Peñón de Santo Espíritu and Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the
Plan this ride
Recorded distance
436 km
Riding-time estimate
8 h 31
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.
A 436 km round trip from Segart - roughly 8 h 31 in the saddle. The stops in between: Abric mas de los Perez, Balma de la fabriqueta, Barranco de las Colochas- Abrigo I and Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the. The stored terrain estimate reaches about 1,050 m; a measured road-elevation profile is not available. A steady touring day rather than a sprint.
Scenic road chapters
Balma de la fabriqueta → Barranco de las Colochas- Abrigo I
The ride follows Balma de la fabriqueta → Barranco de las Colochas- Abrigo I for 49 km.
Chapter facts
Length
49 km
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Peñón de Santo Espíritu
Behind the orange groves of the Camp de Morvedre, a few kilometres inland from Sagunto, the land rises into the Sierra Calderona, a low range of pine woods, scrub and red sandstone that separates the coastal plain from the dry interior. The Peñón de Santo Espíritu is a rocky outcrop in these hills above the village of Gilet, and it carries prehistoric rock art in the Levantine tradition, the style of painted hunters, animals and human figures found in shelters along the Mediterranean side of Spain and listed by UNESCO as the Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula. The paintings are fragile and often protected, so do not expect to wander up and touch anything.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Peñón de Santo Espíritu is where the day begins. Next is Abric mas de los Perez.
2. Abric mas de los Perez
Between the Turia and the Palancia rivers, northwest of Valencia, the land rises into a maze of limestone mountains, pine forest and small villages that rarely see foreign visitors. The Abric del Mas de los Pérez is a rock shelter in the hills near Andilla, Viver and Alcublas, one of hundreds of painted sites in eastern Spain listed by UNESCO as part of the rock art of the Mediterranean Basin. These shelters were decorated by hunter-gatherers and early farmers thousands of years ago, and while some feature vivid hunting scenes, many are faint and hard to see without a trained eye. Respect any fences and signs, and never wet or touch the rock.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Abric mas de los Perez comes up about 61 km into the recorded legs. Next is Balma de la fabriqueta.
3. Balma de la fabriqueta
The Serra Calderona is the green ridge that rises north-west of Valencia, separating the city's plain from the valleys of the interior. It is a natural park of pine forest, cork oak and rocky hills, close enough to the city for weekend walkers and riders, yet surprisingly wild once you get into it. The rock shelter of Balma de la Fabriqueta lies near the village of Olocau on its southern side, one of the painted shelters that make up the Levantine rock art inscribed by UNESCO. Access to many of these sites is restricted or guided, so check with the local tourist office before trying to visit.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 114 km into the recorded legs you reach Balma de la fabriqueta. Next is Barranco de las Colochas- Abrigo I.
4. Barranco de las Colochas- Abrigo I
West of Valencia, the river Turia leaves the mountains through a series of deep gorges, and around the villages of Gestalgar, Sot de Chera and Chulilla, the landscape turns dramatic: limestone cliffs, pine-covered slopes and the river winding green below. In a side ravine near Gestalgar, the Barranco de las Colochas shelters a handful of painted panels that UNESCO counts among the Mediterranean rock art of Iberia. The figures are faint, but the setting is worth the effort on its own.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Barranco de las Colochas- Abrigo I, about halfway. Next is Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the.
5. Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the
Tuéjar, Chelva and Alpuente are small towns in the Serranía, the rugged highland of inland Valencia, where the rivers cut deep valleys between pine-clad ridges. It is a corner of the province that most visitors to the coast never see. The name on the stop refers to the UNESCO listing of 1998 for the rock art of the Mediterranean basin on the Iberian peninsula, and the paintings of Barranco de las Colochas, the ravine nearby, belong to it. The ravine and the surrounding woods are worth the trip on their own.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The route ends here after 436 km.
Leg by leg
Peñón de Santo Espíritu to Abric mas de los Perez
Peñón de Santo Espíritu → Abric mas de los Perez is 61 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Abric mas de los Perez to Balma de la fabriqueta
Abric mas de los Perez → Balma de la fabriqueta is 53 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Balma de la fabriqueta to Barranco de las Colochas- Abrigo I
Balma de la fabriqueta → Barranco de las Colochas- Abrigo I is 49 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Barranco de las Colochas- Abrigo I to Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the
Barranco de las Colochas- Abrigo I → Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the is 57 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the to back through Barranco de las Colochas- Abrigo I
Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the → back through Barranco de las Colochas- Abrigo I is 54 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Barranco de las Colochas- Abrigo I to back through Balma de la fabriqueta
back through Barranco de las Colochas- Abrigo I → back through Balma de la fabriqueta is 50 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Balma de la fabriqueta to back through Abric mas de los Perez
back through Balma de la fabriqueta → back through Abric mas de los Perez is 53 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Abric mas de los Perez to Peñón de Santo Espíritu
back through Abric mas de los Perez → Peñón de Santo Espíritu is 60 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.