Here is a different angle on Mallata: the B 2 in the name is a scrap of archaeological bookkeeping, showing that a second subgroup was recorded in the neighbourhood of the original shelters. It lies a little under five kilometres from Alquézar, among the oak scrub and limestone outcrops of the Vero valley. As with other sites in the district, it is part of the Levantine rock art of the Spanish Mediterranean, protected by UNESCO since 1998, and what you see there, if anything, is likely to be small, red and weathered.
Think about how the valley's reputation has changed. A hundred years ago the Sierra de Guara was a poor, remote, depopulated district, with villages losing their young to the cities. Today it is a magnet for adventure sports: canyoning, climbing, mountain biking and walking, and a modest network of rural guesthouses has appeared. The paintings are now part of a strategy to attract visitors, and a cultural park along the Vero has been created to interpret them, with an information centre in the village of Colungo.
Riding here is best in the quiet shoulder seasons. The road beyond Alquézar threads along the canyon, climbing to give you views of the sierra's high ridge and dropping to cross the river. The tarmac is decent but narrow, and in places the verge is crumbling. Look out for cyclists, who flock here in early summer, and for livestock on the road. In winter, the north wind and morning frost call for warm gloves.
It also has the best shops and the most varied places to eat. Alquézar itself serves good coffee and lunches, though service can be slow when the canyoning groups come in. If you walk to the shelter, take water, a hat and sturdy shoes.