Ares del Maestrat hangs on a rocky crest in northern Castellón, one of the highest villages in the region, with a ruined castle above and a grid of narrow, stone-paved streets below. A few kilometres away the Gasulla ravine cuts a deep, wild line through the limestone, and its cliffs hold some of the great shelters of Levantine rock art. Cova Remigia, which has a number of separate shelters, or abrics, is among the best-known, with dozens of figures of archers, deer and ibex, many of them captured in mid-run. The Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula has been on the UNESCO list since 1998.
It is a remarkable place to experience, though it asks for effort. The ravine is rugged, the paths can be rough, and the paintings are small. Many of the shelters are fenced or accessible only with permission, so inquire locally before you set out. The Gasulla also has a rich natural history, with griffon vultures, wild boar and aromatic scrub, and the silence is broken only by wind and the occasional bell.
Benassal, five kilometres away, is a village of around thirteen hundred inhabitants with mineral water springs and some old stone mansions. Services are limited, and the nearest big town on the list, Alcalà de Xivert, is a long way off, so check the fuel gauge before the highlands. Food in this district is old-fashioned and good: lamb, black truffle in winter, and thick stews with local beans.
Riding to the ravine, the roads cross the Maestrat high country, with long, open sweeps, rock outcrops and almond or cherry groves in the folds. Traffic is almost nonexistent. Winter is cold, with snow some years, and July afternoons can be sharply hot, but the evenings are cool. May and October offer the sweetest weather, and mornings in the ravine, when light slants onto the cliffs, are special.