The Aitana range is the highest in the Alicante hinterland, a long limestone ridge rising to more than fifteen hundred metres above the Costa Blanca, and the village of Benimantell lies in a valley at its foot, with Castell de Castells and Sella tucked into the hills to the east. The Penyó de les Carrasques is a rocky outcrop in this country, and the shelter in it is part of the Mediterranean Basin rock art listed by UNESCO in 1998. The paintings are in the Levantine style, small red figures of hunters and animals, and they look out over a landscape of terraced valleys, quite unlike the high-rise beach towns twenty kilometres away.
The contrast is the charm. In the morning you can swim in the Mediterranean, and by noon be riding through almond groves under a high grey ridge, with eagles overhead. The Guadalest valley, close by, has a turquoise reservoir, a castle on a rock and a village that attracts crowds in summer, so go early. Medlar trees, known as nísperos, grow in the valley, and the fruit is sold in spring. The smell of pine and herbs is strong in the heat.
For motorcyclists the roads of the Marina Baixa are a famous playground. The climb to Aitana is a good series of curves and hairpins with long views to the sea, and the roads through the valleys are narrow and winding, with a good surface and little traffic outside the weekends. Summer heat is fierce at the coast and cooler in the mountains. Winter brings snow to the highest peaks, and mist and frost can affect the high roads.
The villages are tiny, with populations of a few hundred, so fuel is not always available. The nearest bigger centres are Callosa d'en Sarrià and Alcoi, with petrol and shops. Local specialities include hearty mountain stews and sweets made from almonds. Spring and autumn are the best seasons for the ride, with mild weather and clear light, and the cherry blossom in Vall de Gallinera, close by, is a fine bonus in February.