Why this ride
A 113 km round trip from Calasparra - roughly 2 h 06 in the saddle. It goes by way of Los Grajos I, Abrigo del Canto Blanco and back through Los Grajos I. It was put together for the scenery rather than the shortest line.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
El Laberinto and Abrigo del Canto Blanco
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 113 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 2 h 06
- 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. El Laberinto
Calasparra is a rice town, which sounds odd until you see the terraces beside the Segura river, flooded and green in summer, with herons wading between the plants. The rice here has its own protected designation, and it is the base for paella in much of Spain. The river has carved a deep gorge, the Almadenes canyon, on its way through the hills, and in the rock above the water, hidden among limestone cliffs, there are shelters decorated with paintings made thousands of years ago. El Laberinto is one of them, part of the rock art tradition of the Mediterranean basin, listed by UNESCO.
Read the complete El Laberinto write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
El Laberinto is where the day begins. Next is Los Grajos I.
2. Los Grajos I
The painted women of Los Grajos are among the most famous figures in Spanish rock art. In a shelter in the limestone hills just outside Cieza, prehistoric painters depicted a group of human figures, several of them women with wide skirts and raised arms, often interpreted as dancers, alongside animals and other motifs. The Los Grajos shelters are part of the UNESCO-listed Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula, and they are protected, so visits need to be arranged with the local tourist office in Cieza.
Read the complete Los Grajos I write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Los Grajos I comes up about 21 km into the recorded legs. Next is Abrigo del Canto Blanco.
3. Abrigo del Canto Blanco
Jumilla is wine country, and you know it as soon as you arrive. The town sits in the north of the Murcia region, surrounded by a high, dry plateau of vineyards growing the Monastrell grape, which produces powerful, dark red wines. A castle tops the hill above the old town, and the bodegas on its outskirts welcome visitors. The Abrigo del Canto Blanco, the shelter of the white stone, lies in the hills about five kilometres away.
Read the complete Abrigo del Canto Blanco write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 55 km into the recorded legs you reach Abrigo del Canto Blanco. Next is back through Los Grajos I.
4. back through Los Grajos I
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Los Grajos I write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Los Grajos I, late in the day. Next is El Laberinto.
5. El Laberinto
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete El Laberinto write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at El Laberinto. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
El Laberinto to Los Grajos I
El Laberinto → Los Grajos I is 21 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Los Grajos I to Abrigo del Canto Blanco
Los Grajos I → Abrigo del Canto Blanco is 34 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Abrigo del Canto Blanco to back through Los Grajos I
Abrigo del Canto Blanco → back through Los Grajos I is 38 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Los Grajos I to El Laberinto
back through Los Grajos I → El Laberinto is 20 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.