Why this ride
350 km from Parcent to Parcent, about 7 h 16 of riding. On the way it passes Cova Llarga, Abric del Pontet, Abric de la Gleda and Barranc d'Alpadull- Abric I. A steady touring day rather than a sprint.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Cova del mansano and Barranc d'Alpadull- Abric I
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 350 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 7 h 16
- 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 del mansano
Every cyclist in Europe seems to know the Coll de Rates, and that is a good hint for motorcyclists too. The climb starts in Parcent, a few kilometres from the Cova del Mansano, and winds up the mountainside in a long sequence of smooth, well surfaced bends to a pass with a view over the whole Vall de Pop and the sea beyond. The rock shelter itself sits in the hills around Jalón, Alcalalí and Parcent, a short walk from the road, and its paintings belong to the same World Heritage group as the other Levantine shelters of the coast.
Read the complete Cova del mansano write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Cova del mansano is where the day begins. Next is Cova Llarga.
2. Cova Llarga
The Benicadell is the mountain that tells you where you are in this part of Valencia. Its long, sharp limestone ridge, topped by a distinctive rocky tooth, separates the Vall d'Albaida from the valleys of Alcoy and Cocentaina, and on clear days it is visible from the coast. The Cova Llarga, the long cave, sits on the southern side of this world, in the folded hills near Beniarrés, Terrateig and Planes, and it belongs to the scatter of small sites that record people living, painting and sheltering in these hills since prehistory.
Read the complete Cova Llarga write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Cova Llarga comes up about 58 km into the recorded legs. Next is Abric del Pontet.
3. Abric del Pontet
The Serra de Mariola is the green heart of the Valencia-Alicante borderlands, a mountain range of pine, holm oak and aromatic scrub that feeds the rivers Vinalopó and Clariano and perfumes the air with thyme and rosemary. The Abric del Pontet is one of its rock shelters, a small overhang with prehistoric paintings, part of the scattered UNESCO site that gathers the rock art of Mediterranean Spain. It sits between Bocairent, Alfafara and Ontinyent, and it is the kind of place that makes most sense as an excuse to explore the villages around it.
Read the complete Abric del Pontet write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 93 km into the recorded legs you reach Abric del Pontet. Next is Abric de la Gleda.
4. Abric de la Gleda
Cocentaina is a small town with a surprisingly grand palace, and it makes a handy reference point for this corner of the Comtat. The Palau Comtal, a fortified residence from the Middle Ages, stands in the centre, and the town holds one of the oldest fairs in Spain, the Fira de Tots Sants, each year around All Saints' Day. Just down the valley is Alcoi, an industrial town built on paper and textiles, whose steep streets hold Modernista buildings and a famous festival of Moors and Christians. The villages of Planes and Beniarrés, a few kilometres away, are pastoral by comparison, and the Abric de la Gleda lies in the cliffs above one of the ravines that cut into the Serra de Mariola.
Read the complete Abric de la Gleda write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Abric de la Gleda, about halfway. Next is Barranc d'Alpadull- Abric I.
5. Barranc d'Alpadull- Abric I
The painted shelter of Barranc d'Alpadull sits in the folds of the Serra de Mariola, the limestone massif that rises between Bocairent, Alfafara and Agres in the inland corner where Valencia, Alicante and the old kingdom's hill country all meet. It is one of the many small overhangs in eastern Spain that carry Levantine rock art, the group of sites inscribed together by UNESCO as the Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin. Do not expect a museum. These are faint, reddish figures under a lip of stone, usually fenced, often hard to read unless the light is low and raking, and part of the pleasure is simply knowing that hunters drew here thousands of years before anyone thought of building a road up this valley.
Read the complete Barranc d'Alpadull- Abric I write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Barranc d'Alpadull- Abric I sits at 140 km, about halfway. Next is back through Abric de la Gleda.
6. back through Abric de la Gleda
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Abric de la Gleda write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Abric de la Gleda comes up about 208 km into the recorded legs. Next is back through Abric del Pontet.
7. back through Abric del Pontet
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Abric del Pontet write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 256 km into the recorded legs you reach back through Abric del Pontet. Next is back through Cova Llarga.
8. back through Cova Llarga
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Cova Llarga write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Cova Llarga, late in the day. Next is Cova del mansano.
9. Cova del mansano
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Cova del mansano 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 350 km.
Leg by leg
Cova del mansano to Cova Llarga
Cova del mansano → Cova Llarga is 58 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Cova Llarga to Abric del Pontet
Cova Llarga → Abric del Pontet is 35 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Abric del Pontet to Abric de la Gleda
Abric del Pontet → Abric de la Gleda is 43 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Abric de la Gleda to Barranc d'Alpadull- Abric I
Abric de la Gleda → Barranc d'Alpadull- Abric I is 38 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Barranc d'Alpadull- Abric I to back through Abric de la Gleda
Barranc d'Alpadull- Abric I → back through Abric de la Gleda is 34 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Abric de la Gleda to back through Abric del Pontet
back through Abric de la Gleda → back through Abric del Pontet is 48 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Abric del Pontet to back through Cova Llarga
back through Abric del Pontet → back through Cova Llarga is 39 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Cova Llarga to Cova del mansano
back through Cova Llarga → Cova del mansano is 54 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.