The Countryside Property Portal for Jaen Province, Andalucia, Southern Spain

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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.