Why this ride
487 km from Parcent to Parcent, about 11 h 26 of riding. It goes by way of Cova Llarga, Abric del Pontet, Abric del Garrofero and Barranco del Cabezo del moro. It was put together for the scenery rather than the shortest line.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Cova del mansano and Barranco del Cabezo del moro starting at Parcent
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 487 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 11 h 26
- 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 del Garrofero.
4. Abric del Garrofero
Bicorp is a small village in the Canal de Navarrés, a valley in the interior of Valencia province walled in by rugged mountains and deep ravines. The surrounding Macizo del Caroig is one of the largest wild areas in the Valencian Community, a vast tableland of pine, scrub and gorges cut by the Júcar's tributaries. The Abric del Garrofero, the shelter of the carob tree, lies in the hills near Bicorp, Quesa and Navarrés.
Read the complete Abric del Garrofero write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Abric del Garrofero, about halfway. Next is Barranco del Cabezo del moro.
5. 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 sits at 156 km, about halfway. Next is back through Abric del Garrofero.
6. back through Abric del Garrofero
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Abric del Garrofero 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 Garrofero comes up about 334 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 394 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 487 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 del Garrofero
Abric del Pontet → Abric del Garrofero is 57 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Abric del Garrofero to Barranco del Cabezo del moro
Abric del Garrofero → Barranco del Cabezo del moro is 89 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Barranco del Cabezo del moro to back through Abric del Garrofero
Barranco del Cabezo del moro → back through Abric del Garrofero is 95 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Abric del Garrofero to back through Abric del Pontet
back through Abric del Garrofero → back through Abric del Pontet is 60 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.