Villar del Humo is a village of a few hundred people tucked into the folds of the Serranía de Cuenca, a high limestone plateau of pine woods, gorges and rocky cliffs in the east of Castilla-La Mancha, and the surrounding rock shelters hold some of the finest prehistoric paintings in Spain. They belong to what is called Levantine rock art, a style of small, lively red figures painted in shallow shelters across the east of the peninsula, which UNESCO listed in 1998 as the Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin. Hunters with bows, running animals and sometimes whole scenes appear on the walls, painted thousands of years ago by people whose names and languages we will never know.
The shelter of the Fuente at Selva Pascuala is one of the group, and it is the sort of place where the paintings appear very small against the large rock face, so that you need to stand still and let your eyes adjust. Protection is strict, with metal barriers or railings and rules about touching or photographing in some sites, so it is worth checking at the village for access and visiting hours. Even at a distance, the figures have a grace and economy that makes the old stone feel crowded with life.
The landscape on the way is part of the experience. The roads in the Serranía are narrow, with plenty of bends, wooded slopes and sudden views across river canyons, particularly of the Cabriel, which runs through a deep gorge nearby. Traffic is light, but the surface can be uneven and there are patches of gravel at the edges. The plateau stands at around a thousand metres, so mornings are cool and winters are cold, with snow on the high ground. Fog and rain can come quickly in autumn. Expect big skies, the smell of pine resin and the sound of cicadas in July.
Fuel is a real concern. Villar del Humo is small, and so are Carboneras de Guadazaón and Cañete, so fill up in a larger town before heading into the mountains. Cuenca, with its hanging houses, is the most convenient large town. Local food is hearty, with roast lamb, migas and a strong cheese, and a bar in a village will often serve something warm. The scenery is rewarding, and the quiet of the place makes the paintings feel nearer than their age would suggest.