The Cabriel is one of the few rivers in Spain that still runs clean and fast through a deep canyon, and the Hoz de Vicente stands on its upper stretch, where Cuenca meets Valencia. The Hoces del Cabriel are a natural park of limestone gorges, pine woods and river flats, with kingfishers, otters and, on the rock faces, griffon vultures. The Hoz de Vicente shelter is one of the painted places of this wild corner, a Levantine rock art site listed within the UNESCO group of the Mediterranean Basin.
The nearest village is Villargordo del Cabriel, a small place of about seven hundred people on the Valencian side. Around it lies the wine country of Utiel-Requena, where the bobal grape has been grown for centuries on red soil. The wine is dark, fruity and sometimes underrated, and the cooperatives and family bodegas welcome visitors. A glass of rosé from bobal, dry and berry-scented, suits a warm afternoon.
Riding here is quiet and open. The high plateau is a landscape of vineyards, pine woods and wide skies, with straight stretches broken by sudden descents into the river valleys. Surfaces are good on the main roads and rougher on minor ones, and in places the road drops into gorges with hairpins that demand attention. There is little traffic and few places to stop, so ride with a full tank and a bit of patience.
Fuel is the thing to plan. Villargordo has little beyond a bar, and the nearest sizeable town is Utiel, with twelve thousand people, about twenty-eight kilometres away. Fill up there before heading into the park, and bring water. Summer is hot and the gorges trap the heat, while winter nights can be properly cold. Late spring and early autumn are the best seasons, with clear light and comfortable days.
The shelter is not a place for crowds. Keep voices low, stay on the path and photograph without flash.