Ten minutes inland from the beaches of El Campello and the high rises of the Alicante coast, the country changes completely. The hills behind San Juan and Mutxamel climb toward the bulk of the Cabeço d'Or, a limestone mountain whose name means the head of gold, and in its folds are small rock shelters with prehistoric paintings, among them the Poyo Inferior de la Cimbarra. The Alicante mountains are known for an unusual local style called macroschematic art, large symbolic figures painted thousands of years ago, as well as for Levantine and schematic panels.
The landscape is dry Mediterranean scrub, almond and carob terraces, pine on the north slopes, and the bare grey rock of the mountain overhead. Busot, the village at the foot of the Cabeço d'Or, is known for the Canelobre caves, a huge cavern with a vault high enough that concerts are held inside. Aigües, nearby, was once a spa and sanatorium town, and its abandoned grand building still looks down from the hill.
The riding is a pleasant surprise for anyone who only knows the coast. Roads climb out of the urban sprawl into twisting, sometimes narrow lanes through the hills, with good views back to the sea and over the Alicante bay. Surfaces vary from smooth to patched, and gravel in corners is common. Weekends bring cyclists in numbers. Further inland, Xixona, home of turrón, the almond nougat Spain eats at Christmas, is a short ride away, and the road beyond it toward Alcoy has some of the best corners in the province.
Practicalities are easy here. El Campello, eight kilometres away, is a coastal town of over twenty five thousand people with fuel, beach bars and a fishing harbour with good seafood restaurants. San Juan de Alicante and Mutxamel have everything as well. In the hill villages you will find bars serving coffee and bocadillos, and the local rice dishes, such as arroz con conejo y caracoles, rice with rabbit and snails, are worth trying.
Summer is fiercely hot inland, and the best times are autumn, winter and spring, when the coast is mild and the hills are green. Bring water for any walk to the shelters, as paths are stony and exposed.