Castaño del Robledo

About Castaño del Robledo

Castaño del Robledo sits at 738 metres in a hollow between higher ridges of the Sierra de Aracena, the highest village in Huelva province, named after its chestnut and oak woods. Founded as a hamlet of Aracena in the 16th century, it became independent around 1700 and grew on chestnuts, livestock and timber. It is a Conjunto Histórico with about 220 people.

The parish church of Santiago el Mayor, linked to the humanist Arias Montano, has a 16th-century core and an organ of 1751, the oldest in the province. Uphill, El Monumento was begun in the 1780s to replace it, but work stopped in 1794 before it was roofed; once the cemetery, it was restored with its dome in 1992. Around Plaza del Álamo, steep lanes are lined with white arcaded houses.

Castaño is about 105 km (1 hour 30 minutes) north-west of Seville and 13 km west of Aracena, just off the N-435; buses are sparse, so drive. Park at the entrance, as the streets are narrow, steep and cobbled and unsuitable for wheelchairs. Allow an hour or two. It suits walkers, with old paths through the chestnut woods to Alájar and Fuenteheridos.

October and November bring chestnuts and autumn colour, and spring is mild. The Feria de la Castaña is held in late November, and the historic organ is played in occasional concerts. Try roast chestnuts and chestnut sweets, Iberian ham and chacinas, and autumn mushrooms. Tip: climb the lane to El Monumento for the view of both churches.

Castaño del Robledo in pictures

What you’ll find

• ChurchChurch visitFree
• FestivalAnnual festivalFree
• Hiking trailHikingFree
• Historic centreOld town walkFree
• Local foodLocal cuisineBuy

Nearby places to visit

Fuenteheridos (4 km) and Alájar (4 km) are both within walking distance on old paths through the chestnut woods, and the Peña de Arias Montano (4 km) above Alájar gives one of the widest views in the sierra. To the west, the Mosque of Almonaster la Real (8 km) is a 10th-century mosque inside a hilltop castle, and the Castillo de Cortegana (10 km) is a medieval border fortress with a keep built under the Catholic Monarchs. Aracena, with its castle and its show cave, lies 13 km to the east by road.