Clockwise
With still, warm air and clear blue skies it was a fantastic time to be out on our bikes together and we basked in the feeling of being back on a snaking tarmac strip heading upwards, a place we just love to be.
All too soon, it seemed, we reached the top where a quiet restaurant was not yet open for business (well, it was early) and immediately headed down the other side into a stunningly beautiful valley of terraces and almond groves that was like entering a lost and quiet world. With uncountable numbers of terraces on pretty much every surface, it felt a little like looking back into an Incan Empire scene, especially with the Serra Bernia ridge rising in the background.
The road descended alongside the sheer wall of the valley for about 3 km before kicking up again into Tarbena where we turned right onto the CV-752 towards the Puerto de Sa Creueta. From here the road continued to climb a little before undulating its way towards the high point at 780 metres. Some of the gradients were severe, but never for too long and the views continued to be incredible. With the morning sun getting warmer with each passing minute, the terrain of cultivated olive and almond groves sets against a backdrop of sheer cliff faces and green hillside was wonderful to enjoy.
After cresting the Puerto de Sa Creueta the road was (mostly) downhill, sometimes steeply, into Castell de Castells where we picked up the CV-720 again for the fast, gradual descent back to Parcent. This road, again, is a beautiful ride on its own, with steep hills on either side to admire and (when we were here at least) very little traffic.
Anti-Clockwise
I’ve already described the road names, so I’ll just add that this felt like the more challenging direction. That ‘fast homeward descent’ into Parcent becomes a 20-km dragging climb towards Castell de Castells, followed by some 10% + sections up to the Puerto de Sa Creueta. Then, after generally descending to Tarbena and into that lush, ‘Incan’ valley, you still have to climb several kilometres back up to the Coll de Rates before the final cruise downhill back to Parcent and onwards to Xalo.
That said, both directions are equally beautiful and I’d happily do either direction again in a heartbeat. Happy riding.
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