When Juan Bautista Porcar, a priest from Castellón with a passion for archaeology, found the paintings of Cova Remigia in the 1930s, the news travelled fast through the small world of Spanish prehistory. The shelter sits in the Gasulla ravine, five kilometres from Benassal, and the rock overhang that protects the paintings is a wide, shallow cave in a limestone cliff. What the visitors found were red figures of archers in what seems to be a lively conflict, and animals shown in a few swift lines.
There is a lot of argument about what these scenes mean. Some researchers see hunting, others see ritual, and a more adventurous school reads some of the archer groups as scenes of conflict between people. Dating is no easier, and the best you can say is that the tradition lasted a very long time, from the end of the ice age into the age of early farming, and perhaps beyond. It is perhaps better to stand in front of it and notice the economy of line, the way a few strokes give a running man his balance.
The road to this corner of the Maestrat is a ride you will remember. From Benassal you climb on good tarmac across open plateau, among fields enclosed by dry-stone walls, and the bends are open and flowing with plenty of space to enjoy them. The landscape is austere in winter, golden in summer and a clean green after spring rain. The cold can be real, and fog sits in the hollows on winter mornings, so choose your day with care.
Practicalities are simple but must be observed. The site is protected and visits are controlled through the cultural park, so enquire in Benassal or at the museum in Tírig, and do not expect to walk in unannounced. Fuel is at Alcalà de Xivert, thirty-three kilometres off, and Culla and Villafranca del Cid are the nearest villages with a bar and a bakery. Bring water and sturdy shoes.