Why this ride
A 292 km round trip from Planes - roughly 4 h 26 in the saddle. It goes by way of Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra, Olula and Barranc dels Garrofers. It was put together for the scenery rather than the shortest line.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Barranc dels Garrofers and Olula
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 292 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 26
- 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. Barranc dels Garrofers
Between the towns of Alcoy and Gandia, the mountains of the northern Alicante province fold into a tangle of narrow valleys, and the barranc, the ravine, of the carob trees is a dry gully among them, a few kilometres from the villages of Planes and Beniarrés. The carob, or garrofer in Valencian, is a dark, leathery tree that has grown here for centuries, and its long brown pods were once used as animal feed and sweeteners. The land is rugged limestone, laced with terraces now mostly abandoned and covered in pines and rosemary.
Read the complete Barranc dels Garrofers write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Barranc dels Garrofers is where the day begins. Next is Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra, 82 km on.
2. Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra
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.
Read the complete Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra comes up 82 km in. Next is Olula.
3. Olula
Caudete and Almansa sit in a corridor of land where Castile-La Mancha, Valencia and Murcia meet, and for centuries this was frontier country, where kingdoms and armies passed and fought. Olula is a point in the hills near Caudete, linked on the rides with rock-art shelters in the surrounding sierras, part of the extensive UNESCO listing of prehistoric art in Mediterranean Spain.
Read the complete Olula write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
163 km in you reach Olula. Next is back through Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra, 82 km on.
4. Back to Barranc dels Garrofers
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Barranc dels Garrofers write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra, late in the day. Next is Barranc dels Garrofers.
5. Barranc dels Garrofers
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Barranc dels Garrofers write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Barranc dels Garrofers. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Barranc dels Garrofers to Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra
Barranc dels Garrofers → Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra is 60 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra to Olula
Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra → Olula is 97 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Olula to Back to Barranc dels Garrofers
Olula → Back to Barranc dels Garrofers is 81 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.