Behind the resort towns of the Costa Blanca, a short ride inland, the land rises into dry limestone hills where almost nobody goes. The Cueva de la Feliceta is one of several prehistoric painted shelters in the hills above El Campello, a coastal town of over twenty-six thousand people about fourteen kilometres away, and one of several painted shelters in the same tradition. The surrounding country is scrub, pine and terraced almond groves, with the sea glinting in the distance and the sound of cicadas in summer.
The roads here are a surprise. From the coast they climb quickly into the hills in a run of bends, passing through small villages such as Busot and Aigües, with views over the bay of Alicante and, on clear days, the island of Tabarca. Busot is home to the Cuevas de Canelobre, a vast cave with towering stalactites and a huge central chamber, open to visitors and impressive enough to have been used during the Civil War to hide aircraft engine production. It is a cool refuge on a hot day. The roads can be busy with cyclists, especially at weekends, so ride with care, and in summer heat start early.
El Campello and Villajoyosa are both large enough to offer fuel, restaurants and shops, and Alicante is not far. In the hills the villages are small and the services limited, so take what you need from the coast. Fresh fish, rice dishes and good bread are easy to find at the seafront and the old fishing quarter of El Campello keeps some of its seafaring character.
The hills have an austere beauty, with pale rock, grey-green scrub and a light so strong it bleaches colour at midday. The best hours are early morning and late afternoon, when the shadows lengthen and the land warms to gold. In autumn, after the first rains, the whole landscape smells of wet earth and herbs. Treat the shelter with respect, as with all such places, and leave it as you found it.