Nerpio is a small village that looks like it has been there for ever, with white houses, a church, a few bars and a plaza where old men sit in the sun, and it is worth getting to know before heading out to the shelters. Its position on a high plateau, at around a thousand metres, makes it cool in summer and cold in winter, and the village has a long tradition of mountain farming: cereals, almonds, sheep and, in the valley bottoms, fruit trees. The Abrigos de los Ídolos are under a kilometre and a half from the plaza.
Local food is straightforward and good: lamb, game, cured meats, stews, migas and gachas, a thick, comforting dish made from flour. In autumn there may be wild mushrooms. The bars in the village are the place to try them, and the owners are generally happy to talk about the area and to recommend what to see.
The road in from Yeste or Moratalla is a pleasure. It climbs through pines and junipers, across open plateau and down into valleys, with smooth bends and little traffic, though the surface can be rough in patches. Winter snow and ice can make the road dangerous, and spring brings meltwater and gravel. Autumn is the best time, with warm days and cool nights.
Fuel is not guaranteed in the village, so fill up in Yeste, twenty-four kilometres away, or Moratalla. Take water to the shelter, and as ever, keep your hands off the paintings.
Nerpio rewards a night's stay more than a quick stop. In the evening the plaza fills with neighbours, the light turns gold on the whitewashed walls, and the sky, with almost no light pollution, shows more stars than most Europeans ever see. A rider who arrives at four in the afternoon, walks to the shelters in the soft light and then eats in the village will have a better day than one who rushes through between two other places. The nights are cold at this height even in summer, so bring a jumper.