Baños de la Encina

Baños de la Encina is about 52 kilometres from the city of Jaén, in the foothills of the Sierra Morena Mountains. Its old town has been declared Property of Cultural Interest and is a highpoint of many cultural routes, including the Route of the Nasrids and the Castles and Battles Route.

The Baños de la Encina Castle is also known as the “fortress of the seven kings” due to the number of monarchs who lived there, including Ferdinand the Catholic. Built by the Umayyad in the 10th century, it is completely battlemented in elliptic shape and has 14 square turrets, as well as the keep. Nevertheless, this is not the only monument visitors should see here: San Mateo church, with is grandiose altarpiece and beautiful sacrarium, and Jesús el Llano shrine, whose external sobriety contrasts enormously with the interior Baroque decoration, are just some examples. The tour through the town also allows other important buildings to be discovered such as the Town Hall, dating to the 16th century, or many manor houses such as Los Molina de la Cerda Palace, Los Priores Palace or the house of Los Delgado de Castilla. One of the town’s many attractions is its natural surroundings, part of the municipal district lying in the Sierra de Andújar Nature Reserve.