Why this ride
From El Altet it runs 275 km to El Altet; allow about 4 h 26 of riding. On the way it passes Palmeral of Elche, Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra, La Sarga- Abric I and Abric de la Penya Banyà. A steady touring day rather than a sprint.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Cueva de las Arañas del Carabassi and Abric de la Penya Banyà
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 275 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 26
- 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. Cueva de las Arañas del Carabassi
The Carabassí is one of the last stretches of wild-ish coast between Alicante and Santa Pola: a line of dunes held together by pine and marram grass, a long beach, and the sea glittering under the flight path of Alicante airport. In the low rocky ground behind it lies a small cave known for painted marks, the Cueva de las Arañas del Carabassí, close to the village of El Altet and a short hop from Santa Pola.
Read the complete Cueva de las Arañas del Carabassi write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Cueva de las Arañas del Carabassi is where the day begins. Next is Palmeral of Elche.
2. Palmeral of Elche
Riding into Elche from the dry hills of southern Alicante, the sudden forest of date palms feels like a mistake of geography, as if a piece of North Africa had been set down in Spain. In a sense it was. The palm groves were laid out in their present form during the Islamic period, when Arab settlers brought an irrigation system of channels fed by the Vinalopó river and arranged the orchards in walled plots, with palms on the edges and crops beneath. Tens of thousands of palms remain today in and around the city, the largest palm grove in Europe, and the Palmeral was added to the UNESCO list in 2000.
Read the complete Palmeral of Elche write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Palmeral of Elche comes up 33 km in. Next is Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra, 33 km on.
3. Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra
Ten minutes inland from the beaches of El Campello and the high rises of the Alicante coast, the country changes completely. The hills behind San Juan and Mutxamel climb toward the bulk of the Cabeço d'Or, a limestone mountain whose name means the head of gold, and in its folds are small rock shelters with prehistoric paintings, among them the Poyo Inferior de la Cimbarra. The Alicante mountains are known for an unusual local style called macroschematic art, large symbolic figures painted thousands of years ago, as well as for Levantine and schematic panels.
Read the complete Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
66 km in you reach Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra. Next is La Sarga- Abric I.
4. La Sarga- Abric I
Alcoy, or Alcoi in Valencian, is a city of bridges, built where three rivers meet in deep ravines, in the mountains of northern Alicante. It was one of the cradles of Spain's industrial revolution, with textile and paper mills powered by its rivers, and its streets have fine modernist buildings from that era. It is also famous for its Moors and Christians festival in April, one of the most spectacular in Spain, with parades, music and mock battles in honour of Saint George. The rock shelters of La Sarga lie in the hills about eight kilometres from the city, toward Ibi.
Read the complete La Sarga- Abric I write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
La Sarga- Abric I, about halfway. Next is Abric de la Penya Banyà.
5. Abric de la Penya Banyà
Somewhere in the limestone folds around Cocentaina, under an overhang of rock, people painted small figures thousands of years before anyone here had heard of Rome. The rock shelters of this part of Alicante belong to the great family of Mediterranean rock art that runs down the eastern side of Spain, recognised together by UNESCO, and the Abric de la Penya Banyà is one of these quiet, unassuming sites. Expect faded red pigment on pale stone, often protected behind a grille, and a short walk from the nearest track rather than a visitor centre.
Read the complete Abric de la Penya Banyà write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Abric de la Penya Banyà sits at 132 km, about halfway. Next is back through La Sarga- Abric I.
6. back through La Sarga- Abric I
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete La Sarga- Abric I write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through La Sarga- Abric I comes up 165 km in. Next is back through Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra, 33 km on.
7. Back to Cueva de las Arañas del Carabassi
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Cueva de las Arañas del Carabassi write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
198 km in you reach back through Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra. Next is back through Palmeral of Elche.
8. back through Palmeral of Elche
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Palmeral of Elche write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Palmeral of Elche, late in the day. Next is Cueva de las Arañas del Carabassi.
9. Cueva de las Arañas del Carabassi
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Cueva de las Arañas del Carabassi 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 264 km.
Leg by leg
Cueva de las Arañas del Carabassi to Palmeral of Elche
Cueva de las Arañas del Carabassi → Palmeral of Elche is 23 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Palmeral of Elche to Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra
Palmeral of Elche → Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra is 48 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra to La Sarga- Abric I
Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra → La Sarga- Abric I is 39 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
La Sarga- Abric I to Abric de la Penya Banyà
La Sarga- Abric I → Abric de la Penya Banyà is 16 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Abric de la Penya Banyà to back through La Sarga- Abric I
Abric de la Penya Banyà → back through La Sarga- Abric I is 16 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through La Sarga- Abric I to Back to Cueva de las Arañas del Carabassi
back through La Sarga- Abric I → Back to Cueva de las Arañas del Carabassi is 59 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Palmeral of Elche to Cueva de las Arañas del Carabassi
back through Palmeral of Elche → Cueva de las Arañas del Carabassi is 23 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.