Covetes del Puntal- Abric I and Abrigo del Arenal de la fonseca ó Abrigo d
Plan this ride
Recorded distance
305 km
Riding-time estimate
5 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.
From Albocàsser it runs 305 km to Albocàsser; allow about 5 h 48 of riding. On the way it passes Villaroges, Barranco de Gibert II, Abrigo del Arenal de la fonseca ó Abrigo d and back through Barranco de Gibert II. The stored terrain estimate reaches about 1,400 m; a measured road-elevation profile is not available. The line favours views over speed.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Covetes del Puntal- Abric I
Food in the Maestrat is mountain food: filling, simple and made with whatever the land gives. Lamb and kid from the local flocks, roasted or stewed with potatoes and herbs, take the place of fish. Cured sausages, ham and cecina, dried and salted meat, hang in the farm shops. Olive oil, bread, almonds, cheese from Catí, and honey fill the larder, and in the colder months, you can find thick stews and bean dishes made with pork. Wine is local, strong and unpretentious. If you ride here, plan to eat well and slowly, and do not be in a hurry.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Covetes del Puntal- Abric I is where the day begins. Next is Villaroges.
2. Villaroges
Villaroges is one of those names that appears on a map of prehistoric sites rather than a road atlas, somewhere in the high country of the Alt Maestrat between Benassal, Culla and Vilafranca. It belongs to the extraordinary concentration of rock art in the mountains of Castellón, where small painted shelters are scattered through the ravines, protected as part of the UNESCO-listed rock art of the Mediterranean Basin. Exactly where the panel lies, and whether it can be visited, is a question for the local tourist office or the museum at Tírig; treat the name as an invitation into one of the emptiest and most beautiful corners of eastern Spain.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Villaroges comes up about 32 km into the recorded legs. Next is Barranco de Gibert II.
3. Barranco de Gibert II
Up on the roof of the Maestrazgo, where Teruel and Castellón meet, the land rises above fourteen hundred metres into a bleak, beautiful plateau of pasture, pine and limestone. Mosqueruela, on the Aragonese side, is one of the highest villages in the area, and Vilafranca, on the Valencian side, sits in a valley below. The Barranco de Gibert cuts into the hills between them, close also to La Iglesuela del Cid, and its second shelter holds prehistoric paintings.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 67 km into the recorded legs you reach Barranco de Gibert II. Next is Abrigo del Arenal de la fonseca ó Abrigo d.
4. Abrigo del Arenal de la fonseca ó Abrigo d
The Guadalope river cuts a deep canyon through the limestone of the Maestrazgo in eastern Teruel, and the Abrigo del Arenal de la Fonseca lies in this wild country near the hamlet of Ladruñán, between the villages of Castellote and Cantavieja. It is one of the important rock-art shelters of Aragon, part of the UNESCO listing of Mediterranean prehistoric art, with Levantine paintings of animals and human figures in red pigment on the rock. The setting is spectacular: a narrow gorge with towering cliffs, the river flowing below, and pine and holm oak clinging to the slopes. Access involves a walk, and the paintings are protected by a fence.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Covetes del Puntal- Abric I closes the day.
Leg by leg
Covetes del Puntal- Abric I to Villaroges
Covetes del Puntal- Abric I → Villaroges is 32 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Villaroges to Barranco de Gibert II
Villaroges → Barranco de Gibert II is 35 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Barranco de Gibert II to Abrigo del Arenal de la fonseca ó Abrigo d
Barranco de Gibert II → Abrigo del Arenal de la fonseca ó Abrigo d is 86 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Abrigo del Arenal de la fonseca ó Abrigo d to back through Barranco de Gibert II
Abrigo del Arenal de la fonseca ó Abrigo d → back through Barranco de Gibert II is 67 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Barranco de Gibert II to back through Villaroges
back through Barranco de Gibert II → back through Villaroges is 55 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Villaroges to Covetes del Puntal- Abric I
back through Villaroges → Covetes del Puntal- Abric I is 31 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.