Sierra de Alfaro and Barranc de les Coves- Abrigo l

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Sierra de Alfaro

   The Sierra de Alfaro is a long limestone ridge in the mountains of northern Alicante, between Castell de Castells, Benimantell and Planes, a rugged, empty landscape of rock, scrub and pine, with terraced valleys and small villages tucked into its folds. Its slopes hold several shelters with prehistoric paintings, and the area is part of one of the richest regions for rock art in Spain, with Levantine, schematic and the unique macroschematic styles found nowhere else. The ridge is also crossed by walking trails, and the views from the top over the mountains and the sea are wide.

   Read the complete Sierra de Alfaro write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Sierra de Alfaro is where the day begins. Next is Barran de Parets.

2. 2. Barran de Parets

   The Vall d'Ebo is a pocket of mountains behind the Costa Blanca where the sea is only half an hour away, yet the villages look as if they belong to another century. Adsubia and Vall d'Ebo are tiny settlements of a few hundred people, in a landscape of steep ravines, terraces and bare limestone walls. The Valencian word barranc, a ravine, is on the map everywhere, and each one has its own name. The Barranc de l'Infern, the Hell Ravine, nearby, is a famed walk on a path of thousands of stone steps that the Moriscos, Muslim farmers, built to link villages. They were expelled in 1609, and the terraces and steps are a legacy of their work.

   Read the complete Barran de Parets write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Barran de Parets comes up about 28 km into the recorded legs. Next is Barranc de les Coves- Abrigo l.

3. 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.

   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

   about 64 km into the recorded legs you reach Barranc de les Coves- Abrigo l. Next is back through Barran de Parets.

4. 4. back through Barran de Parets

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Barran de Parets write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   back through Barran de Parets, late in the day. Next is Sierra de Alfaro.

5. 5. Sierra de Alfaro

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Sierra de Alfaro write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Back at Sierra de Alfaro. That is the ride.