Everything about Nerpio feels remote, and Mingarnao pushes the feeling a little further. The shelter sits in the Sierra de Segura, where the road ends and tracks wander over limestone ridges, through pine woods and past small farms. A scattering of hamlets, such as Yeste, Letur and Nerpio itself, are the nearest signs of life, and the nearest big town in the data, Moratalla, is a long 38 km away. The sense of space is the point of coming here.
The rivers help explain the place. The Taibilla, the Segura and their tributaries have cut gorges through the rock, and in the bottoms of the valleys there are poplar groves, orchards and small irrigated fields, with water that is clear and cold. Letur is a village of whitewashed houses clinging to a rock above the Mundo river, with narrow lanes, a Moorish quarter and a small museum, and it is one of the prettiest places in the region. The Mundo, which rises nearby in the Calar del Mundo, has an extraordinary source: a cave that gushes out of the cliff, in the Cueva de los Chorros, with waterfalls and pools.
The painted shelters in this area are part of the Levantine rock art, listed by UNESCO in 1998. Because Nerpio is so rich in sites, a rule of thumb is to learn first and look second: visit the information point in Nerpio or Yeste, find out which sites are open, and hire a local guide if one is offered. Many shelters are closed with gates, others lie on private land, and the paintings can be damaged by even the slightest touch.
Riders will love the approach. Roads cross the sierra in tight bends with long climbs and sudden views, and traffic is almost non-existent. The surface can be rough, so take your time. Fuel is limited: fill up in Yeste or Moratalla, and carry some cash. Local cuisine uses game and mountain produce, so try venison or a stew of the season. Winter brings snow, while summer days can be hot and dry, with cool evenings.