Jaén, with about 112,000 inhabitants, is the capital of the province that produces more olive oil than anywhere else in the world, in northern Andalusia. Around the city stretches an almost endless landscape of olive groves, with tens of millions of trees. Below the Sierra de Jabalcuz and crowned by its castle, the city is less touristy than Seville or Granada but rich in monuments and excellent tapas.
History
Settled by Iberians and Romans, it was Muslim Yayyan, a frontier and trading town whose name is said to mean "caravan crossing". It was taken by Ferdinand III of Castile in 1246 and became the "Holy Kingdom", a Christian frontier bulwark against the Nasrid kingdom of Granada until 1492.
What to see
- The cathedral of the Assumption, a masterpiece of the Spanish Renaissance designed by Andrés de Vandelvira, with its Baroque façade and the relic of the Santo Rostro, a veil believed to bear the image of Christ's face.
- Santa Catalina castle, on the hill, partly a parador, with its cross and a spectacular view over the olive groves.
- The 11th-century Arab Baths, the largest preserved in Spain, beneath the Palacio de Villardompardo, which also houses a museum of naïve art.
- The Iberian Museum, devoted to Iberian culture, with the sculptures of Cerrillo Blanco and Porcuna.
- The Magdalena district and the old Jewish quarter, with lanes and churches.
Olive oil and tapas
Jaén is the capital of olive oil tourism: many mills, almazaras, offer tours and tastings, especially during the harvest from November to January. In the centre's bars, as in other Andalusian cities, every drink often comes with a free tapa. Specialities: espinacas a la jiennense, pipirrana, andrajos and pan de aceite.
Around Jaén
- Úbeda and Baeza, UNESCO-listed Renaissance towns.
- Sierra de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas natural park, Spain's largest, with the source of the Guadalquivir.
- Alcalá la Real, with the Mota fortress.
Getting there
Jaén is linked by train with Madrid and Córdoba and by bus with Granada, about an hour away. The nearest airport is Granada.