Why this ride
244 km from Parcent to Parcent, about 4 h 48 of riding. On the way it passes Cova del mig dia, Al Patró, Barranc de frainos- Abric I and back through Al Patró. The line favours views over speed.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Cova del mansano and Barranc de frainos- Abric I
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 244 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 48
- 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 del mig dia.
2. 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 comes up about 32 km into the recorded legs. Next is Al Patró.
3. Al Patró
The Vall d'Ebo is one of those valleys that history has emptied. In 1609 the Spanish crown ordered the expulsion of the Moriscos, the descendants of the region's Muslim population, and in the mountains of the Marina Alta, many villages lost almost everyone overnight. Some Moriscos resisted in the high cliffs of the Muela de Cortes before the end came. Vall d'Ebo today has barely three hundred inhabitants, and its terraced fields, built by Morisco farmers for irrigation, are still visible as stone steps climbing the hillsides.
Read the complete Al Patró write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 74 km into the recorded legs you reach Al Patró. Next is Barranc de frainos- Abric I.
4. Barranc de frainos- Abric I
The mountains behind Benidorm are a world away from the high-rise hotels and the beaches. Inland from the Costa Blanca, the land rises quickly into a jumble of limestone ridges, the highest of which, the Serra d'Aitana, reaches over fifteen hundred metres, the roof of the province of Alicante. Between Sella, Benilloba and Relleu, deep in this rugged country, the Barranc de Frainos holds a rock shelter with prehistoric paintings, part of the UNESCO listing of Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula. The sites here are small and fragile, and access is usually limited to guided visits, but the landscape is worth the journey.
Read the complete Barranc de frainos- Abric I write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Barranc de frainos- Abric I, about halfway. Next is back through Al Patró.
5. back through Al Patró
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Al Patró write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Al Patró sits at 125 km, about halfway. Next is back through Cova del mig dia.
6. back through Cova del mig dia
Return visit. Read the place description above.
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
back through Cova del mig dia comes up about 213 km into the recorded legs. Next is Cova del mansano.
7. 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
Cova del mansano closes the day.
Leg by leg
Cova del mansano to Cova del mig dia
Cova del mansano → Cova del mig dia is 32 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Cova del mig dia to Al Patró
Cova del mig dia → Al Patró is 42 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Al Patró to Barranc de frainos- Abric I
Al Patró → Barranc de frainos- Abric I is 46 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Barranc de frainos- Abric I to back through Al Patró
Barranc de frainos- Abric I → back through Al Patró is 51 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Al Patró to back through Cova del mig dia
back through Al Patró → back through Cova del mig dia is 42 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Cova del mig dia to Cova del mansano
back through Cova del mig dia → Cova del mansano is 30 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
More motorcycle rides nearby
- Cova del mig dia and Penya de Benicadell · 188 km
- Cova Jeroni and Penya Escrita · 102 km