Why this ride
From Vall de Gallinera it runs 252 km to Vall de Gallinera; allow about 5 h 24 of riding. It goes by way of Morro Carrascal, Penya Escrita, Cova del mig dia and back through Penya Escrita. The line favours views over speed.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Barranc d'en Grau and Cova del mig dia
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 252 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 5 h 24
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. 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. Barranc d'en Grau
Marina Alta is the part of Alicante that most visitors know from the beach, but behind the coast the landscape rises into limestone ravines that feel closer to Mallorca than to a resort. The Barranc d'en Grau is one of those clefts, in the hills above Villalonga and the upper reaches of the Vall d'Ebo. The painted shelter in the neighbouring ravine is among a number of rock-art sites in the region, sharing the Levantine style with sites farther north: red figures of hunters, animals and symbols that were painted long before any Roman set foot here.
Read the complete Barranc d'en Grau write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Barranc d'en Grau is where the day begins. Next is Morro Carrascal.
2. Morro Carrascal
Inland from Benidorm, barely half an hour from the tower blocks and beaches, the mountains of the Alicante interior rise steep and empty. Morro Carrascal is a rocky height in this country, near the villages of Benilloba, Sella and Benimantell, where the sierras of Aitana, Serrella and Mariola come together. Shelters in these mountains hold prehistoric paintings in both the Levantine and the older Macroschematic styles, and they belong to the World Heritage listing of Iberian rock art.
Read the complete Morro Carrascal write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Morro Carrascal comes up about 40 km into the recorded legs. Next is Penya Escrita.
3. Penya Escrita
In the folded limestone hills behind the Costa Blanca, far enough inland that the resorts feel like another country, a rock shelter called Penya Escrita holds prehistoric paintings. The name means something like the written rock, which is what the people of Tàrbena and Bolulla called it long before archaeologists arrived. The figures belong to the rock art of the Mediterranean Basin of the Iberian Peninsula, a UNESCO site made up of hundreds of shelters scattered from Catalonia down to Andalusia, painted by hunter-gatherers and early farmers thousands of years ago. They are small, faded and easy to miss, and they are best appreciated with patience rather than expectation.
Read the complete Penya Escrita write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 82 km into the recorded legs you reach Penya Escrita. Next is Cova del mig dia.
4. Cova del mig dia
The Montgó dominates the coast between Dénia and Xàbia, a massive limestone mountain rising to 753 metres straight from the sea, its profile said to resemble a sleeping elephant. The Cova del Mig Dia, the cave of midday, is in the flanks of the Montgó, one of several caves and shelters on the mountain, some with traces of prehistoric occupation and rock art. The Montgó is a natural park, with paths leading through scrub and pine to caves, viewpoints and the summit.
Read the complete Cova del mig dia write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Cova del mig dia, about halfway. Next is back through Penya Escrita.
5. back through Penya Escrita
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Penya Escrita write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Penya Escrita sits at 110 km, about halfway. Next is back through Morro Carrascal.
6. back through Morro Carrascal
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Morro Carrascal write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Morro Carrascal comes up about 210 km into the recorded legs. Next is Barranc d'en Grau.
7. Barranc d'en Grau
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Barranc d'en Grau write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Barranc d'en Grau closes the day.
Leg by leg
Barranc d'en Grau to Morro Carrascal
Barranc d'en Grau → Morro Carrascal is 40 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Morro Carrascal to Penya Escrita
Morro Carrascal → Penya Escrita is 42 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Penya Escrita to Cova del mig dia
Penya Escrita → Cova del mig dia is 44 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Cova del mig dia to back through Penya Escrita
Cova del mig dia → back through Penya Escrita is 43 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Penya Escrita to back through Morro Carrascal
back through Penya Escrita → back through Morro Carrascal is 41 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Morro Carrascal to Barranc d'en Grau
back through Morro Carrascal → Barranc d'en Grau is 42 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.