The first thing travellers must know about the Castle of Navas de Tolosa is that they should contact the managers of visits to the enclave, because it is on private property.

Also known as the castle of Los Collados or castle of Las Águilas, the castle was originally built, like other fortifications in the area, to watch one of the roads that linked the plateau of Castile with Cordoba, and to guard the silver mines in Sierra Morena at the same time. Years later, the Arabs reinforced its defensive role in an attempt to stop the advance of Christian troops.  During the Navas de Tolosa campaign, the castle was definitively conquered by the Christians. It maintained its defensive activity until it was partially dismantled two centuries later, in 1473, when the border with the Nasrid kingdom of Granada disappeared.

Currently, travellers can view what is left of the fortress, including its hexagonal tower, of which around fourteen metres of its original height are still standing. It is a solid tower, with no inhabitable space, but it does house a small well or cistern in its centre. However, it is known that a wall was later built to enhance the defence and encircle a hamlet that sprang up at the foot of the castle.

After a tour of the castle, one good option is a trip to La Carolina to learn more about a town that was once the capital of the Nuevas Poblaciones (New Towns) founded by Charles III in the 18th century. The town’s layout is a magnificent example of the rational urban planning of the Age of Enlightenment. Some of the most outstanding buildings that can be visited are the Palacio del Intendente Olavide, the church, the Town Hall, the prison and Torres de la Aduana.