Calasparra is rice country, which surprises people who think of Murcia as parched and brown. The rice grows in terraced paddies fed by the clear, cold waters of the Segura, and the short-grain variety grown here has protected status and a reputation among Spanish cooks as the best for paella and slow rice dishes. Just upstream, the river squeezes through the Almadenes gorge, a narrow cleft between limestone walls where vultures soar and the water runs deep green. The Cueva-sima de la Serreta lies in the dry hills above, near the border with Cieza, in a land of rock and pine.
The roads are a mix of fast valley highway and winding country lane. Between Calasparra and Cieza the surface is smooth and the curves are open, passing through orchards, rice fields and the pine-covered hills of the Sierra de la Pila. Spring is the best season, when Cieza's peach trees flower in a sea of pink, one of the great sights of the region, and the whole valley looks fresh and bright. In summer, the heat is fierce, with temperatures that regularly exceed forty degrees, so ride early or late. Autumn is calm and clear.
Calasparra has nearly eleven thousand people and Cieza over thirty-five thousand, so both offer fuel, food and plenty of places to stay. Calasparra's sanctuary, built into a cliff above the river, is a place of pilgrimage with a striking position, and a short walk from the road. Cieza has an old Moorish quarter and a river promenade, and its local fruit, peaches and apricots, are sold in season at roadside stalls.
If you plan to visit the cave, remember it is a protected site and access may be limited. The rock art in Murcia is part of the UNESCO listing, and it is fragile. Pick a calm evening, find a spot with a view of the gorge, and watch the vultures circle in the rising air. The silence broken only by wings and wind is something that stays with you long after the ride.