Why this ride
A 327 km round trip from Elche - roughly 4 h 57 in the saddle. It goes by way of Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra, La Sarga- Abric I, Barranc de les Coves- Abrigo l and La Sarga- Abric II. A steady touring day rather than a sprint.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Palmeral of Elche and La Sarga- Abric II
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 327 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 57
- 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. 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 is where the day begins. Next is Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra, 40 km on.
2. 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
Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra comes up 40 km in. Next is La Sarga- Abric I.
3. 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
80 km in you reach La Sarga- Abric I. Next is Barranc de les Coves- Abrigo l.
4. Barranc de les Coves- Abrigo l
Castelló de Rugat sits on the southern rim of the Vall d'Albaida, a broad valley in the south of Valencia province hemmed in by mountain ridges. On one side rises the long saw-toothed crest of the Benicadell, on the other the Serra de la Solana, and between them lies a patchwork of vineyards, olive groves and small towns with church towers. The Barranc de les Coves, the ravine of the caves, cuts into the slopes near Castelló de Rugat, Ràfol de Salem and Beniarrés, and its first shelter holds painted figures.
Read the complete Barranc de les Coves- Abrigo l write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Barranc de les Coves- Abrigo l, about halfway. Next is La Sarga- Abric II.
5. La Sarga- Abric II
La Sarga is a deep, rocky ravine that cuts into the hills north of Alcoi, and it is one of the most important rock art sites in eastern Spain. The paintings here include both the lively red figures of the Levantine tradition and the simpler schematic signs of later peoples, and some show deer, goats and human figures with striking detail. The site belongs to the Mediterranean Basin rock art that UNESCO listed in 1998, and it is carefully managed, so check access conditions before travelling. Abric II, one of the shelters, is part of the cluster.
Read the complete La Sarga- Abric II write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
La Sarga- Abric II sits at 159 km, about halfway. Next is back through Barranc de les Coves- Abrigo l.
6. back through Barranc de les Coves- Abrigo l
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Barranc de les Coves- Abrigo l 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 les Coves- Abrigo l comes up 199 km in. Next is back through La Sarga- Abric I.
7. 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
239 km in you reach back through La Sarga- Abric I. Next is back through Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra, 39 km on.
8. Back to 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 Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra, late in the day. Next is Palmeral of Elche.
9. 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
The route ends here after 318 km.
Leg by leg
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 Barranc de les Coves- Abrigo l
La Sarga- Abric I → Barranc de les Coves- Abrigo l is 33 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Barranc de les Coves- Abrigo l to La Sarga- Abric II
Barranc de les Coves- Abrigo l → La Sarga- Abric II is 33 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
La Sarga- Abric II to back through Barranc de les Coves- Abrigo l
La Sarga- Abric II → back through Barranc de les Coves- Abrigo l is 33 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Barranc de les Coves- Abrigo l to back through La Sarga- Abric I
back through Barranc de les Coves- Abrigo l → back through La Sarga- Abric I is 33 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through La Sarga- Abric I to Back to Palmeral of Elche
back through La Sarga- Abric I → Back to Palmeral of Elche is 61 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.