Ayna

Ayna is a small town nestled in the gorge of the Mundo River, with one of the most suggestive landscapes in the entire province. All of this can be admired from the Devil’s Viewpoint.

Ayna is a town with a special aesthetic; it is enough to stroll along the main street to realize this. Its streets are generally narrow, with a clear Moorish character, from where we can observe the Mundo River bathing its feet like long windows. Its little streets have wide steps, low height, with curves and nooks that surprise anyone who, with a fixed and attentive gaze, ventures into them. The house façades are typically rural, with most of them preserved in the same style: white, with a stable or small garage to store belongings.

Ayna consists of one main street that changes names as we walk. Along this street, the “Encierros” are held every year until descending to the Town Hall Square. From this main street, on the upper side, we can see the newly built Cultural Center. Next to it, we can drink water from a fountain that comes from the spring. Along this street are bars, grills, and shops selling typical products.

The Parish Church of Our Lady of the Heights, located in the area known as El Postigo, currently serves as the main temple. Near it, we find the small Hermitage of Las Cabrillas, and next to it the windows of houses adorned with geraniums of various colors. At the end of the main street, we arrive at Ayna’s Main Square, with its two-spout fountain whose pediment displays the Cave of the Child’s Rock Paintings. As a source of pride for the inhabitants of Ayna and information for visitors, the Town Hall façade displays a plaque stating that Ayna won first prize in Village Beautification in 1954.

On 38 Mayor Street we find the Hermitage of Los Remedios, whose construction dates back to the 16th century. A few kilometers from Ayna, toward Elche de la Sierra, we can visit one of its small villages, known as Royo-Odrea, quaint and picturesque, especially if visited at night, when it resembles a Christmas Nativity scene.

The most striking feature of the vegetation in this sector of the province of Albacete is the tremendous deforestation it has undergone since historical times. It is common to find municipal ordinances dating back to the 16th century prohibiting tree felling except for the construction of hydraulic works.

Regarding the species that make up the plant landscape of this entire area, the Pine Forest stands out above other formations. Several types of pines can be distinguished, with the Aleppo Pine being the most abundant in this area, though it never forms very dense masses.

As we advance along the Mundo River, the pine forests become richer, especially near Ayna and Royo-Odrea. These are usually very clear stands in which the shrub layer is highly developed and in which some Holm Oaks can be found—some of them tree-sized—showing that it is the climatic species of the area. Likewise, the understory frequently features Kermes Oak and Junipers, some of considerable size: Mastic, Rockrose, Daphne, Genista, Rosemary, Thyme. This understory never fully covers the ground, given the extremely rugged topography, steep slopes where bedrock appears, and skeletal soils that hinder vegetation development. The pine forest covers an important extension of the Mundo River canyon between Ayna and is replaced by the Black Pine in shaded areas and altitudes above 800 meters.

The Iberian Ibex is one of the most well-known animals of the Sierra del Segura. It can be found in the Ayna area, along with the Spanish Goat. Mating season is in spring, and they have one offspring per season. Ayna once had 1,000 to 1,500 specimens throughout the mountains; now only 20 or 30 remain due to a mange epidemic. Many have also died from traffic accidents when descending to the Mundo River to drink water, and from hunting. The ones currently present were repopulated from a pair (male and female) about 20 years ago. At times, the Spanish Goat can be seen from within Ayna itself when they come close to eat.

• Pilgrimage with Auctions: From May 8 to 15
• Pilgrimage of San Miguel: May 8
• Pilgrimage of San Isidro: May 15
• Festivals of Saint Michael Archangel and the Virgin of the Rosary: From August 23 to 27
• Paterna Festivities: From August 24 to 27