To the north of Alcalà de Xivert, in the hills that carry the Maestrat toward the Ports, the Coves del Civil, also called Ribasals, are a group of overhangs in a limestone gorge close to the village of Albocàsser. Abric III is the third in the series, a bit under six kilometres from the village, which has about fourteen hundred people. The paintings of the region belong to the northern extension of the Levantine art of the Spanish Mediterranean, protected by UNESCO since 1998, and the nearby Valltorta ravine is one of the most celebrated sites.
Valltorta, a few kilometres away, deserves a mention. This deep, dry gorge was recognised in the early twentieth century as one of the great concentrations of prehistoric art in Europe, with scenes of hunters, archers and animals in motion that are said to be among the liveliest of their kind. A museum in the nearby village of Tírig explains the site, and it is the proper starting point for anyone who wants to understand what the Maestrat shelters are about.
For a rider, the interest is in the roads. The country between Albocàsser, Catí and Cuevas de Vinromá is a little-visited tangle of lanes through almond groves, olive terraces and rock, with steep drops into ravines and unexpected views of a distant sea. Catí is known for its goat cheese, and if you see a shop in the village with cheeses on display, it is worth buying one for the evening. Winters are cold, summers hot and dry, and spring is the best time, when the ground is green and the roads are quiet.
The nearest sizeable town for fuel is Alcalà de Xivert, nineteen kilometres away towards the coast. Albocàsser and Catí have bars and a few shops, and if you are riding in the middle of a weekday you will often have the place to yourself. Take plenty of water, because summer walks in the gorges can be hot and unshaded, and leave the shelters as you find them.