From the ridge tops above Castell de Castells you can have the sea and the tower blocks of Benidorm in view on a clear day, and the contrast is almost comic: a village of a few hundred people, goats and almond terraces, and not much more than twenty kilometres away a skyline of glass. The Racó de Gorgorí lies in the hills above the valley, and from the coast a good road climbs to it by way of Callosa d'en Sarrià and the Guadalest valley. A rider who does this in a morning will have made one of the most abrupt changes of scene in Spain.
On the way, Guadalest is hard to miss. The village stands on a pinnacle of rock above a turquoise reservoir, with a ruined castle and a bell tower on the very top, and it is one of the most visited places in the province, so go early or in winter. Its charm survives the souvenir shops if you are willing to walk beyond them. The road from there towards Benimantell and Castell de Castells climbs through pine and carob, with bends that tighten and release in a way that makes you glad of a light bike.
Benimantell and Bolulla are tiny villages, and the springs and waterfalls of the Algar, in nearby Callosa, are a cool relief in summer. Pego, thirteen kilometres away, is the nearest town with a full range of services, and Callosa d'en Sarrià, with its loquat orchards, has fuel on the way up. In the village bars you can find simple food, and local almonds and honey.
The shelter is small and protected, and its paintings, as in many Levantine sites, are in red. Try to arrive in the morning, wear sturdy shoes and bring water.
Late in the day the view repays the climb. The light turns the limestone orange, the shadows of the Serrella lengthen across the valley, and the sea, which has been a pale smudge all afternoon, becomes a bright line. It is a good moment to stop talking about archaeology and simply sit. The ride back down in the dusk should be taken slowly, with your lights on early, because goats and the occasional boar cross these roads at that hour.