Nerpio sits on a high plateau of the Sierra del Segura, in the south-west corner of Albacete province, at about a thousand metres above the sea, and the climate matches the height: hot dry summers, cold nights, and winters when snow arrives early. The Abrigo del Molino de Juan Basura lies less than two kilometres from the village in the valley of the Taibilla, and it is one of the sites that make Nerpio a name among specialists. In few other places in Spain can you find so many painted shelters within a short walk of a single village.
The ride is for those who like to go a long way for nothing in particular. From Moratalla or from Yeste the road climbs onto a high, empty country of pine, juniper and cereal fields, with the bends opening out and the traffic almost nonexistent. You may share a stretch with a flock of sheep or a lone tractor, but little else. Take care in winter, when ice can persist on the shaded sections, and in spring, when meltwater washes gravel across the road. Autumn is the best time, with warm days, cold nights and the oaks and poplars along the river turning.
What is remarkable about Nerpio is its density of prehistoric art. Specialists have recorded dozens of painted shelters in the district, in the Levantine tradition and in the later schematic style, and some of the scenes are crowded with animals and people caught in the middle of an action. The name of this one points at a mill, and many of the sites sit near water, mills and springs, which suggests that the people who painted here chose the same places as the farmers who came after them.
You should plan the practical side carefully. Nerpio is a village of around sixteen hundred people, and fuel is not something to count on, so fill up in Yeste, about twenty-five kilometres away, or in Moratalla, further still. Bars in the village serve simple food, and they are a good place to ask about access to the shelters, as some are reached only by tracks that turn difficult in wet weather. Carry water and be careful with any flame in the dry months.