Santa Elena
Castillo de Castro Ferral
The route - Jaén Paraíso Interior
About the route
ROUTE OF THE CASTLES AND BATTLES OF JAÉN
A kingdom of active, gastronomic, cultural and nature tourism is at stake and you should not miss it. A multitude of adventures between superb medieval castles with recreations and dramatized visits in the most extensive olive forest in the world, will make you remember episodes that changed the course of history.
Castles and Battles make up a tourist and cultural proposal that travels from north to south the western part of the province of Jaén and brings together superb castles located in strategic places of extraordinary beauty. It is the territory with the highest concentration of castles and fortresses in Europe and where two of the most significant battles in the history of Spain took place: Bailén (1808, which marked the beginning of the end of the French presence on Spanish soil and the first defeat of the Napoleonic army in the open country) and Navas de Tolosa (1212, which ended with the Christian victory and accelerated the loss of Arab hegemony in the Iberian Peninsula).
In addition, the Route of the Castles and the Battles allows you to enjoy days of hiking or bicycle tours along the Vía Verde del Aceite; know and savor extra virgin olive oil in the most productive territory in the world, visit cattle farms of fighting bulls and purebred horses, pastures of transhumant shepherds, make routes on horseback, by donkey or in 4 × 4 for its Natural parks. Photographic hunting, bird watching or the Iberian lynx can complete a magnificent day in the mountain areas. Knowing the mining heritage inherited from centuries of exploitation in the Linares-La Carolina district, the new towns of Carlos III or enjoying the gastronomy and the culture of tapas so deeply rooted in this land, are some more examples of what this offers you destination.
In short, it is a quiet destination, not very crowded, of great rural authenticity with unique heritage resources and excellently well connected, halfway on the highway that connects Madrid with Seville.
