La Sarga is a deep, rocky ravine that cuts into the hills north of Alcoi, and it is one of the most important rock art sites in eastern Spain. The paintings here include both the lively red figures of the Levantine tradition and the simpler schematic signs of later peoples, and some show deer, goats and human figures with striking detail. The site belongs to the Mediterranean Basin rock art that UNESCO listed in 1998, and it is carefully managed, so check access conditions before travelling. Abric II, one of the shelters, is part of the cluster.
Alcoi, close by, is an industrial town of sixty thousand people in a basin among the mountains, built on paper, textiles and metalworking. It has a lively centre with Modernista buildings, bridges crossing deep ravines, and an old tradition of festivals. Every January the town stages a Cavalcada de Reis, a parade of the Three Kings that is said to be the oldest in Spain, dating back to the nineteenth century. Ibi, a short way to the south-east, is known for its toys, a business that grew in the twentieth century and still gives the town its character.
The country is hilly and green, a mix of pine woods, almond groves and terraced fields, with limestone cliffs above. The Serra de Mariola is close, with its wild herbs, and the Penàguila valley lies just to the north. Streams rise in the hills and run through the ravines with a pleasant sound after rain. The smell, on a warm day, is of pine and rosemary.
For a rider the area offers a wonderful range of roads. Narrow, twisting lanes climb from the valleys in long series of bends, cross the ridges with fine views and drop to villages with old stone bridges. Traffic is light outside the towns, and the surface is generally good, although mountain roads can be patchy after winter. The towns, Alcoi and Ibi, have all services, including fuel, supermarkets and restaurants, and Benilloba is a small village with a bar. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, with clear air and mild temperatures.