Aracena
Aracena is the capital of the Sierra de Aracena in northern Huelva, a white town of about 8,400 people at 682 metres, crowned by a 13th-century castle above the Gruta de las Maravillas.
About Aracena
Aracena lies at 682 metres in the Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche Natural Park, its white houses climbing a marble hill hollowed out by caves. Andalusi houses have been excavated on the summit; Portugal and the Order of the Hospital took the town in the mid-13th century, and it passed to Castile in 1267. The centre is a Conjunto Histórico; about 8,400 people live here.
The castle encloses the Gothic-Mudéjar priory church, its tower panelled in brick sebka work (€3.50). Beneath it, the Gruta de las Maravillas, open since 1914, is seen on a guided tour past underground lakes. Plaza Alta holds the unfinished Renaissance church of the Asunción and the 16th-century Cabildo Viejo, now a park visitor centre; lower down are Aníbal González's Casino de Arias Montano and the Museo del Jamón.
Aracena is about 90 km (1 hour 15 minutes) north-west of Seville, and Damas buses run from Plaza de Armas. Park near Gran Vía. The lower town is fairly level, but the upper streets are steep and cobbled and the castle is not suitable for wheelchairs. Allow a full day with the cave. It suits families, walkers and food lovers.
Spring and autumn are best, when the chestnut woods are green or gold. The Feria Regional del Jamón y del Cerdo Ibérico fills the last two weekends of October. Try Jabugo-designation ham and chacinas, autumn mushrooms and roast chestnuts. Tip: book cave tickets ahead at weekends, as visits are timed and capped.
Aracena in pictures
What you’ll find
- Bus connectionPublic transportBuy
- CastleCastle entryTicket
- FestivalAnnual festivalFree
- Guided tourGuided tour (€18–€20)Book
- Hiking trailHikingFree
- Historic centreOld town walkFree
- Local foodLocal cuisineBuy
- MuseumMuseum entry (10:00–19:00)Ticket
- Tourist officeVisitor information (10:00–19:00)Free
- ViewpointSightseeingFree
Nearby places to visit
The Aracena Castle and Priory Church (1 km) crowns the hill in the middle of town, and the Gruta de las Maravillas (1 km) opens beneath it, its entrance a short walk from Plaza del Marqués. West through the chestnut woods, Linares de la Sierra (6 km) can be reached on foot along the old Camino de Aracena, and Alájar (9 km) lies below the Peña de Arias Montano (10 km), a crag with a hermitage and wide views. Further west, the Mosque of Almonaster la Real (20 km) is a rare rural mosque inside a hilltop castle, free to visit.
Aracena at a glance
Category
Culture White villages
Location
Sierra de Huelva, Huelva
Town
Aracena
Address
Plaza del Marqués de Aracena, 21200 Aracena, Huelva, Spain
Opening hours
Open access; the streets can be visited at any time. Tourist office and Museo del Jamón (Gran Vía): daily 10:00–14:00 and 16:00–19:00, closed 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 and 6 January. Castle and Gruta de las Maravillas: daily, with seasonal hours.
Prices
Free to walk around; castle €3.50 (€2.50 reduced); Gruta de las Maravillas guided visit €18–20, including the ham museum and castle.
Website
aracena.es
Phone
+34 663 937 877
More places nearby
Other places within 25 km of Aracena, nearest first.
