Fog sometimes fills the valleys below the Port de Confrides while the summit shines in the sun, and when that happens the effect is like standing on the shore of a white sea. It is a lovely sight in autumn and winter, and it is a good reason to check the forecast before you set out. The Port de Confrides is a pass on the road between the Guadalest valley and the Alcoi plain, in the shadow of Aitana, and the shelter lies a short way from it, in the rough hillside of barrancos and scrub that falls towards Benimantell.
The ride over the pass is one of the best in the province for a rider with time. From the Guadalest side the road climbs in a series of steady bends, with views of the reservoir and the Serrella, and then crosses the high ground with a grand view of Aitana ahead. The descent towards Alcoi is faster and more open. The surface is good, there is little traffic, and it is usually pleasantly cool at the summit even in August, though the wind can be sharp.
The villages on the inland side have a long history. Sella has the remains of a castle above the houses, and Penàguila, a little further, has another castle and a quiet square, both relics of the frontier between Christian and Muslim lands in the thirteenth century. Benilloba is a typical small village of the Alcoià with a bar or two. None of these has fuel you can count on, and Cocentaina, thirteen kilometres away, is the town for filling up, with a historic centre built around the palace of the Counts of Cocentaina.
The paintings in the shelters around here are in the typical style of the Valencian shelters, with small red figures under a natural roof of rock. Respect the fences and walk gently. The terraces that climb the slopes around you are a more recent record, made by farmers who cleared stones by hand and stacked them into walls; the Moors left irrigation, and later generations left almonds and olives. Take water, as the barrancos are dry for most of the year.