Why this ride
A 292 km round trip from Albocàsser - roughly 5 h 54 in the saddle. It goes by way of Abric d'Esquarterades I, Cueva de mas del Abogat and back through Abric d'Esquarterades I. The line favours views over speed.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Mas d'en Salvador- Abric I and Cueva de mas del Abogat
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 292 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 5 h 54
- 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. Mas d'en Salvador- Abric I
The Valltorta is the name that matters in this corner of Castellón, and everything about this shelter makes more sense once you know why. The Barranc de la Valltorta, a deep, narrow gorge cut through the limestone of the Alt Maestrat, holds one of the great concentrations of Levantine rock art, including scenes of hunting and fighting that were among the first to make archaeologists understand that these paintings tell stories. A small museum in nearby Tírig explains the gorge and its art, and it is a sensible starting point before you set out.
Read the complete Mas d'en Salvador- Abric I write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Mas d'en Salvador- Abric I is where the day begins. Next is Abric d'Esquarterades I.
2. Abric d'Esquarterades I
In the dry hills behind Ulldecona, near the southern tip of Catalonia, small figures painted in red ochre run, hunt and gather across the walls of shallow rock shelters. These are the paintings of Levantine rock art, made by prehistoric people some seven to eight thousand years ago, and the shelters of the Serra de Godall, including the Abric d'Esquarterades, are among the best examples. They are part of the World Heritage site that covers rock art in the Mediterranean Basin of the Iberian Peninsula.
Read the complete Abric d'Esquarterades I write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Abric d'Esquarterades I comes up about 60 km into the recorded legs. Next is Cueva de mas del Abogat.
3. Cueva de mas del Abogat
Calaceite is the kind of village that makes you slow down without being asked: honey-coloured stone, arcaded squares, a big baroque church and grand old houses with carved doorways, all perched on a ridge in the Matarraña, the corner of Teruel where Aragón meets Catalonia and Valencia. A few kilometres from it lies the Cueva de Mas del Abogat, one of the painted rock shelters that belong to the UNESCO listing of prehistoric art in the Mediterranean Basin of the Iberian Peninsula. As with its sisters across eastern Spain, the paintings are small and often hard to read; the setting is what you take away.
Read the complete Cueva de mas del Abogat write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 149 km into the recorded legs you reach Cueva de mas del Abogat. Next is back through Abric d'Esquarterades I.
4. back through Abric d'Esquarterades I
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Abric d'Esquarterades I write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Abric d'Esquarterades I, late in the day. Next is Mas d'en Salvador- Abric I.
5. Mas d'en Salvador- Abric I
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Mas d'en Salvador- Abric I write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Mas d'en Salvador- Abric I. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Mas d'en Salvador- Abric I to Abric d'Esquarterades I
Mas d'en Salvador- Abric I → Abric d'Esquarterades I is 60 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Abric d'Esquarterades I to Cueva de mas del Abogat
Abric d'Esquarterades I → Cueva de mas del Abogat is 89 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Cueva de mas del Abogat to back through Abric d'Esquarterades I
Cueva de mas del Abogat → back through Abric d'Esquarterades I is 85 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Abric d'Esquarterades I to Mas d'en Salvador- Abric I
back through Abric d'Esquarterades I → Mas d'en Salvador- Abric I is 59 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.