Yeste, beautiful views and an indelible historical legacy
Albacete hides in the Sierra del Segura an important cultural and artistic heritage that we hardly know. We embark on an exciting route where nature, history and gastronomy go hand in hand.
Discovering that part of Spain that refuses to fall into oblivion makes us come across spaces as fascinating as the Sierra del Segura . If you are willing to discover hidden treasures, we will make you a route map through seven essential stations in this perfect trip for lovers of culture and good food.
1. YESTE AND ITS VIEWS
This small town very close to Jaén hides in its interior a lot of historical treasures that the Order of Santiago left as a legacy. And it is that the town of Yeste It was conquered by the Christians in the year 1242, which allowed its castle, of Arab origin and one of its greatest tourist attractions, to be remodeled over the years, thus allowing an enviable state of conservation. From the top of the castle, for those who are able to get there without stumbling, the view of the mountains is priceless.
Rural houses in the town of Riópar
Yeste gives tourists its Church of the Assumption, declared Well of Cultural Interest in 1983 and that boasts a spectacular Renaissance gate. Inside and as a surprise, a image of the Dolorosa made by Salzillo and canvases by Pedro Orrente . A must-see is also the 18th-century cloister of the Franciscan convent, for those who, in addition to art, want to know great little stories about the monks who lived there centuries ago.
NERPIO, CAVE PAINTINGS AND STARS
It is possible that nerve be one of the towns of Albacete that can go unnoticed on our route through the Sierra del Segura. But knowing that you have 70% of the cave paintings in Castilla la Mancha in their lands already makes it interesting in itself.
Fuensanta Reservoir, in Yeste
You can make an appointment with a guide and get on the Solana of the Covachas , a worldwide protected area, to discover nearly 200 advanced Neolithic motifs representing human and animal figures. The realism of some of the figures is impressive despite the fact that many of the paintings are not preserved due to the bonfires that the shepherds made there.
After an excursion up the mountain, another of the wonders that Nerpio offers is the possibility of enjoying one of the best starry skies in our country in an observatory very close to the town. With the help of an expert, we can soar through the skies discovering that the Dragon snakes between Ursa Major and Ursa Minor or that the Polar Star it barely moves in the sky because of its location.
Nerpio, or one of the cleanest skies in Castilla-La Mancha
LETUR, MUCH MORE THAN ROZALÉN
Since the singer Rozalén decided to create a festival in your town and thus make it known, it seems that the town of Albacete does not stop receiving tourists, but Letur is much more than Rozalén , is a town irrefutably dominated by water, an element that has sculpted the art that shows the town to tourists. The water runs through Letur surprising with a waterfall that forms a puddle and that acts as a natural pool to lower the temperature in this hot summer.
Letur opens the layout of its streets to the traveler describing the Andalusian past that he drew cobblestones and gates (wood crafts were very important here). It is surprising to discover in the Plaza Mayor a Gothic church with a Renaissance façade that has a baptismal font from the 16th century.
Panoramic view of Letur
AYNA AND THE CINEMA
Without a doubt, this picturesque town of Albacete rose to fame thanks to the hilarious film by José Luis Cuerda, _ Sunrise, which is no small thing _ . Aýna, in addition to getting the "y" in her name to have a tilde (something that fascinates us), It is a true living museum of the film. Its current mayor, José Ángel Martínez, is one of the children who appeared in the film and promoter of the "dawners", housing a museum inside the town.
To go through Aýna is to discover the place where scenes as delirious as that of the men who grew from the earth and that drove Pastora Vega so crazy were filmed. And not only that, Aýna smells of fresh bread, to neighbors who open their houses, to kindness. It can also boast of being located in a steep enclave where it is impossible not to be photographed. One of the necessary photographs is always in the sidecar, on the outskirts of town.
'Dawn, which is not little' (1988) - José Luis Cuerda
RIVER AND THE RIVER WORLD
We already told you in Traveler not too long ago that the source of the Mundo River is possibly one of the most beautiful natural spectacles on the planet. And although the perfect time to visit the spectacular waterfall caused by the river at its source is in April "blowout", now in summer there is a lot of life around this unique natural environment. And it is incomparable because there grows the world pinguicula , a unique carnivorous plant in the world. This plant secretes a fat to which the bugs that will be part of your menu adhere.
Riópar was also very important in the 18th century because the Royal Bronze and Brass Factories promoted by Carlos III . The Royal Factory can be visited as it preserves all the machinery that was used to manufacture brass pieces for all uses. A must on your stop in Riópar, write down!
ELCHE DE LA SIERRA AND THE CARPETS
Elche de la Sierra is one of the most vibrant towns in the Sierra del Segura, a town full of life and movement. There was already evidence that this municipality existed in Roman times and in the town square you can find an 18th-century church with a spectacular neoclassical altarpiece inside.
Poppies in Elche de la Sierra
Although without a doubt one of the phenomena that places Elche de la Sierra on the tourist map (in addition to its great gastronomic offer) is the corpus festivity in which the different peñas of the town elaborate colored sawdust rugs throughout the night . All these peñas compete for the most original and cleanest composition before the next day the procession passes over and destroys all the work they have done. Some of these rugs are of indescribable beauty.
LIÉTOR AND THE CENTENARY ORGAN
The small town of Liétor is well known for its organ concerts. And it is that in the Church of Santiago Apostol An impressive baroque organ from the 18th century is preserved that makes your hair stand on end when the wind runs through the pipes, a task that it has been doing for more than 200 years. How pointy they get when observing the peculiar Chapel of Our Lady of Bethlehem , a temple literally painted down to the last corner with popular motifs. was declared Well of Cultural Interest in 1976.
Hiking through Liétor
SEVEN GASTRONOMIC STOPS IN THE SIERRA DEL SEGURA
Penarrubia Inn _(San Bernabé, 21. Peñarrubia) _. It is a perfect restaurant for those who love a lounge with a good wine cellar and a good product of the land. The slaughtered garlic , fried cheese or their meats are the perfect option.
Campsite Las Nogueras (Paraje Cortijo Mirabuenos, s/n. Nerpio). Very close to the observatory, it is the perfect place to have a few beers and snacks at reasonable prices. Perfect for those who go in a group and prefer something informal but good.
Las Encinas Restaurant _(Yetas Village, 21. Yetas de Abajo) _. Sometimes you need to go a little out of the way to enjoy an unprecedented dining experience. And that's in this restaurant with incredible views, almost as much as its tasting menu where lamb plays in the first division.
Full breakfast at Posada Peñarrubia
La Toba Restaurant _(Av. Manuel Carrera, S/N, Aýna) _. Possibly one of the restaurants in the Sierra del Segura with the best atascaburras, a typical dish made from potatoes and cod. Perfect also for some torreznos, a good rice and a gin and tonic on its terrace.
Emilio Grill (Master Galindo Arjona, 9, Riopar). The excursion along the Mundo River requires replenishing your strength and this is possibly the best option: the grills at Asador Emilio.
The Owl Café Cultural (Calderón de la Barca, 6. Elche de la Sierra). One of the busiest bars in the town where all kinds of cultural activities are also carried out. Temple of snails, cheese and seasonal products.
Maruja Inn _(Plaza Mayor, 16. Liétor) _. One of the few places where you can taste some porridge , a very typical dish from Murcia and from this region of Albacete. The Manchego gazpacho here is also first division.
The Owl Café Cultural, in Elche de la Sierra
DID YOU KNOW...?
In the town of And this celebrate a watermelon war similar to the Tomatina de Buñol for its patron saint festivities. Priceless.
The streets of Letur can become a real labyrinth. If you don't know the town well, it's easy to get into its tangle of streets and lose your orientation. Activate the GPS and take it for granted that with its steep slopes you will get a good exercise.
The corral of the Pacheca , one of the scenic spaces of the film Sunrise, which is no small thing , has remained practically intact since 1989. We can almost hear again the "how well the fuck sings!" as if it were yesterday. The desire to preserve the legacy of the film is such that even a year ago they launched a petition via change.org for the RAE to admit the term " sunrise " in the dictionary. We have already signed.
If you order a crepe at the Buho Café Cultural in Elche de la Sierra, find someone to share it with . You are warned.