The town of Cazorla in the province of Jaen is located in NE Andalusia. Cazorla has a population of about 7,700 and is located at the entrance of the “Parque Natural de las Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas”, a nature park extending over 250,000 Hectares. The Sierra has peaks reaching over 2,200 meters in height and the Gualdalquivir, the longest river in Spain, has its source in the mountains of the Sierra.

 

The town is about 3.5 hours by car from Madrid, 1.5 from Cordoba and 2 hours from Granada. The nearest train station with connections to Madrid is 40 minutes away. This location has helped preserve an air of “authenticity” that other touristic areas have long ago lost.

The history of the town goes back to before the Roman Era, being settled in 1500 B.C. because of its sheltered location and the abundance of fresh water. In Roman days the town was famous for its silver mines located in the mountains of the “Sierra de Cazorla”, called “Mons Argentius” or “Silver Mountains” by the Romans.

Reconquered from the Moors in 1231, Cazorla became the capital of the Castilian military frontier with the Moorish Kingdom of Granada, receiving the title of “Adelantado” or “Advanced Post”. The many castles that are scattered throughout the area date to these turbulent times of raiding and counter-raiding across the border. The area became more peaceful after the final defeat of the Moors of Granada in 1492.

The Renaissance brought in a time of splendor for Spain and the area as gold from the Americas funded an explosion of masterpieces of Architecture, Painting and Writing. Many of the Ecclesiastical buildings in Cazorla date to this period. During this time, the area also became a famous breeding center for Andalusian horses, centered around the nearby Renaissance city of Ubeda.

The nature park consists of over 250,000 Hectares of pristine mountains, forests and rivers. The park has abundant wildlife including Ibex, Muflon, Mule deer, Fallow deer, Wild boar, Lynx, and Fox among other fauna. The park is well known for its extensive hiking trails. Rafting, kayaking, hang gliding, canyoning and horseback riding are among some of the activities that can be booked in the park.

The town of Cazorla is famed for its cuisine, especially all dishes involving game – partridge, venison, wild boar etc. The town is a great base for sight-seeing, hiking in the nature park or visiting the nearby Renaissance cities of Ubeda and Baeza, both Unesco World Heritage sites.

 

If you decide to stay in Cazorla while you meet your horse, we can help you with accommodations, restaurant and sightseeing recommendations and also transfers to the train station (though a rental car is recommended). Please let us know if you want to discover this beautiful corner of Andalusia, we will be more than happy to guide you.

 

More information about Cazorla:

The Wikipedia entry on Cazorla: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cazorla (article available in Spanish, English, German and Italian)

Official website: http://cazorla.es/  (in Spanish)

Website of the Sierra de Cazorla Nature Park: http://www.sierrasdecazorlaseguraylasvillas.es/  (in Spanish and English)