The coast road at El Campello gives way almost at once to a dry, wrinkled interior, and Garganta de la Hoz IV is one of the numbered painted shelters tucked into those hills. Its figures are the familiar red ones of the Levantine tradition, an archer here, an animal there, in a group that forms part of the UNESCO listing of the rock art of the Mediterranean basin. The setting is rough, with scrub, pine and bare rock, and the shelter takes a bit of finding.
Like its neighbours, this is a site to approach with care. The paint is fragile, and rock art is easily damaged by touching, by torches and by careless feet. Ask locally about the best way to see it, and keep to marked paths.
If you ride, you will find that the best part of the journey is the contrast. In the morning you can have breakfast by the sea in El Campello, a fishing town grown into a seaside resort of about twenty-six thousand people, with fuel, cafes and a long beach. Within half an hour you can be on a quiet back road among carob trees, with a view of the sea shimmering below. The roads here are twisty and narrow in places, the surface is mixed and traffic is light. At weekends cyclists are everywhere, so give them room.
Villajoyosa, to the north, has nearly thirty-four thousand people and a lovely waterfront with painted houses. It is the place for a proper lunch, with fresh fish and the local specialities. If you like sweet things, the chocolate factories have shops open to the public.
The cool months are best. In summer, the heat on the exposed slopes is intense, and the shade is scarce. In winter, the days are mild, and the occasional rainstorm brings out the colours of the hills. Take water, wear sturdy shoes if you walk, and leave nothing behind.