Spain's largest protected area is the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas, and it spreads across a long stretch of wooded mountains in Jaén and Albacete. The Guijarral lies on its northern edge, in country close to Yeste, Segura de la Sierra and Orcera, where black pines and holm oaks cover steep slopes and rivers cut gorges between. Here, among rock walls, shelters preserve paintings, part of the Mediterranean Basin rock art listed by UNESCO in 1998, and the sites of the area, such as Zona 1 and the Collado de la Cruz, tell of hunting peoples who lived in these mountains long ago.
The scenery is grand. The Segura river, dammed in places, runs blue-green through forest, and the Guadalquivir has its source in the same range, a modest spring in a forest clearing. Wildlife is plentiful, with red deer, mouflon, wild boar and lammergeier vultures, and the park is known for its dawn chorus. Segura de la Sierra is a spectacular village on a hilltop with a castle and Arab baths, worth the climb.
Yeste, with around three and a half thousand inhabitants, is the main town in the area, and there are small shops and fuel stations in Orcera and Yeste. The nearest large towns lie far away, so plan your fuel and food carefully. Local products include olive oil from the Sierra de Segura, game, cured meats and honey, and the restaurants serve hearty mountain dishes such as gazpacho manchego and migas.
The roads here are among the best for riding in southern Spain: winding, scenic and often deserted, with long climbs and drops through forest, and views over gorges and reservoirs. Surfaces are generally good, though watch for rockfall and wildlife. Hot summer afternoons are best avoided, and winter snow can close the higher roads. Autumn brings colour and the roaring of the stags in the rut, an unforgettable sound.