Why this ride
From Villajoyosa it runs 237 km to Villajoyosa; allow about 4 h 39 of riding. It goes by way of Barranc de frainos- Abric I, Barranc de la Penya Blanca, Benirrama- Abric I and Sierra de Alfaro.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Cueva de los Arcos and Sierra de Alfaro
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 237 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 39
- 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 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 is where the day begins. Next is Barranc de frainos- Abric I.
2. 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 comes up 22 km in. Next is Barranc de la Penya Blanca.
3. Barranc de la Penya Blanca
Planes is a small village in the hills of the Comtat in northern Alicante province, crowned by a castle and looking out over a valley of olive and cherry orchards. The Barranc de la Penya Blanca, the ravine of the white rock, lies close by, among the folded limestone ridges between Planes, Benimarfull and the reservoir at Beniarrés.
Read the complete Barranc de la Penya Blanca write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
44 km in you reach Barranc de la Penya Blanca. Next is Benirrama- Abric I.
4. Benirrama- Abric I
In the Vall de Gallinera, a long, narrow valley in the mountains of northern Alicante, the Benirrama shelter is one of a cluster of rock art sites, part of the Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin World Heritage listing. The valley is particularly rich in macro-schematic art, a distinctive style found only in this region, with large, abstract human figures and symbols painted in red, and the nearby Pla de Petracos is the most famous site of this style. Benirrama itself is also the name of a ruined Moorish castle on a hill above the valley.
Read the complete Benirrama- Abric I write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Benirrama- Abric I, about halfway. Next is Sierra de Alfaro.
5. Sierra de Alfaro
The Sierra de Alfaro is a long limestone ridge in the mountains of northern Alicante, between Castell de Castells, Benimantell and Planes, a rugged, empty landscape of rock, scrub and pine, with terraced valleys and small villages tucked into its folds. Its slopes hold several shelters with prehistoric paintings, and the area is part of one of the richest regions for rock art in Spain, with Levantine, schematic and the unique macroschematic styles found nowhere else. The ridge is also crossed by walking trails, and the views from the top over the mountains and the sea are wide.
Read the complete Sierra de Alfaro write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Sierra de Alfaro sits at 88 km, about halfway. Next is back through Benirrama- Abric I.
6. back through Benirrama- Abric I
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Benirrama- 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 Benirrama- Abric I comes up 109 km in. Next is back through Barranc de la Penya Blanca.
7. back through Barranc de la Penya Blanca
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Barranc de la Penya Blanca write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
131 km in you reach back through Barranc de la Penya Blanca. Next is back through Barranc de frainos- Abric I.
8. back through Barranc de frainos- Abric I
Return visit. Read the place description above.
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
back through Barranc de frainos- Abric I, late in the day. Next is Cueva de los Arcos.
9. Cueva de los Arcos
Return visit. Read the place description above.
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
The route ends here after 237 km.
Leg by leg
Cueva de los Arcos to Barranc de frainos- Abric I
Cueva de los Arcos → Barranc de frainos- Abric I is 39 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Barranc de frainos- Abric I to Barranc de la Penya Blanca
Barranc de frainos- Abric I → Barranc de la Penya Blanca is 16 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Barranc de la Penya Blanca to Benirrama- Abric I
Barranc de la Penya Blanca → Benirrama- Abric I is 16 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Benirrama- Abric I to Sierra de Alfaro
Benirrama- Abric I → Sierra de Alfaro is 17 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Sierra de Alfaro to back through Benirrama- Abric I
Sierra de Alfaro → back through Benirrama- Abric I is 17 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Benirrama- Abric I to back through Barranc de la Penya Blanca
back through Benirrama- Abric I → back through Barranc de la Penya Blanca is 16 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Barranc de la Penya Blanca to back through Barranc de frainos- Abric I
back through Barranc de la Penya Blanca → back through Barranc de frainos- Abric I is 16 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Barranc de frainos- Abric I to Cueva de los Arcos
back through Barranc de frainos- Abric I → Cueva de los Arcos is 39 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.