Castillo de Segura de la Sierra

About Castillo de Segura de la Sierra

From the 13th to the 15th century Segura de la Sierra headed one of Castile's most important territories, held by the Order of Santiago. The castle is Moorish in origin, with an 11th-century bent entrance, but most of it dates from the late 13th century. Rodrigo Manrique, father of the poet Jorge Manrique, was its commander for 40 years. It was restored in the 1960s and again around 2000.

Reception is in the bent entrance tower. In the parade ground, reconstructions recall the workshops and stores described in the Order's 15th-century records. The keep, 18.4 metres high with walls over 2 metres thick, has three floors and a terrace; there is also a 13th-century Mudéjar chapel, a cistern, remains of baths and a wall walk with views.

Tickets cost €4.50, with reductions to €4 or €3.50 for pensioners, ages 7–30 and groups; under-7s go free. Guided visits can be arranged. The provincial tourism board lists Tuesday–Sunday 10:00–14:00 and 16:00–18:30 from November to April and 10:30–14:00 and 17:00–20:30 from May to October. Steep slopes and steps rule out wheelchairs and pushchairs. Allow an hour.

Spring and autumn are ideal, and the drive through the natural park is part of the trip. Winters are cold at this height. The top streets are narrow, so park lower down and walk up, in shoes with grip for the stone steps.

Castillo de Segura de la Sierra in pictures

What you’ll find

• ExhibitionExhibition visitTicket
• Guided tourGuided tourBook
• Monument visitSelf-guided visit (10:00–18:30)Ticket
• Ramparts walkWall walkTicket
• ViewpointSightseeingFree

Nearby places to visit

The village below keeps a set of Moorish baths, a 16th-century public fountain and the parish church. Hornos (11 km), another walled village on a rock, looks over the Tranco reservoir. Deeper in the natural park, the Río Borosa and Cerrada de Elías (37 km) trail follows a river through a gorge on timber walkways, and the Cerrada del Utrero (48 km) near Vadillo Castril is a short gorge walk. Cazorla's Castillo de la Yedra (53 km) is the other great castle of the natural park, reached by the road along the upper Guadalquivir.