Cazorla

About Cazorla

Cazorla lies at 826 metres in the Cerezuelo valley, below the Peña de los Halcones, on the edge of the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park. The Moors fortified the site; after the conquest it belonged to the Archbishops of Toledo and became the capital of their Adelantamiento de Cazorla, created in 1231. The town has about 6,900 people.

The heart is Plaza de Santa María, with the 1605 Fuente de las Cadenas and the ruins of Santa María, a 16th-century church never finished. Beneath it the Cerezuelo runs through the Bóveda, a great vault seen on guided visits every 30 minutes (€2). Above rises the Castillo de la Yedra; the Balcón de Zabaleta frames the classic view.

Cazorla is 46 km south-east of Úbeda (45 minutes), about 100 km from Jaén and 190 km from Granada; Alsa buses link it with all three. Park on the edge of the centre, as the old quarter around Santa María is steep and narrow. Allow half a day. The lower squares suit wheelchairs; the castle climb does not. It suits walkers, families and food lovers.

April to June and October are best; summer days are hot. Bluescazorla fills the town in early July, and the feria of the Cristo del Consuelo takes place on 14–18 September. Eat gachamiga, talarines with hare and wild mushrooms, rin-ran and local oil. Buy Bóveda tickets at the tourist office on Plaza de Santa María.

Cazorla in pictures

What you’ll find

• Bus connectionPublic transportBuy
• CastleCastle entry (Free–€2, 09:00–21:00)Ticket
• ChurchChurch visitFree
• FestivalAnnual festivalFree
• Guided tourGuided tour (€2, 10:00–20:00)Book
• Hiking trailHikingFree
• Historic centreOld town walkFree
• Local foodLocal cuisineBuy
• Moorish quarterMoorish heritage walkFree
• Tourist officeVisitor information (10:00–19:00)Free
• ViewpointSightseeingFree

Nearby places to visit

The Castillo de la Yedra (under 1 km) towers over the town, a Moorish fortress rebuilt in the 14th century that now holds a museum. La Iruela (2 km), whose castle sits on a needle of rock, is a short drive uphill. In the natural park, the Cerrada del Utrero (7 km) loop faces the Linarejos waterfall, the Cueva del Agua de Tíscar (16 km) hides a waterfall inside a cave near Quesada, and the Río Borosa and Cerrada de Elías (17 km) trail runs through a gorge. Úbeda's Sacra Capilla del Salvador (34 km) is under an hour away.