Food in the Maestrat is mountain food: filling, simple and made with whatever the land gives. Lamb and kid from the local flocks, roasted or stewed with potatoes and herbs, take the place of fish. Cured sausages, ham and cecina, dried and salted meat, hang in the farm shops. Olive oil, bread, almonds, cheese from Catí, and honey fill the larder, and in the colder months, you can find thick stews and bean dishes made with pork. Wine is local, strong and unpretentious. If you ride here, plan to eat well and slowly, and do not be in a hurry.
The Covetes del Puntal, the Little Caves of the Peak, are about six kilometres from Albocàsser, and Abric I is the first of a numbered series of painted shelters in the ravine. They belong to the Levantine tradition, protected by UNESCO as part of the rock art of the Mediterranean basin in Spain, and the ride links this site with the Arenal de la Fonseca. After the walk, an appetite is guaranteed.
The country is dry and beautiful, a plateau of pale limestone with terraces of almond and olive, ravines full of pine and scrub, and the smell of thyme everywhere. The silence is notable. Outside the villages, the only sounds are birdsong, the wind, and the occasional sheep bell.
The roads are slow, twisty and quiet. Bends are tight, surfaces vary, and gravel is common, so a moderate pace is the sensible one. You will not need to worry about traffic, though you may meet a tractor or a flock of sheep on a blind corner. In summer, the heat is intense by midday, and in winter, there may be frost and fog in the ravines.
Albocàsser has fewer than fourteen hundred inhabitants and a bar or two, and Catí is about the same. Les Coves de Vinromà is a bit larger. None is guaranteed to have fuel, so fill up in Alcalà de Xivert, a town of over six thousand people, before climbing. Bring water, and pick up bread and cheese for a picnic.