Why this ride
A 198 km round trip from Benigànim - roughly 4 h 27 in the saddle. The stops in between: Abric del Gegant, Penya de Benicadell, Racó de Gorgorí- Abric I and back through Penya de Benicadell.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Cova de la Petxina and Racó de Gorgorí- Abric I
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 198 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 27
- 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. 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 is where the day begins. Next is Abric del Gegant.
2. Abric del Gegant
Ontinyent is the kind of Valencian town that does not bother selling itself to tourists, which is part of its charm. It grew rich on textiles, and the old quarter of La Vila, perched above the gorge of the Clariano river, still has a fine bell tower that is among the tallest in the region. The Abric del Gegant, a rock shelter recorded among the prehistoric painted sites of eastern Spain, sits in the hills just outside town towards Bocairent, where the valley narrows and the Serra de Mariola begins to rise.
Read the complete Abric del Gegant write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Abric del Gegant comes up about 30 km into the recorded legs. Next is Penya de Benicadell.
3. Penya de Benicadell
From almost anywhere in the southern half of Valencia province you can see it: a long, jagged ridge of grey limestone with a sharp tooth at its eastern end, standing on the skyline like a broken saw. The Benicadell, at 1,104 metres, separates the Vall d'Albaida to the north from the Comtat to the south, and the sharp summit, the Penya, is the mountain's signature. At its foot lie the villages of Beniarrés, Ràfol de Salem and Otos.
Read the complete Penya de Benicadell write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 61 km into the recorded legs you reach Penya de Benicadell. Next is Racó de Gorgorí- Abric I.
4. Racó de Gorgorí- Abric I
The Marina Alta is the region of Alicante where the coast gives way to a jumble of limestone mountains and deep ravines, and a little inland from the beach resorts is a country that feels like a different world. Castell de Castells, Vall d'Ebo and Benimantell are all small villages, with a few hundred inhabitants each, scattered among terraces of almonds, olives and carob. The Racó de Gorgorí is a ravine in this country, and the shelter named Abric I is one of the Levantine rock art sites that UNESCO listed in 1998 as part of the Mediterranean-arc group. A short distance away is Pla de Petracos, one of the best-known sites in the area, with painted figures that have been studied for decades.
Read the complete Racó de Gorgorí- Abric I write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Racó de Gorgorí- Abric I, about halfway. Next is back through Penya de Benicadell.
5. back through Penya de Benicadell
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Penya de Benicadell write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Penya de Benicadell sits at 101 km, about halfway. Next is back through Abric del Gegant.
6. back through Abric del Gegant
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Abric del Gegant 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 Gegant comes up about 170 km into the recorded legs. Next is Cova de la Petxina.
7. 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
Cova de la Petxina closes the day.
Leg by leg
Cova de la Petxina to Abric del Gegant
Cova de la Petxina → Abric del Gegant is 30 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Abric del Gegant to Penya de Benicadell
Abric del Gegant → Penya de Benicadell is 31 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Penya de Benicadell to Racó de Gorgorí- Abric I
Penya de Benicadell → Racó de Gorgorí- Abric I is 37 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Racó de Gorgorí- Abric I to back through Penya de Benicadell
Racó de Gorgorí- Abric I → back through Penya de Benicadell is 42 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Penya de Benicadell to back through Abric del Gegant
back through Penya de Benicadell → back through Abric del Gegant is 30 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Abric del Gegant to Cova de la Petxina
back through Abric del Gegant → Cova de la Petxina is 28 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.