Why this ride
313 km from Vall de Gallinera to Vall de Gallinera, about 4 h 58 of riding. It goes by way of Cueva de los Arcos, Olula and Cova Llarga. It was put together for the scenery rather than the shortest line.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Cova Llarga and Olula
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 313 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 58
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
The recorded total and the leg detail need reconciliation. Inspect the leg notes before using this record for timing or navigation. 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 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 is where the day begins. Next is Cueva de los Arcos.
2. Cueva de los Arcos
Behind the Costa Blanca, only a few kilometres from the busy beaches of El Campello and the high-rises of Benidorm, the land climbs steeply into limestone mountains that feel surprisingly wild. The Cabeçó d'Or, a jagged massif above the village of Busot, dominates the area, and its slopes are riddled with caves and shelters. The Cueva de los Arcos is one of the sites in this area included in the World Heritage inscription of the rock art of the Mediterranean Basin, with faint painted motifs on the rock. Nearby, the Cuevas del Canelobre, a huge cave with towering stalactites, is open for visits and is one of the most impressive show caves in the region.
Read the complete Cueva de los Arcos write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Cueva de los Arcos comes up 84 km in. Next is Olula.
3. Olula
Caudete and Almansa sit in a corridor of land where Castile-La Mancha, Valencia and Murcia meet, and for centuries this was frontier country, where kingdoms and armies passed and fought. Olula is a point in the hills near Caudete, linked on the rides with rock-art shelters in the surrounding sierras, part of the extensive UNESCO listing of prehistoric art in Mediterranean Spain.
Read the complete Olula write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
167 km in you reach Olula. Next is back through Cueva de los Arcos.
4. Back to 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 Cueva de los Arcos, late in the day. Next is Cova Llarga.
5. 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 at Cova Llarga. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Cova Llarga to Cueva de los Arcos
Cova Llarga → Cueva de los Arcos is 61 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Cueva de los Arcos to Olula
Cueva de los Arcos → Olula is 99 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Olula to Back to Cova Llarga
Olula → Back to Cova Llarga is 81 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.