Morella is one of the most dramatic towns in Spain: a walled medieval city wrapped around a conical hill, with a castle on the summit and its walls running unbroken around the base. It stands in the mountains of the Ports in the north of Castellón province, at around a thousand metres, and its silhouette, seen from the roads that climb toward it, is unforgettable. The Coveta de la Cornisa, the little cave of the ledge, lies in the hills about four kilometres away.
The Ports area is part of the heartland of Levantine rock art, and many painted shelters lie in the ravines around Morella, often with scenes of hunters, animals and daily life. The Coveta de la Cornisa is one of them, a small protected site that adds to the picture of a landscape inhabited and painted over thousands of years. The nearby town of Morella has a museum with information on the region's prehistory, and the dinosaur fossils that have been found in the area, which are an unusual bonus.
Morella's history is long and turbulent. It was a Muslim stronghold, then conquered by the Aragonese in the thirteenth century, and in the nineteenth century it was a key bastion in the Carlist wars, besieged and captured several times. The town is also famous for the Sexenni, a festival held every six years in honour of the Virgin of Vallivana, when the streets are decorated with paper and crowds pour in.
The riding around Morella is wonderful. The roads from Morella toward Forcall, Cinctorres, Vilafranca and the Maestrazgo are twisty and scenic, climbing over passes with views over vast expanses of mountains. The route north toward Aragón and the Matarraña is also excellent, as is the road down to the coast through Xert. Traffic is light, surfaces generally good, but the weather at this altitude is unpredictable: cold and windy in winter, with occasional snow, and storms in summer.
Morella has fuel and plenty of restaurants. Local specialities include truffles, croquettes, cured meats and the sweet flaons, pastries filled with almond and cheese. The town's restaurants make a fine lunch stop, and the walls at sunset are magical.