Why this ride
A 393 km round trip from Almansa - roughly 8 h 56 in the saddle. On the way it passes Abric del Cinto de la Ventana, Balma de la fabriqueta and back through Abric del Cinto de la Ventana. The line favours views over speed.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Barranco del Cabezo del moro and Balma de la fabriqueta
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 393 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 8 h 56
- 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. Barranco del Cabezo del moro
Almansa is one of those towns you see from the motorway and do not stop at, and that is a mistake. Its castle is spectacular, a Gothic fortress built on a sharp limestone outcrop right in the middle of town, looking exactly like a child's drawing of a castle. Around it spreads a wide plain at about seven hundred metres, the meeting point of the Valencian, Murcian and Castilian lands, and a few kilometres out in the surrounding hills lies the ravine known as the Barranco del Cabezo del Moro.
Read the complete Barranco del Cabezo del moro write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Barranco del Cabezo del moro is where the day begins. Next is Abric del Cinto de la Ventana.
2. Abric del Cinto de la Ventana
South-west of Valencia the Júcar river has carved a long, winding gorge through the limestone, and the country on either side is some of the most rugged in the region. The Macizo del Caroig, a high limestone massif of pine and scrub, rises to more than eleven hundred metres, and the villages of Millares and Dos Aguas are small places tucked into the valleys at its foot. The Abric del Cinto de la Ventana is a rock shelter in the nearby cliffs, and belongs to the Mediterranean Basin rock art group listed by UNESCO in 1998, the red Levantine paintings painted by prehistoric hunters.
Read the complete Abric del Cinto de la Ventana write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Abric del Cinto de la Ventana comes up about 109 km into the recorded legs. Next is Balma de la fabriqueta.
3. Balma de la fabriqueta
The Serra Calderona is the green ridge that rises north-west of Valencia, separating the city's plain from the valleys of the interior. It is a natural park of pine forest, cork oak and rocky hills, close enough to the city for weekend walkers and riders, yet surprisingly wild once you get into it. The rock shelter of Balma de la Fabriqueta lies near the village of Olocau on its southern side, one of the painted shelters that make up the Levantine rock art inscribed by UNESCO. Access to many of these sites is restricted or guided, so check with the local tourist office before trying to visit.
Read the complete Balma de la fabriqueta write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 189 km into the recorded legs you reach Balma de la fabriqueta. Next is back through Abric del Cinto de la Ventana.
4. back through Abric del Cinto de la Ventana
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Abric del Cinto de la Ventana write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Abric del Cinto de la Ventana, late in the day. Next is Barranco del Cabezo del moro.
5. Barranco del Cabezo del moro
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Barranco del Cabezo del moro write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Barranco del Cabezo del moro. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Barranco del Cabezo del moro to Abric del Cinto de la Ventana
Barranco del Cabezo del moro → Abric del Cinto de la Ventana is 109 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Abric del Cinto de la Ventana to Balma de la fabriqueta
Abric del Cinto de la Ventana → Balma de la fabriqueta is 80 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Balma de la fabriqueta to back through Abric del Cinto de la Ventana
Balma de la fabriqueta → back through Abric del Cinto de la Ventana is 91 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
back through Abric del Cinto de la Ventana to Barranco del Cabezo del moro
back through Abric del Cinto de la Ventana → Barranco del Cabezo del moro is 112 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.