Cehegín, in the north-west of the Murcia region, is a town of two faces: a modern lower town, and an old town on a hill, with steep streets, noble houses and churches, declared a historic site. The Cueva de las Palomas, the cave of the doves, lies on the edge of the town, less than a kilometre from the centre, with the larger town of Caravaca de la Cruz about five kilometres away.
The Murcia region is rich in prehistoric sites, and the Cueva de las Palomas is one of many caves and shelters with traces of ancient occupation and art in the area, part of the UNESCO-listed Mediterranean rock art group. Close to Cehegín, the archaeological site of Begastri, on a hilltop, preserves the remains of a Roman and Visigothic town that was an important bishopric in late antiquity, with walls and buildings partly excavated.
Caravaca de la Cruz is one of the holy cities of Catholicism, with the right to celebrate a jubilee year, because of a relic of the True Cross kept in the sanctuary on its castle hill. The town is famous for its festival in early May, when the Caballos del Vino, horses dressed in elaborately embroidered mantles, race up the steep slope to the castle, each horse led by a team of runners holding onto it. It is wild, colourful and deeply rooted.
The riding around Cehegín is varied. The roads west toward Moratalla and the Sierra del Segura, or north toward Calasparra and the Segura river, offer good bends through hills, olive groves and pine forest, with little traffic. Calasparra is known for its rice, grown in terraced paddies along the river, with its own designation of origin. The roads south toward Bullas and Mula pass through vineyards. The surfaces are mostly good.
Cehegín has fuel and all services, as does Caravaca. Local food includes the rice of Calasparra, the wines of Bullas, and the sweets of Caravaca, such as the yemas, made with egg yolks. Spring and autumn are the best times to ride here; summer is hot.