Outlying districts of Totana: La Sierra
Much of the north of Totana lies within the natural park of Sierra Espuña
This is the northernmost of the “pedanías” or outlying districts of the municipality of Totana, and despite consisting of almost 9,000 hectares of land is inhabited by no more than a couple of dozen people.
This is because it is located in the mountains of Sierra Espuña, and apart from some 500 hectares of agricultural land the rest is pine forests and untended mountain land. Those who used to live in the small hamlets of El Purgatorio, Las Alquerías, Santa Leocadia, Malvariche, Prado Mayor and Los Jaboneros left the area years ago and headed down towards Totana, and only the remains of their former homes stand as reminders of the importance that this area once had for the local economy.
The fiestas in honour of Santa Leocadia in La Sierra, which take place at the end of September, include the procession of the image of the saint. For many the highlight is the barbecue-style meal which takes place on the Sunday morning, before the procession, and in which many of the meat products are those which are typical of this mountainous area.
Almost the whole of the pedanía lies within the regional park of Sierra Espuña, which has enjoyed various levels of protection status for 100 years, since it was included in the National Catalogue of Natural Spaces in 1917.
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