I'm meeting some friends in Alicante on Saturday (next week), I finish work about 4pm on Wednesday. Of course, I could just blast down the motorway but as I have time to burn... Any route recommendations or places/towns to see/stay in on the non-motorway down? I have the work hotel until Thursday lunchtime so have the luxury of staying there Wednesday night if needs be, I don't need to be in Alicante till Saturday afternoon...
Ta!
Nice little trip! You have lots of time to explore. If it were me I'd opt to stay two night at the same place, i.e. Albarracín, which is genuinely one of the greatest little 'cities' - yes, it has a tiny cathedral! - in Spain and a centre for some amazing roads and varied scenery.
Set off to Reus - depending nowhere you are you might as well take the AP7 as far as Junction 32 at Torredembarra (it's much quicker than sticking to the coast, where you have several tolls to pass. Then you're on the A7 past Tarragona - where I live - and turn onto the T!!/N420 just beyond Reus and take the C242 to Cornudella and Ulldemolins and onwards to La Granadella, where you leave that road and head south to Flix. If you want some very extreme twisties then head for Porrera just before Cornudella and the on to La Bisbal de Falset - nutty riding!
From Flix has south a few k's and take a back road just beyond Asco to Gandesa, where you join the N420 again before you tribe there. In the town don't miss the turn for the C43 as far as El Pinel del Brai, where you then off to Vallderobres (T333, T330). In the town turn south on the A1414 to Monroyo where you join the busy N 232 to Morella. Here you head to Catavieja on the CV 125 via La Iglesual del Cid - this is pretty much a country lane in places. From Cantavieja you have the very fast and spectacular A226 to Teruel.
By tis time you'll just want to take the main road to Albarracín, where the best hotel is the Hotel Arabia - you can run your bike up on the disabled access and leave it on tier trace for the night. Albarracín is very much a place to explore, so plan half a day's ride in the morning and explore the 'city' after a long lunch ... The roads around there are simply amazing - that's why I based my HISS events there for the fist two years as well as the trails - ask in the tourist office for some recommendations or just follow your nose ...
On down to Alicante for lunchtime take the N330 out of Teruel - if you start early head over to Bezas and El Campillo rather than the way you came in - and then your route is Ademuz, Utiel, Requena and Alma's, where you can blast down the motorway or head up into the hills again around Alcoy - if you have time!
Enjoy!
Regs
Simon