The Segura river does something surprising near Calasparra. It runs between steep walls of limestone, pale and fissured, and in those walls people made their shelters long before anyone built a town. Cueva de Jorge is one of the painted sites in this stretch of the valley, and it forms part of the Levantine art listed by UNESCO. The cave is a small, rough opening high in the cliffs, and the paintings, in the usual red pigment, are modest but real.
Calasparra, with nearly eleven thousand inhabitants, is the closest town of any size and has the sort of services a rider appreciates: pumps, a bakery, a pharmacy and several bars. It is famous for its rice, grown in terraced fields beside the river and sold with a protected name that chefs value for its ability to absorb stock without turning mushy. A plate of rice with rabbit or vegetables is the dish to look for. Cieza, down the valley, has thirty-five thousand people and offers a still greater choice.
The riding is mostly gentle but has its dramatic moments. Roads follow the gorge, with views of the river far below, and cross it on old bridges. In the surrounding hills they climb through pine and esparto grass, with long straight sections and some fine open bends. Traffic is thin, apart from local farm vehicles. The surface is generally good, though some of the minor roads have seen better days.
The place can be uncomfortably hot in summer, with temperatures regularly into the high thirties, and the limestone reflects the glare. The river provides some relief, and the shade under the poplars along the bank is welcome. Spring brings blossom and green fields, and autumn the soft light that photographers like. Winter nights are cold, and mist can form in the gorge.
As with other sites in this series, access to the painted shelter is by foot, and local advice is the best guide to what is open and what is permitted.