Cehegín is the sort of town that most travellers drive past on the way to somewhere more famous, which is good news for anyone who prefers a quiet table. It stands on a hillside above the Quípar river in the north-west of Murcia, only a few kilometres from Caravaca de la Cruz, and its old centre is a tangle of steep lanes, baroque houses and small churches. The place has a long history, with Roman, Moorish and Christian layers, and the narrow streets of the upper town reward a slow walk.
The cave named here, Cueva del Humo, is an easy one to find on a map, since it lies less than a kilometre from the town centre. Smoke caves are common in Spain, and the name most often points to a cave where shepherds lit fires or where smoke rises from a vent. The country around Cehegín has an extensive prehistoric record, with painted shelters in the Levantine and schematic traditions scattered through the hills, so this stop is one of the more accessible entries in the series. Check on the ground what is open and what is fenced before you go in.
Caravaca de la Cruz, the neighbouring town, is a pilgrimage centre. It holds a relic said to be a fragment of the True Cross, and it has been a holy city with jubilee years since the Middle Ages. In early May it hosts the Caballos del Vino, a festival in which teams of horses, decorated in embroidered cloth, race up a hill carrying skins of wine. If you are riding through at the start of May, the town is packed, and rooms vanish early.
The ride in this part of Murcia is a good one. Roads across the Quípar valley and into the Sierra del Gavilán are well surfaced, with moderate corners and long views over fields of almond and cereal. The area also lies near the Bullas wine zone, which makes red wine from the monastrell grape and is worth a bottle. Summer is hot and dry, and spring and autumn are the best seasons.
Cehegín has sixteen thousand people, so fuel, food and shops are plentiful, and there is no need to worry about supplies.