Vilafamés and Coves de Vinromà

Vilafamés is probably the most strikingly coloured village in the whole province of Castellón. Its reddish hue —so intense that in golden light the houses seem to be on fire— comes from rodeno, the red Triassic sandstone the village sits on. The result is a townscape of remarkable unity in colour and form, declared a Bien de Interés Cultural (historic ensemble) in 2005, that looks more like Jordan or some forgotten corner of Morocco's Atlas than inland Valencia.

The biggest surprise in Vilafamés, though, is that this medieval village of just under 2,000 people is home to one of the most interesting contemporary art museums in Spain: the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Vicente Aguilera Cerni (MACVAC), known as the Museo Popular de Arte Contemporáneo from 1977 to 2003. It was founded in 1969 at the initiative of the art critic Vicente Aguilera Cerni, backed by the then mayor Vicente Benet, who together brought this cultural project to a village in the interior of the Plana Alta. Today it holds more than a thousand works, all donated or on loan —among them pieces by Julio González, Miró, Renau, Genovés, Equipo Crónica, Equipo Realidad, Sempere and Mompó— and the pairing of avant-garde art with the red medieval architecture of the village is one of the most fascinating cultural contrasts in the Valencia region.

At the top of the village stands the castle, of Andalusi origin, with remains from the 14th century and reinforced in 1375. From up there the views take in the whole plain of the Pla de l'Arc, the Espadán ranges to the south and the inland districts of Castellón to the north. In the old quarter you'll also find the Roca Grossa, a great boulder of rodeno where, according to tradition, you should make three wishes. Riding up to the nearest car park and then walking some 200 metres is a small effort every curious rider should make.

The Pla de l'Arc, the plain around Vilafamés, still has extensive dry-farmed almond and olive groves that depend on rainfall alone. In February and early March the almond blossom creates a truly spectacular landscape —pale pink against red earth— comparable to the famous Jerte Valley bloom in Cáceres, but on a more intimate scale. For riders who love photography, this is probably the best time of year to visit.

Riding notes: this is a relaxed route (no big passes, comfortable distances, good tarmac), ideal for a short weekend outing from Castellón or Valencia. The Pla de l'Arc back roads (CV-160, CV-165, CV-15) are perfect for an easy ride, free of traffic, with frequent stops in villages. Fill up in Castellón at the start. For lunch, Mesón El Rullo in Vilafamés —tucked into a lane in the old quarter— serves roast lamb and arroz al horno, the Valencian oven-baked rice (a dry dish, quite different from paella), at modest prices. A tip: combine a visit to the MACVAC (Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–14:00 and 16:00–18:30; closed on Mondays) with a stroll through the old quarter.