Holiday Focus: Spain
Located in the plains of the central plateau of southeastern Spain, La Mancha – Albacete suffers from extremely cold winters and very hot summers, usually quite dry. It was inhabited by many peoples of the Iberian Peninsula, the oldest settlement dating back to around 2,000,000 years ago. There are many catalogued rock art sites from that period forward which have been designated at World Heritage sites by UNESCO. For example, there is the cave of the child, Levantine art from approximately 10,000 years ago and schematic art from the Bronze Age, approximately 6,500 years ago. Archaeological and historical sites abound in and around Albacete providing diversity in cultural occurrences unmatched throughout the remainder of the Iberian Peninsula.
In the realm of cheap Spain holidays, Albacete can be; however, choices must be made. For example, enjoying the driving course hosting Ferraris and Lamborghinis is probably not included. On the other hand, participating in the many outdoor adventures offered in the area would be. Hiking and trekking to the Montes de Chinchilla or the Parque Natural de las Lagunas de Ruidera or the Sierra de Alcaraz are all excellent possibilities. Sport or rock climbing is another possibility. Anya, just outside of Albacete, provides a climbing area with high quality limestone, long tracks and various lengths in a lovely environment.
Cheap holidays allow one to take advantage of the cultural diversity mentioned above also near Ayna where the cave of the child or Cueva del Nino reveals long ago cave paintings. At Chinchilla Agramon and Tiriez it is possible to see Iberian civilisation as it was in the Bronze Age. And additionally, from the age of Muslim rule there is Alcaraz, a small municipality with bell towers reflective of the age. By the Re-conquest, castles such as Yeste were built, places of definite interest to the visitor attempting to gain a historical flavour. One should not miss the festivals of La Mancha during September when tradition and art are combined providing all the flavour of the past.