CUISINE

Yecla cuisine is another irresistible temptation. 'Gachasmigas', 'gazpachos', potato pasties, 'pelotas' and fried cheese with tomato all used to be traditional peasant fare in this area. There are also other delights such as 'tortas fritas', fried cakes that can be eaten with sugar, anchovies and honey; 'olla gitana', or potatoes in broth.

Highlights amongst its most typical sweets include 'libricos', which are made in the traditional way, according to recipes handed down from parents to children, using wafers and honey. 'Pan bendito' (holy bread) made from flour, eggs, oil and sugar which, as well as being delicious, is particularly striking because it is normally decorated with eye-catching animal or flower shapes. 'Sequillos', 'magdalenas', 'toñas', 'galletas', 'rollos de anís' and 'ensaimadas' complete the repertoire of cakes and pastries.

TREKKING

Yecla also offers many options for trekking, cycling and caving. Declared a UNESCO Site of Cultural Interest, Monte Arabí has Neolithic rock paintings in the Cueva del Mediodía and Cantos de la Visera I and II caves. Also of interest are the sculptures called 'cazoletas' (pots) and 'petroglyphs', the precise significance of which is unknown. Indeed, there are many legends about this mountain that are reflected both at popular level and in written sources and which form an inseparable part of this legendary place.

Very close to Monte Arabí is the Cerro de Los Santos hill, the site of numerous archaeological finds, including the statue of a female offering-bearer that can be seen in the Casa de la Cultura in Yecla, and the 'Rosa de los Vientos' or Compass Rose, a giant slab of stone with a star carved into it, also found very nearby. If there is one legend about Monte Arabí that is really well-known by all the local people, it is the story of the 'Cueva del Tesoro' or Treasure Cave, which it is said has a series of narrow passageways leading to a big door protected two armed guards, behind which there is a valuable treasure. Others say that this cave was, in reality, a secret way out of the Arabilejo fortress, located barely 500 metres away.

FIESTAS

FIESTAS DE SAN ISIDRO

In the middle of May, Yecla rediscovers its agricultural traditions during the Fiestas de San Isidro, which have been declared of Regional Tourist Interest.

Street parties, processions, performances by the town's folk groups and even a wine competition, bring the town to life between May 4th and 26th. The highlight is the Grand Parade, which takes place on the Saturday closest to St. Isidore's Day. During the parade, the members of the fiesta 'peñas' or clubs dress in traditional costume and distribute wine and local produce amongst all those present.

Today, these fiestas are made possible by the hard work of the 'peñas' in creating their floats, which represent different aspects of spring and farming. Once the design and the metal or wood structures that are hitched up to tractors have been made, the floats are decorated with tiny pieces of tissue paper, and some of them can be as big as five-and-a-half metres high and between three and six metres long.