The Guadalest valley is one of the most photographed places on the Costa Blanca, and it is easy to see why. A narrow rocky spur rises from the middle of the valley, topped by the tower and ruined walls of the castle of Guadalest, and the village clings to the rock below, reached through a tunnel cut in the stone. Beyond it, a reservoir with a startling turquoise colour fills the valley floor, and the great grey wall of the Sierra de Aitana, at 1,558 metres the highest peak in the province of Alicante, rises behind. The village itself is crowded with visitors in summer, and many of the shops sell souvenirs, but at dawn the view across the valley is quiet and fine.
The villages of the district, Castell de Castells, Benimantell and Bolulla, are small, between three and five hundred people, set in terraced slopes covered with almond, olive, carob and loquat trees. The loquat, called nispero, is the specialty of the lower valley around Callosa d'en Sarrià, whose harvest in spring is celebrated, and the almond blossom in February turns the slopes white. The Barranc de Miquel el Serril is one of the countless gullies that drain the mountains.
The rock shelters here belong to the Levantine painting tradition, part of the UNESCO site listed in 1998, and the area around Castell de Castells has several of them. Access is regulated and some shelters are closed, so ask at the local council or the museum in Castell de Castells before setting out, and do not touch the paintings.
The riding is among the best in Alicante province. The roads from La Nucia and Callosa climb through the hills with a sequence of bends, such as the Coll de Rates, a favourite with cyclists and bikers, and there are views of the sea far below. Weekends can be busy, and the narrow roads call for care. La Nucia, about 12 km away with almost 18,000 people, has fuel and shops. Try olleta, a stew of vegetables and beans, and the honey and almond sweets of the interior.