Alcoy, or Alcoi in Valencian, is a city of bridges, built where three rivers meet in deep ravines, in the mountains of northern Alicante. It was one of the cradles of Spain's industrial revolution, with textile and paper mills powered by its rivers, and its streets have fine modernist buildings from that era. It is also famous for its Moors and Christians festival in April, one of the most spectacular in Spain, with parades, music and mock battles in honour of Saint George. The rock shelters of La Sarga lie in the hills about eight kilometres from the city, toward Ibi.
La Sarga is one of the most important rock art sites in the Valencian Community. Its shelters contain Levantine paintings of hunters and animals, as well as large Macro-schematic figures, a style unique to this region, with symbolic human figures and signs painted by the first farming communities around seven thousand years ago. The site is fenced off, and guided visits are organised by the Museu d'Alcoi, generally on certain weekends; check ahead.
The surrounding mountains are beautiful. The Font Roja natural park, south of Alcoy, protects a forest of oak, maple and yew on the north face of the Menejador mountain, unusual in this dry region. There is a sanctuary and a network of trails, and the old snow wells, where snow was stored to make ice, are a reminder of the region's history.
The riding around Alcoy is excellent. The roads that climb from the city toward Ibi, Banyeres or the Font Roja wind through pine forest and over passes, with good surfaces and great views. The road from Alcoy toward Penàguila and Benifallim, or over to the Vall de Guadalest, is a sequence of tight bends through mountains, with almost no traffic. In winter, it can be cold and occasionally snowy at altitude.
Alcoy, about eight kilometres away, has all services. Local specialities include olives stuffed in the Alcoy style, coffee liqueur known as licor café, and pericana. Ibi, nearby, is famous as the toy-making capital of Spain, with a toy museum.