La Sierra de Alcaraz

[Mac]

From the commanding Castillo de Alcaraz, I can appreciate the position
of the town, tucked into a narrow valley on the northwest fringe of
the sierra, and also view the vast plain of Castiila la Mancha,
towards Valdepeñas and Manzanares, dotted with isolated eroded hills.
I can also see our small road heading up the valley towards La Mesta,
but rather doubtful after that.

We stop at Los Batanes, looking for rock paintings like those we found
near Teruel a few years back, but despite walking and clambering for a
couple of hours I fail to find them. The hidden gorge, with sheets of
purple Iris sibirica, delicate Narcissus bulbocodium, and clumps of
pale green hellebores below overhanging cliffs, more than compensates,
however.

My doubts about the road past Mesta are justified. After the tiny
pueblo the surface gives way to a forest track. But we press on, and
after several slithery kilometers, edging round the corners, reach a
real road. Not a big one - one of those stippled affairs on the
Michelin map - but as Spanish as you could wish. 35 km forests of and
cliffs, abundant hairpins and two high passes bring us down to Riopar,
where we gratefully stop (at least Mrs Mac is grateful - she has been
gritting her teeth for some time). The Sierra de Alcaraz in Albacete
province must be one of the most beautiful areas in Spain, and only a
couple hours drive from Alicante and Murcia. It is now being
appreciated as a venue for "adventure holidays", and facilities are
springing up apace.

But less so in the south of the area, where high in the hills above
Yeste the aguas minerales of El Balneario de Tus have for many years
been attracting the halt, lame and elderly well-off. It is now a
large modern complex, the reception like a hospital waiting area,
which I suppose it is. I peered into the gloomy dungeon of the
Balneario Viejo - a 'kill or cure' if ever I saw one - and in the
tienda bought a herbal remedy which promised "Dirigir bien, frenar la
diarrea, eliminar gases"

Just in case

Mac