This zone of national park is the largest in Spain
and one of the finest wilderness areas in western
Europe. Quite simply breathtaking, the mountain
range reaches 7000 feet and is covered with hundreds
of kilometres of walking trails that take in pine
forests, cliff faces, valleys and gorges. A haven
for wildlife including mountain goats and sheep,
wild boar and deer, the 850 square miles of park
are also home to rare species of eagle, falcon
and vulture. Virtually unvisited until the 1950’s,
the park attracts large numbers of tourists in
the summer although it is easy to escape the crowds
given the vastness of the area. The picturesque
mountain town of Carzola serves as a gateway to
the mountains and the area around the natural
park itself is dotted with beautiful and isolated
mountain villages.
Cazorla
An incredibly picturesque mountain village with
whitewashed houses perched on the side of a
forested hill and narrow streets decked with
flowers that spill from the balconies. Cazorla
spreads over an up the slopes of the Peña
de los Halcones from the old town square, the
Plaza de Santa María with its renaissance
fountain, to the 9th century Moorish castle
of La Yedra, high on the rocks overlooking the
houses. Cazorla is an atmospheric town with
an old barrio containing popular restaurants
and bars, a small British expatriate community
and a gypsy enclave renowned for its inhabitant’s
skilful horsemanship. This old part of town
is where the white houses can be seen hanging
off the side of a steep ravine. The lively town
centre and the area rising up the slopes of
the Peña is fairly modern, belying Carzola’s
colourful history. The town was originally an
Iberian settlement in the 1st century BC and
became one of the first bishoprics in Spain,
created by St. Isaciaus. The town’s permanent
population of 8500 increases dramatically in
the summer when visitors come to visit the nearby
Parque Natural de las Sierras de Cazorla, Segura
y Las Villas. Cazorla is the gateway town to
this natural area and on the northern edge of
town is the main information office, providing
details of visiting the National Park including
information on hunting, fishing, walking and
other outdoor activities.
Cazorla is the commercial centre of this area
and it is here that the main shops, education
and government centres can be found. A market
is held each day selling fresh produce from
the surrounding areas, there are a number of
shops selling all kinds of goods as well as
a bank, a health centre and a tourist information
centre.
Cazorla is roughly 400km south from Madrid,
140km north of the Mediterranean Sea and Almería
and 60km from the province capital Jaen. The
roads to Cazorla are small winding mountain
roads. The road that runs north from Cazorla
is a scenic route that follows the length of
the Sierra Cazorla. The N322 is the nearest
road of any size and is 35km from Cazorla.
La Iruela
Just a kilometre north of Cazorla, the village
of La Iruela contains the dramatic sight of
a ruined castle perched in an unlikely position
on top of an almost vertical pinnacle of rock.
You can just about climb up to the castle tower,
which makes the building of it all the more
impressive. A lovely little village of 2000
people with the ruined 16th century church of
Santo Domingo de Silos, La Iruela has been likened
to “a lizard basking in the sun”
by locals due to the manner in which it can
be seen laying across the mountain face from
as far as 30km away. There are no shops in La
Iruela, the commercial centre of Cazorla being
close at hand, but a bar opens outside the castle
during the summer.
Peal del Becerro
Situated in the agricultural planes and surrounded
by olive groves and cereal fields, Peal de Becerro
is a typical Andalucían town of white
houses with pink tiled roofs. The town contains
the ruins of a medieval castle and the notable
Church of la La Encarnación. Nearby is
an ancient Iberian burial chamber, la Toya,
which has been very well preserved. Peal is
a town of 5000 people and contains basic amenities.
It is located 12km west of Cazorla and 25km
south of the town of Úbeda.
Quesada
Located on top of a hill, Quesada lies beneath
the highest peak of the Cazorla mountain range,
Mt Cabañas, whose peak stands at 2028
metres. Quesada is a pretty hill town just on
the edge of the Cazorla National Park. South
of Quesada is the Sanctuary of Tíscar
which was built on the site of a Moorish fortress.
The sanctuary is an inspiring sight, sitting
as it does on top of rocks and an olive grove.
Beyond Tíscar there is a rocky track
which leads to the summit of Mt Cabañas
and on to the source of the Guadalquivir River.
This river is one of the most important in Spain.
The Moors named it Guad-al-Quivir – The
Great River. It flows all the way through Andalucía,
down through Seville before reaching the Atlantic.
The source is marked with an inscription and
beyond this point, the Guadalquivir turns into
a swiftly flowing river running through a stunning
forested valley in the National Park.
Quesada is a town of 6000 inhabitants located
20km by road south of Cazorla. The roads into
Quesada are winding mountain roads.
The little visited village of Larva,
with 500 inhabitants, lies 20km southeast of
Quesada at the end of small country road. This
tiny place consists of a cluster of white houses
built around the ruins of a Moorish castle.
The rail line that runs north from Granada passes
a kilometre to the west of Larva and the station
of San Pedro is located there.
Just on the edge of the national park is the
village of Huesa with a population
of 3000. There is a pension and a restaurant
in the village, which is 11km south of Quesada.
On the southern edge of the national park is
the tiny village of Hinojares
with a population of 500. A charming, whitewashed
Andalucían mountain village, Hinojares
is situated in the foothills of the Sierra del
Pozo. Hinojares is 27km south from Quesada via
a scenic and extremely winding mountain road.
There are 2 bars in the village along with a
small hotel, a chemist and a general store.
The village also contains 2 primary schools
and a medical centre. Pozo Alcón is 6km
to the east of Hinojares.
Pozo Alcón
Tucked in the southeast corner of Jaen province,
Pozo Alcón is a small, attractive town
of 6000 people. In a privileged position at
the edge of the National Park, the area around
Pozo Alcón is dotted with tiny villages.
The town has a good range of amenities including
a number of shops, bars and restaurants, a medical
centre, a school and an Olympic size swimming
pool and tennis courts. About 6km north of Pozo,
the N326 road goes up to the large Bolera reservoir
where fishing and other watersports can be practised.
The large town of Baza is 33km south of Pozo
on the N315 road
Santiago de la Espada
Part of the Santiago-Pontones municipality,
Santiago de la Espada is a mountain village
situated in the Sierra de Almorchón,
right on the edge of Jaen province. Built on
the side of a mountain, Santiago overlooks a
huge valley consisting of fertile agricultural
land. It has an attractive village centre of
white Andalucían houses and contains
a notable parish church. The nearest town to
Santiago is Huescar in the Granada province,
60km away on extremely winding mountain roads.
Pontones
A unique mountain village, Pontones is situated
in the Sierra de Almorchón, 12km west
of Santiago. With a tumbledown feel to its streets,
the typical houses of Pontones are constructed
from rough stonework with tiled roofs. To the
north of Pontones is the reservoir of Anchuricas,
a beautiful area where pine forested slopes
reach down to the startlingly blue water. Although
it is some 40km to Anchuricas by road, the reservoir
can be reached on foot and is about 12km walk.
Pontones is an isolated village with few amenities
located on the edge of the Sierra de Cazorla
natural park.
Hornos de Segura
Sitting on a steep, rocky outcrop, Hornos de
Segura enjoys extremely attractive surroundings.
Just north of the huge El Tranco reservoir,
Hornos is surrounded by the forested mountains
of the Sierra de Segura. The ruins of a castle
stand above the town and there is a super viewing
balcony adjacent to the town hall that commands
excellent views over the surrounding area. Hornos
is a village of 700 inhabitants. It is 27 kilometres
to the nearest town of Villanueva del Arzobispo.
Cortijos Nuevos is a tiny village
6km north of Hornos.
Segura de la Sierra
Nestled in the heart of the dense pine forests
of the Sierra de Segura, Segura de
la Sierra is a delightful village that sits
at a height of 1230 metres above sea level and
has fantastic views across the mountain wilderness
that surround it. The village is full of surprises.
It is entered through a medieval, turreted gateway
and within the village is a castle and some
Moorish baths. Segura has a small main square
with a pretty 16th century fountain. A village
of 2000 inhabitants, Segura attracts a number
of visitors in the summer.
It is 30km from the nearest town of Beas and
can only be reached via steep, winding mountain
roads.
Orcera
Another pretty mountain village, Orcera’s
typical houses are one storey whitewashed Andalucían
style constructions, decked with colourful flowers.
The parish church of Nuestra Señora de
la Asunción is situated on the main town
square and has a fascinating façade.
Orcera is a village of 2000 inhabitants located
4km north of Segura at an altitude of 795 metres.
Benatae is another typical
mountain village with a population of 500. It
is located 4km north of Orcera at 854 metres
above sea level.
In the northeastern corner of the Jaen province,
the village of Siles is located
in the Sierra de Segura mountains. It is a picturesque
mountain village with steep streets and traditional
houses. There are numerous monuments in the
village including the church of Nuestra Señora
de la Asunción, the Tower of El Cubo
and the Plaza del Agua. 2000 people live in
Siles which is 47km from the nearest town of
Villanueva del Arzobispo.
La Puerta de Segura
In the foothills of the Sierra de Segura, La
Puerta serves as a natural gateway to the Sierra.
It is a traditional village of attractive pink
houses rising gently up a slope and surrounded
by agricultural land. The narrow streets wind
their way round balconied houses, there is a
small parish church with a bell tower here,
and the remains of a castle. From the 20th to
the 23rd of September, a fiesta in honour of
San Mateo is celebrated with dancing and processions
in the streets.
La Puerta has a population of 3000, it is located
on the main N322 road, 34km north of Villanueva
del Arzobispo.
To the west of La Puerta is the village of
Puente de Genave, which has
a population of 2000. An unremarkable village,
Puente is situated on the main N322, 25km north
of Villanueva del Arzobispo.
Torres de Albanchez is a mountain
village situated in the foothills of the Sierra
de Alcaraz. Surrounded by olive groves, cereal
fields and orchards, the mountain landscape
surrounding Torres is lovely. Torres has a population
of 1000 and is situated 13km of La Puerta near
the border of the Jaen province with Albacete.
Another typical mountain village, Génave
is set in attractive surroundings to the west
of Torres de Albanchez. From the village there
are spectacular panoramic views of the surrounding
area. Génave has 700 inhabitants and
is situated at a height of 700 metres.
Right in the north of the region, close to
the border with Albacete is the village of Villarrodrigo
with a population of 600. Villarrodrigo is situated
in a fertile valley, 18km north of La Puerta
de Segura
Beas de Segura
An unremarkable village surrounded by olive
groves and agricultural land, Beas de Segura
won a fortune in the Spanish lottery, which
was shared out amongst the villagers. Beas is
a town of 8000 people with several shops, hotels
and restaurants that serves as a base during
the summer for people wishing to explore the
nearby Sierra de Segura. The festival of San
Marcos takes place on the 25th of April across
Jaén and Beas puts on a particularly
exciting fiesta when bulls known as “toros
ensogados” are freed to run through the
streets of the village.
Villanueva del Arzobispo
Located in agricultural plains and surrounded
by olive groves and cereal fields, Villanueva
del Arzobispo is a town of 8500 people. Villanueva
is situated on the main N322 road and acts as
a service centre for the villages to the north.
There are a number of stores, bars and restaurants
in the town.
Villanueva is 30km northeast of the town of
Úbeda.
Iznatoraf is a village of
1000 inhabitants located just on the outskirts
of Villanueva.
Sorihuela de Guadalimar lies
12km to the north of Villanueva in the countryside
and has a population of 1200.
Further down the N322 is the town of Villacarrillo
with a population of 12000. An attractive town
set amidst agricultural land, Villacarrillo
is also a useful service centre for the surrounding
villages. Villacarrillo is 79km from Jaen.
Santo Tomé is 14km south
of Villacarrillo, a village of 2500 people located
next to the Guadalquivir River.
Chillhuevar is a village of
800 people located to the south of Santo Tomé.
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