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.
333 km from El Campello to El Campello, about 6 h 55 of riding. On the way it passes La Sarga- Abric I, Barranc de les Coves- Abrigo l, Abric de la Penya and Abric del Voro. It was put together for the scenery rather than the shortest line.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. 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.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra is where the day begins. Next is La Sarga- Abric I.
2. 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.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
La Sarga- Abric I comes up 37 km in. Next is Barranc de les Coves- Abrigo l.
3. 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.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
75 km in you reach Barranc de les Coves- Abrigo l. Next is Abric de la Penya.
4. Abric de la Penya
Moixent, or Mogente in Castilian, stands at the head of a corridor that has carried traffic between the Valencian coast and the interior of Castile for as long as anyone has been moving goods. The old road, the railway and now the motorway all funnel through here, between low limestone ridges with vineyards and olive groves in the valley floor. The rock shelter known as the Abric de la Penya sits in this landscape a few kilometres from the town, close also to Vallada.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Abric de la Penya, about halfway. Next is Abric del Voro.
5. Abric del Voro
The Canal de Navarrés is a wide valley in the interior of Valencia province, surrounded by limestone mountains and deep gorges, and the Abric del Voro lies in the hills between Quesa and Bicorp, two small villages in the heart of some of the wildest country in the region. It is one of the many rock shelters with prehistoric paintings in the area, part of the UNESCO listing of Mediterranean rock art. The valley's most famous site is close by: the Cuevas de la Araña near Bicorp, where a painting of a figure climbing ropes to collect honey from a wild bees' nest, surrounded by bees, is one of the best-known images of prehistoric art in Spain, often cited as one of the earliest depictions of honey gathering.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The route ends here after 333 km.
Leg by leg
Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra to La Sarga- Abric I
Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra → La Sarga- Abric I is 41 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 34 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Barranc de les Coves- Abrigo l to Abric de la Penya
Barranc de les Coves- Abrigo l → Abric de la Penya is 41 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Abric de la Penya to Abric del Voro
Abric de la Penya → Abric del Voro is 34 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Abric del Voro to back through Abric de la Penya
Abric del Voro → back through Abric de la Penya is 34 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Abric de la Penya to back through Barranc de les Coves- Abrigo l
back through Abric de la Penya → back through Barranc de les Coves- Abrigo l is 41 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 34 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through La Sarga- Abric I to Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra
back through La Sarga- Abric I → Poyo Inf. de la Cimbarra is 41 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.