávea, and just behind it, farm terraces, dry stone walls and small rock shelters where prehistoric people left their mark. The Cova de la Catxupa, near Teulada and Benitachell, is one of them, a shelter in the hills a few kilometres from the sea, listed with the other Mediterranean rock art of the Iberian Peninsula.
Teulada is the inland twin of the resort of Moraira, an old village of white houses with a fortified church at its heart. Across the hills, Gata de Gorgos is known for two crafts: guitar making, with several workshops building Spanish guitars, and weaving of palm and cane into baskets, hats and furniture, sold in shops along the main road. Benitachell sits below the headland of the Cumbre del Sol, with cliffs dropping straight into the sea.
The Marina Alta was once raisin country. Moscatel grapes were dried in the sun and under riuraus, long arched porches attached to farmhouses, and many of them survive. The wine and the mistela, a sweet fortified drink, are still made, and the farmhouses are a lovely sight in the landscape. The light here is bright, the sea glitters in the distance, and in late winter the almond blossom paints the valleys pink and white.
Riding here is mixed. The coastal roads are busy, particularly in summer, and urbanisations mean frequent junctions, roundabouts and slow traffic. But head a few kilometres inland and the roads become quieter, climbing into the hills with good bends and views back to the coast. The roads toward Jalón and the Vall de Pop, and the climbs into the mountains behind, are well loved by local riders.
Teulada is a town of nearly fifteen thousand with fuel and services, and Gata de Gorgos has everything you need too. Moraira and Jávea offer seafood restaurants, beaches and cafés, and the area is lively all year round thanks to the many foreign residents.