Andalucía 2024 - Jaen

Whilst not strictly Jaen, the first few images are of my quite otherworldly train trip from Almeria to Jaen.  They are only iPhone images taken from a  moving train, yet still convey the dramatic desert landscape of the area around Guadix.  Guadix, located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada,  is famous for its paleolithic past and many cave dwellings (plenty converted to guest houses nowadays) and I plan to stay here on my next visit.

Jaen was a revelation.   I hadn’t really intended to stay there long, only to see the Via Verde del Aceite and the famous Castillo de Santa Catalina, located grandly above the town.  But I ended up staying here almost a week.  There was so much to see and do in Jaen itself and the surrounding area.  (From Jaen, I visited Baeza and did the Cazorla side trip.)

 I loved it not least because of my hotel’s Franco-era styled interior, wonderful antique furniture and the incredible stained glass dome above the ground floor atrium.  The lifts to the hotel rooms were glass-sided so you ascended looking up at the dome and down towards the atrium.  Marvellous stuff!  Hotel Infanta Christina - stay there if you can.  And by the way, it looks nothing from the outside - you need to be in it to grin it!

My first day in Jaen I hiked up the steep streets and then pine- and cedar tree clad slopes of the Cerro de Santa Catalina to arrive at the castle.  You can get there by bus or car but that would be boring.  

It was hard to believe how any enemy could conquer this castle, it is so impregnably located.  Originally Moorish, after the Christian conquest it was revamped.  A large cross stands at the end of the ridge commemorating the day Jaen finally surrendered to Fernando III in 1246.

The complex was much larger but  two thirds was demolished in the 1960s to make way for a luxury parador right next to the ruins.  Sadly beyond my budget :(

After spending the entire morning hiking in and around the ruins, I made my way down a different way, along the crumbling old walls amidst a sea of blooming poppies and wildflowers - idyllic!  

The Cathedral de la Asuncion is undoubtedly the other major attraction of this town - it’s massive, built between 1540 and 1724, replacing a Gothic cathedral and before that a mosque.  It’s a renaissance masterpiece with huge round arches and clusters of Corinthian columns.  I spent two Sundays in Jaen and witnessed how the catholic faith remains so significant in Spanish lives.  On one of those Sundays, a huge procession took place with many religious icons proudly paraded on streets strewn with straw.

Another treat to witness up close were the 11th century Arab Baths located in the Palacio de Villadompardo.  What is amazing is that the baths were converted to a tannery and then built over completely when the Palacio de Villadomapardo was constructed in the 16th century.  The baths were rediscovered in 1913 and are now on full display to the public.  The four rooms consist of two cold rooms, one warm and one hot room.  On the way out, you can see the remains of a Roman street under the glass flooring.   Mind blowing stuff.

I loved the relaxed way of life in Jaen.  It isn’t as tourist driven as the great cities of Seville, Cordoba and Granada.  There is a terrific covered produce market and you can spend hours exploring the historic centre’s numerous churches, convents and idyllic squares.  All nestled along the winding streets, just beneath the castle.  I enjoyed countless sherries and tapas at the many open air bars and tavernas of this town amidst the olives!