Anyone who rides the roads around Albocàsser and Catí finds that they are among the best in the Castellón highlands: quiet, twisty and rarely used by anything bigger than a tractor. The Covetes del Puntal shelters lie about six kilometres from Albocàsser, in a ravine that holds at least five painted overhangs, and Abric IV is one of them. The paintings are in the Levantine style, small and red, and belong to the UNESCO-listed rock art of the Mediterranean basin in Spain. A handsome museum devoted to this art stands in the village of Tírig, not far to the north, in the Valltorta ravine, and it helps put what you see into context.
Valltorta and its sister ravine Gasulla are among the best places in Spain to see Levantine art, and the Covetes del Puntal are part of the same tradition. The scenes you can find in the district include hunters with bows, deer and wild goats, and sometimes small, lively groups of people. They remind you that the land here was good hunting country, and that people have lived in these ravines for at least ten thousand years.
For the rider, the road is the thing. From Albocàsser, the CV roads climb through almond terraces and pine, with bends tight enough to make you work and wide enough to give you time to look at the views. Surfaces are patched, with gravel in the corners, and in a few places the tarmac is narrow enough that you must slow for oncoming vehicles. The wind is the main hazard on exposed crests, and it can blow across the plateau with real force. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, and midday in summer is hot.
Fuel is a question to settle before the climb. Albocàsser has about fourteen hundred people, and Les Coves de Vinromà, with nearly nineteen hundred, may have a station, but Alcalà de Xivert is the safer choice. Bring water, a hat and sturdy shoes, and allow time for the walk to the shelter.