Coves del Civil, also known as Ribasals, is one of the great concentrations of Levantine rock art in the Valltorta gorge area of Castellón province, and the number I beside its name marks the first shelter in the series. The Valltorta, a deep dry ravine running through limestone near the village of Tírig, was one of the first places where scholars recognised that this painting tradition existed, and a museum in Tírig tells how the paintings came to light. The paintings show archers, hunting scenes and animals, with a vividness that surprises anyone who expects scratchy marks on a wall.
The access to the shelters is regulated. The museum in Tírig is the place to start, and guided visits take you into the ravine, so be ready to ask what is open and when, since arrangements change from season to season.
The ride is a delight. From Albocàsser, with about fourteen hundred people, or from Catí, the roads wind through the Maestrat, an upland of olive, almond, holm oak and terraced slopes dotted with abandoned farmhouses. The bends come thick and steady, with few straights, and the tarmac is mostly good with occasional poor stretches. In the villages the streets tighten abruptly, so keep an eye out for parked cars and delivery vans. Alcalà de Xivert, about nineteen kilometres away, is the town to rely on for fuel and a full meal.
In summer the heat is fierce and the air in the ravine is still. Spring and autumn are much better, and in October there are mushrooms under the pines and a smell of damp earth after rain. Early mornings can be foggy on the valley floor, and the light on the cliffs in the late afternoon is warm and golden.
Wear boots rather than motorcycle shoes if you plan to walk, because the paths are stony.