Los Sacristanes is a name given to a group of painted shelters in the empty uplands near Nerpio, in the south-western corner of Albacete province. It sits on the high, pine-covered ground between the Taibilla valley and the headwaters of the Segura, a place so thinly populated that the nearest town of any size is the better part of an hour away. The paintings here, like those across this region, belong to the World Heritage site of Levantine rock art, and they are best seen with a local guide from Nerpio's interpretation centre.
The country is high and wild. Much of it lies above a thousand metres, with forests of black pine and maritime pine, open ridges of juniper and stone, and deep ravines where streams run in spring and often dry up by late summer. Cortijos, isolated farmhouses, are scattered across the land, many abandoned when people left for the cities in the mid-twentieth century. Winters are cold, with snow and frost, and summers are hot but fresher than the lowlands.
The riding is for those who like solitude. Roads from Nerpio towards Yeste and Santiago de la Espada, deeper into the Sierra de Segura, wind through forests and over ridges, with tight bends, steep gradients and almost no traffic. Some roads are narrow and the surfaces vary, with gravel and potholes on minor routes. Fuel is scarce, so plan carefully. The Sierra de Segura, in Jaén, is part of the largest protected natural area in Spain, with dramatic limestone peaks and gorges.
Yeste is a beautiful village with a castle overlooking the valley, and Segura de la Sierra, further west, is perched on a hilltop with an imposing castle and views over the mountains. Both are well worth the ride. The region was a frontier between Christian and Muslim kingdoms for centuries, and the castles are reminders of that turbulent past.
Nerpio, about six kilometres away, is the nearest village, with a few bars and a small shop. Yeste, about twenty-five kilometres away, has more services. Carry water, snacks and fuel, and enjoy the silence. At night, the sky here is extraordinarily dark and full of stars.