Why this ride
A 482 km round trip from Millares - roughly 9 h 58 in the saddle. On the way it passes Cova de la Petxina, Barranc de la Penya Blanca, Penya del Vicari and Cueva de los Arcos. The line favours views over speed.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Abric del Charco Negro and Cueva de los Arcos
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 482 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 9 h 58
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
The recorded total and the leg detail need reconciliation. Inspect the leg notes before using this record for timing or navigation. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Abric del Charco Negro
On 20 October 1982, after days of torrential rain, the dam at Tous on the Júcar gave way. The flood that followed swept down the Ribera, drowned fields and towns, and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people, and it remains one of the great disasters in the modern history of the Valencian country. The reservoir was rebuilt with a larger spillway, and today it is a calm sheet of water, but the people of Carlet and the neighbouring villages have not forgotten. The Abric del Charco Negro lies some way upstream, in the hills above Millares, where the Júcar and its tributaries cut through limestone.
Read the complete Abric del Charco Negro write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Abric del Charco Negro is where the day begins. Next is Cova de la Petxina.
2. Cova de la Petxina
Bellús is a small village in the valley of the Albaida river in southern Valencia, just upstream from where the river flows into a reservoir and then joins the Júcar. The old village was partly flooded by the reservoir, and the new one stands on higher ground. The Cova de la Petxina, the cave of the shell, is in the hills near the village, close to Guadasequies and Genovés.
Read the complete Cova de la Petxina write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Cova de la Petxina comes up 41 km in. Next is Barranc de la Penya Blanca.
3. Barranc de la Penya Blanca
Planes is a small village in the hills of the Comtat in northern Alicante province, crowned by a castle and looking out over a valley of olive and cherry orchards. The Barranc de la Penya Blanca, the ravine of the white rock, lies close by, among the folded limestone ridges between Planes, Benimarfull and the reservoir at Beniarrés.
Read the complete Barranc de la Penya Blanca write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
82 km in you reach Barranc de la Penya Blanca. Next is Penya del Vicari.
4. Penya del Vicari
On a map of the Costa Blanca, the Serra de Bernia looks like a wall dropped between two very different worlds. On one side, high-rise Benidorm and the busy coast; on the other, the quiet valleys of Jalón and Guadalest. The Penya del Vicari is one of the rocky outcrops in these hills above Altea and Calp, a place where the limestone is cut by caves and shelters, some of which carry traces of prehistoric painting. It is a small, quiet site in an area otherwise famous for sun loungers.
Read the complete Penya del Vicari write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Penya del Vicari, about halfway. Next is Cueva de los Arcos.
5. Cueva de los Arcos
Behind the Costa Blanca, only a few kilometres from the busy beaches of El Campello and the high-rises of Benidorm, the land climbs steeply into limestone mountains that feel surprisingly wild. The Cabeçó d'Or, a jagged massif above the village of Busot, dominates the area, and its slopes are riddled with caves and shelters. The Cueva de los Arcos is one of the sites in this area included in the World Heritage inscription of the rock art of the Mediterranean Basin, with faint painted motifs on the rock. Nearby, the Cuevas del Canelobre, a huge cave with towering stalactites, is open for visits and is one of the most impressive show caves in the region.
Read the complete Cueva de los Arcos write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Cueva de los Arcos sits at 165 km, about halfway. Next is back through Penya del Vicari.
6. back through Penya del Vicari
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Penya del Vicari write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Penya del Vicari comes up 206 km in. Next is back through Barranc de la Penya Blanca.
7. back through Barranc de la Penya Blanca
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Barranc de la Penya Blanca write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
247 km in you reach back through Barranc de la Penya Blanca. Next is back through Cova de la Petxina.
8. back through Cova de la Petxina
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Cova de la Petxina write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Cova de la Petxina, late in the day. Next is Abric del Charco Negro.
9. Abric del Charco Negro
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Abric del Charco Negro write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The route ends here after 482 km.
Leg by leg
Abric del Charco Negro to Cova de la Petxina
Abric del Charco Negro → Cova de la Petxina is 47 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Cova de la Petxina to Barranc de la Penya Blanca
Cova de la Petxina → Barranc de la Penya Blanca is 34 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Barranc de la Penya Blanca to Penya del Vicari
Barranc de la Penya Blanca → Penya del Vicari is 37 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Penya del Vicari to Cueva de los Arcos
Penya del Vicari → Cueva de los Arcos is 46 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Cueva de los Arcos to back through Penya del Vicari
Cueva de los Arcos → back through Penya del Vicari is 46 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Penya del Vicari to back through Barranc de la Penya Blanca
back through Penya del Vicari → back through Barranc de la Penya Blanca is 37 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Barranc de la Penya Blanca to back through Cova de la Petxina
back through Barranc de la Penya Blanca → back through Cova de la Petxina is 34 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Cova de la Petxina to Abric del Charco Negro
back through Cova de la Petxina → Abric del Charco Negro is 47 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.