Nerpio is about as remote as it gets in southern Spain: a village in the far south-west corner of Albacete province, deep in the Sierra del Segura, close to the borders of Andalucía and Murcia. It sits in the valley of the Taibilla river, surrounded by mountains, with terraced fields, walnut trees and pine forests on the slopes. The Abrigo de la Fuente, the shelter of the spring, lies in the hills about eleven kilometres from the village.
Nerpio has one of the largest concentrations of rock art in the Iberian Peninsula. Dozens of shelters with Levantine and schematic paintings have been found in the mountains around the village, part of the UNESCO-listed Mediterranean group. The Solana de las Covachas and the Abrigo del Molino de Juan Basura are among the best known. The village has an interpretation centre that explains the rock art and organises guided visits to some of the shelters. The Abrigo de la Fuente is one of these sites, in a landscape that has changed little in centuries.
Nerpio is famous for its walnuts. The walnut trees along the Taibilla river are centuries old, and the local walnuts are prized for their quality. The village has a pleasant centre, with a church and narrow streets, and the surrounding countryside is full of old farmhouses, mills and irrigation channels.
The riding to and around Nerpio is spectacular. The roads that wind through the Sierra del Segura, toward Yeste, Letur, Moratalla and Santiago de la Espada, are narrow, twisty and remote, with almost no traffic and stunning scenery: mountains, gorges and pine forests. The road from Nerpio toward Pedro Andrés and the source of the Taibilla is especially beautiful. The surfaces vary, with some rough sections. In winter, snow can close the higher roads, and the nights are cold.
Services are very limited. Nerpio has a small shop, a few bars and a fuel station, but the nearest town of size is Huéscar, about thirty-six kilometres away, or Yeste. Fill up before you head into the mountains. Local food includes walnut-based dishes, game, cured meats and cheese. Spring and autumn are the best seasons.