The Hayedo de Montejo, the Irati Forest, the Jerte Valley, the Benasque Valley, the Fageda d’en Jordà… These are just some of the natural landscapes that we can enjoy in our country. And, as we have already told you on numerous occasions, Spain has nothing to envy other countries in the world when it comes to nature . Best of all, these are spaces that can be tremendously beautiful at any time of the year, although it is in autumn when most reach their maximum splendor.
Today we want to tell you about another of those natural corners that are worth visiting. We refer to the Sierra del Segura , a region that is located in the southwest of Albacete, bordering Jaén, Granada and Murcia, full of valleys, forests, rivers, streams and karst formations. Do you want to discover it? Well then you can’t miss anything that we tell you below!
An unusual landscape in the area
As we told you, the Sierra del Segura is located in Albacete and borders Murcia and two Andalusian provinces (Granada and Jaén), hosting 12 towns: Ayna, Bogarra, Elche de la Sierra, Férez, Letur, Liétor, Molinicos, Nerpio, Paterna del Madera, Riópar, Socovos and Yeste. Despite the fact that Castilla la Mancha is known for its plains, this corner surprises with its lushness, unusual in this part of Spain. Its name is due to its main river, the Segura, which together with its tributaries, other main rivers and reservoirs, are in charge of structuring the region, leaving it very poorly communicated, which is an inconvenience for its economic development and an advantage for conservation of the environment and heritage. For this reason, today one of the main sources of income is nature tourism.
Its natural environment
Undoubtedly, the main attraction of this La Mancha area in its natural environment, being able to find forests, valleys, karst formations and, above all, many rivers and streams: the Segura, the Tus, the Mundo, the Taibilla, the Zumeta, the Madera … Of all the natural corners of the Sierra del Segura, the Calares del Río Mundo and Sima Natural Park stands out, and especially Los Chorros , which is where the river is born. Of course, it is important that you keep in mind that to go up you must ask for permission or arrive with a guide. Other corners that you cannot miss are the Cabaña de los Mojones and the viewpoints of Liétor and Letur.
As for its mountains, whose highest summit is the Sierra de las Cabras, which reaches 2,086 meters, they are separated from each other by narrow valleys and deep canyons. In them we can find a large number of karst formations and a lot of vegetation: maples, pines, willows, holm oaks, yew trees … Although any time is good to visit the Sierra del Segura, it is in autumn when the landscape is most beautiful, at least from our point of view.
Heritage
We cannot talk about the Sierra del Segura without mentioning the heritage it hides. And it is that here we can find from castles and fortresses (the Tower of Haches, the Castle of the Vizcaínos, the Castle or fortress of Taibilla, the Castle of Yeste, the Castle of Socovos …), to important samples of rock art, passing through a lot of churches: the Ermita de los Remedios in Ayna, the Church of Santa Quiteria in Bogarra, the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption in Elche de la Sierra, the Church of the Assumption in Letur … In addition, we do not want to say goodbye without first talk about the manor houses of Liétor, which date back to the 15th century.