Why this ride
A 223 km round trip from Villajoyosa - roughly 4 h 51 in the saddle. It goes by way of Barranc de frainos- Abric I, Cova Llarga, Barranc de mastec and back through Cova Llarga.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Tabla de Pochico and Barranc de mastec
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 223 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 51
- 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. Tabla de Pochico
Villajoyosa, the Vila, is one of those towns that makes a bad first impression only on the way in. The approach is lined with apartment blocks, but the old seafront is a long row of houses painted in bright colours, ochre, pink, blue and green, said to have helped fishermen find their own door from the sea. Behind the harbour the church stands fortress-like, built with walls designed to withstand pirate raids, and the whole place smells faintly of the sea and, oddly, of chocolate, because the town is home to one of Spain's best known chocolate makers, founded in the nineteenth century. The Tabla de Pochico lies in the hills a few kilometres inland, in the scrubby, rocky land that rises behind the coast.
Read the complete Tabla de Pochico write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Tabla de Pochico is where the day begins. Next is Barranc de frainos- Abric I.
2. Barranc de frainos- Abric I
The mountains behind Benidorm are a world away from the high-rise hotels and the beaches. Inland from the Costa Blanca, the land rises quickly into a jumble of limestone ridges, the highest of which, the Serra d'Aitana, reaches over fifteen hundred metres, the roof of the province of Alicante. Between Sella, Benilloba and Relleu, deep in this rugged country, the Barranc de Frainos holds a rock shelter with prehistoric paintings, part of the UNESCO listing of Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula. The sites here are small and fragile, and access is usually limited to guided visits, but the landscape is worth the journey.
Read the complete Barranc de frainos- Abric I write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Barranc de frainos- Abric I comes up about 38 km into the recorded legs. Next is Cova Llarga.
3. Cova Llarga
The Benicadell is the mountain that tells you where you are in this part of Valencia. Its long, sharp limestone ridge, topped by a distinctive rocky tooth, separates the Vall d'Albaida from the valleys of Alcoy and Cocentaina, and on clear days it is visible from the coast. The Cova Llarga, the long cave, sits on the southern side of this world, in the folded hills near Beniarrés, Terrateig and Planes, and it belongs to the scatter of small sites that record people living, painting and sheltering in these hills since prehistory.
Read the complete Cova Llarga write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 85 km into the recorded legs you reach Cova Llarga. Next is Barranc de mastec.
4. Barranc de mastec
Between Cocentaina and Alcoy, in the hilly interior of Alicante province, a small ravine called the Barranc de Mastec holds rock shelters with prehistoric paintings, part of the UNESCO listing of rock art of the Mediterranean Basin. This corner of Spain is particularly rich in it, with styles ranging from the naturalistic Levantine figures of hunters and animals to the strange, abstract macro-schematic art that seems unique to these valleys. The ravine is surrounded by terraced olive and almond groves, pine woods and limestone crags.
Read the complete Barranc de mastec write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Barranc de mastec, about halfway. Next is back through Cova Llarga.
5. back through Cova Llarga
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Cova Llarga write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Cova Llarga sits at 105 km, about halfway. Next is back through Barranc de frainos- Abric I.
6. back through Barranc de frainos- Abric I
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Barranc de frainos- Abric I 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 frainos- Abric I comes up about 186 km into the recorded legs. Next is Tabla de Pochico.
7. Tabla de Pochico
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Tabla de Pochico write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Tabla de Pochico closes the day.
Leg by leg
Tabla de Pochico to Barranc de frainos- Abric I
Tabla de Pochico → Barranc de frainos- Abric I is 38 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Barranc de frainos- Abric I to Cova Llarga
Barranc de frainos- Abric I → Cova Llarga is 47 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Cova Llarga to Barranc de mastec
Cova Llarga → Barranc de mastec is 27 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Barranc de mastec to back through Cova Llarga
Barranc de mastec → back through Cova Llarga is 32 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Cova Llarga to back through Barranc de frainos- Abric I
back through Cova Llarga → back through Barranc de frainos- Abric I is 42 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Barranc de frainos- Abric I to Tabla de Pochico
back through Barranc de frainos- Abric I → Tabla de Pochico is 38 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.