Somewhere up in these limestone folds, thousands of years ago, someone painted little figures on the rock that are still there. The Racó de la Cova dels Llidoners is one of many painted shelters in the Marina Alta, the north-eastern corner of the province of Alicante, which form part of the UNESCO-listed rock art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula. The shelters hold Levantine, Schematic and older Macroschematic paintings, showing hunters, animals and abstract shapes, and many are protected by fences and only visitable with a guide. The valleys around Murla, Orba and Tormos are full of them.
The landscape is a dream for riders. Behind the busy coast of Dénia and Jávea, the land rises into a maze of limestone mountains, deep valleys and terraced slopes planted with almonds, olives, oranges and, in the past, grapes for the famous raisins of the region. The old drying sheds for those raisins, the riu-raus with their arched porches, are still a feature of the villages. The air smells of pine, orange blossom in spring and wild thyme in summer.
The roads are tight, narrow and wonderful. The Coll de Rates, between Tàrbena and Parcent, is a famous climb beloved by professional cycling teams who train here in winter, and it offers sharp curves and great views over the coast. The Vall d'Ebo, the Vall de Gallinera and the Vall de Laguar have roads that twist and turn through terraced slopes and small whitewashed villages, with gravel on the corners, occasional rockfalls and plenty of cyclists to share the road with. Ride early in summer before the heat and the traffic.
Murla and Tormos are tiny, so for fuel and shopping head for Pego, about eight kilometres away, or the larger towns on the coast. Orba has a few bars and shops. Lunch in the villages often means a plate of rice, perhaps arroz al horno baked in the oven, or a local dish with the region's olive oil and vegetables.
Visit in late winter when the almond blossom turns the valleys pink and white, or in autumn when the light is golden and the heat has eased. Summer can be scorching inland. A ride through these mountains, with the sea glinting in the distance and those ancient paintings hidden in the rock above, is one of the best kept pleasures of the Spanish east coast.