The Fuente del Sauco is the elder-tree fountain, a small spring that gave its name to a shelter in the hills between Letur and Socovos in the south of Albacete. Water is the story of this country. The Mundo river rises not far to the west, at a spectacular spring in the Calar del Mundo near Riópar, where it bursts out of a cave in a series of waterfalls, and it flows through the gorges below Letur before joining the Segura. Along its banks, and in the cliffs above, ancient people sheltered and painted, and the Andragulla and other shelters here belong to the same tradition, part of the Mediterranean Basin rock art that UNESCO protects.
The riding is lovely in a quiet, rural way. Roads wind through almond and olive groves, past stone farmhouses and low cliffs of golden rock, with the odd viewpoint across the valley. Letur, a whitewashed village built on a spur with a Moorish quarter of tiny, tangled lanes, is the highlight, and the road down to it is steep and narrow, so go carefully. Socovos has a castle perched on a crag, with views across the valley. In spring the almond blossom fills the hillsides, and in autumn the leaves turn gold along the river.
Letur has about twelve hundred people and Socovos nearly two thousand, so both have shops and a bar or two, but fuel is not guaranteed. The nearest dependable source is Moratalla or one of the larger towns on the main roads, so fill up beforehand, especially if you plan to stay out all day. Water is welcome here, and the local springs and streams are clear, but carry your own to be safe.
Take a short walk along the river if you can. The Mundo's water is cold and pure, and in summer people swim in its deep pools. The shade of poplars and willows on the bank is a relief after the hot dry hills, and the sound of running water is a constant companion. At dusk, swallows skim the surface and the cliffs turn a deep orange.