A small group of villages in the Valencian interior goes by the name Los Serranos, and Tuéjar, Chelva and Alpuente are part of it. It is a country of mountain ridges, pine forest and river gorges, where the Turia and its tributaries have cut deep valleys, and where, because of its remoteness, many farms and hamlets have been abandoned. El Corral de Silla II is one of a series of painted shelters in the area, three kilometres from Tuéjar and about six from Chelva, and as with all the shelters on these routes it forms part of the Mediterranean rock art protected by UNESCO since 1998.
Chelva is worth the time. It is a village of about two thousand with a historic centre of narrow streets, a baroque church and the remains of Moorish buildings, and the stone is the colour of dry bread. Nearby, and a little way along the road to Alpuente, are the remains of a Roman aqueduct and a series of ravines with swimming holes. Alpuente has a striking Moorish heritage, because in the eleventh century it was the capital of a small independent kingdom, one of the many that arose after the break-up of the caliphate of Córdoba.
The riding here is a revelation for anyone who thinks of Valencia as flat. From Utiel, the capital of the Bobal grape country, the road climbs through vineyards and almond groves to the pine forests of the sierra, and then through a series of narrow curving valleys. There is little traffic, the surface is generally good and the scenery changes every few kilometres. Autumn is lovely, with the vine leaves turning red and gold, and the cold nights bring early frosts.
For fuel, Utiel, twenty-nine kilometres away, is the closest sizeable town, and the right place to fill up. Chelva has bars and a couple of restaurants where you can eat a plate of rice, a stew or grilled meat with a glass of local wine. The shelter itself needs a walk, and the slopes are loose and dry, so wear boots and bring water.