If the rock art of eastern Spain has a capital, it is the Valltorta gorge in the Maestrat of Castellón, and the Mas d'en Josep shelter is one of its classic sites. The paintings here belong to the Levantine style, small, lively scenes of hunters with bows, running figures and animals in motion, drawn with an energy that still feels modern. One famous panel from this area shows a deer hunt; others depict archers in mid-stride. The shelters of the Valltorta are part of the UNESCO-listed rock art of the Mediterranean Basin, and the museum at Tírig, near the gorge, is the place to start: it explains the art, shows reproductions, and organises guided visits to the shelters, which are fenced and protected.
The landscape is high limestone plateau and dry gorge, crossed with dry-stone walls, old farmhouses called masos, and terraces of almond and olive trees. Albocàsser, the nearest village of any size, has a little over a thousand people and an old town of stone houses. Catí, to the north, is one of the loveliest villages in the Maestrat, with Gothic mansions built by wool merchants in its prosperous centuries.
The riding is superb if you like empty roads. The CV-15 and the smaller roads across the plateau link Albocàsser, Tírig, Coves de Vinromà and Catí with long bends, short straights and constant views over wide country. Traffic is minimal, but watch for farm vehicles and loose gravel at junctions. Winter can bring ice in the high villages, and the wind across the plateau can be strong. Spring, when the almond trees flower and the fields go green, is the most beautiful time.
Wool, sheep and cheese shaped this region for centuries, and Catí still produces a well-known cheese. Restaurants serve mountain cooking: lamb, game, slow-cooked stews and the olleta, a thick soup of beans, rice and pork that keeps riders going on cold days.
Plan fuel carefully. The villages are small and stations scarce; Alcalà de Xivert, down near the coast and the AP-7, is the nearest larger town, and Sant Mateu or Vinaròs are other options. Fill up before you head inland, carry water, and leave enough time at the museum. The gorge rewards those who slow down, which is a hard lesson for some of us.