Cortegana
Cortegana is a white hill town of about 4,600 people at 689 metres in the Sierra de Aracena, Huelva, crowned by a Banda Gallega border castle whose keep was built around 1480.
About Cortegana
Cortegana stands at 689 metres in the west of the Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche Natural Park, near the source of the Chanza. Recorded as Cartsana by Arab geographers, it changed hands between Portugal and Castile in the 13th century. Its castle, first documented in 1326, guarded the frontier, and the town later moved down into the valley. About 4,600 people live here.
The castle, reached by road past the tourist office, has a parade ground with a vaulted cistern, palace rooms, a wall-walk and a late 15th-century keep; entry is €2. The Ermita de la Piedad stands within its walls. In the centre, the Gothic-Mudéjar church of the Divino Salvador, begun in the 14th century, opens through its Portada del Perdón. The 1854 bullring is considered one of Spain's oldest.
Cortegana is about 120 km (1 hour 40 minutes) north-west of Seville and 23 km west of Aracena; consortium buses link it with Huelva and Aroche. Park at the tourist office. Streets are steep and the castle has stairs, so it is unsuitable for wheelchairs. Allow two to three hours. It suits families and history lovers.
Spring and autumn are best. The Jornadas Medievales, a Fiesta de Interés Turístico de Andalucía, fill the castle and streets for four days around the second weekend of August. Try Iberian ham from neighbouring Jabugo, chestnuts and mushrooms, and buy cerámica de cuchara, pottery decorated by dripping colour from a spoon. Tip: the castle closes on Mondays.
Cortegana in pictures
What you’ll find
- Bus connectionPublic transportBuy
- Car parkParkingFree
- CastleCastle entry (€2, 11:00–18:00)Ticket
- ChurchChurch visitFree
- FestivalAnnual festivalFree
- Historic centreOld town walkFree
- Local craftsCraft shoppingBuy
- Local foodLocal cuisineBuy
- Tourist officeVisitor information (10:00–18:00)Free
- ViewpointSightseeingFree
Nearby places to visit
The Castillo de Cortegana (under 1 km) crowns the town and has its own page. Just to the south-east, Almonaster la Real (5 km) keeps the Mosque of Almonaster la Real (5 km) inside its hilltop castle, free to visit. West towards Portugal, Aroche (12 km) has an Almohad castle with a bullring inside and the Roman town of Arucci Turobriga nearby. To the east lie Castaño del Robledo (10 km) and the Peña de Arias Montano (14 km), and the ham-curing village of Jabugo is a short drive away.
Cortegana at a glance
Category
Culture White villages
Location
Sierra de Huelva, Huelva
Town
Cortegana
Address
Plaza Divino Salvador, 21230 Cortegana, Huelva, Spain
Opening hours
Open access; the streets can be visited at any time. Castle: 11 September–31 May Tue–Sun 11:00–14:00 and 16:00–18:00; 1 June–10 September Tue–Sun 09:30–14:30. Tourist office (castle road): winter Tue–Sat 10:00–14:00 and 16:00–18:00, Sun 10:00–14:00; summer Tue–Sun 09:30–14:30. Both close on Mondays.
Prices
Free to walk around; castle €2. Ermita de San Sebastián (Neapolitan nativity scene) €1 by appointment.
Website
turismocortegana.com
Phone
+34 607 539 734
More places nearby
Other places within 25 km of Cortegana, nearest first.
