The Jewel That is Jaen

Located in a fertile area in the north of Andalucia, Spain, the city of Jaen is dominated by the Castilla de Santa Catalina fortress and lies at a height of 574 metres above sea level. A significant university city, Jaen is most famous for the production of olive oil and is often called the “World Capital of Olive Oil” in recognition of its proliferous production of what the locals call “liquid gold”. Jaen was the scene of many battles during the long struggle between Moors and Christians and its important strategic position between Castille and Andalucia was largely the reason for this. The ols castle looking down on the city was originally a Carthaginian tower built by the famous general Hannibal, it was extended and refortified by the Moors and again by the reconquering Christians. One of the high points of a tour around the city of Jaen is the 16th century cathedral, built on the site of a former mosque and designed by Andres de Vandelvira. There are plenty of other interesting sights to visit and a long weekend trp would be ideal to see most of the main attractions. Jaen enjoys a subtropical climate with hot summers and mild winters but while Jaen weather is suitable for visiting throughout the year, July and August are best avoided due to excessively high temperatures, May and October would be the ideal time for a visit. Jaen does not have its own airport (the nearest is in Granada), so you will no doubt arrive by road, you can take the A45 from Granada or the A4 from Cordoba. Jaen Map.

Colourful Cordoba in Andalucia

Located in northern Andalucia, the city of Cordoba was the former capital of Arabic Al Andalus and was the capital of the Moorish Empire in the west. During the tenth century, Cordoba was one of the most populated cities in the world, with around half a million people, an immense city for those times. These days Cordoba has a population of around 320,000 and is only the 10th largest city in Spain, it is now a major tourist attraction and the best sites can be found in the old Jewish quarter in the area of the famous Mezquita mosque, the largest and most beautiful mosque built by the Moors in Spain. The Mezquita originally dates from the 8th century and was remodelled and extended in subsequent centuries, some of the most lavish additions being built in the 10th century, during the cities golden years. There is lots more to see in this area including the Bishop’s Palace, the Roman Bridge, and the Alcazar Palace. When you are tired of visiting historic monuments you can wander the back streets and seek out a quiet plaza, order a coffee and enjoy the Cordoba weather in the heart of one of Europe’s greatest cities. Cordoba has its own airport but it used for domestic flights only, so if you are flying to the city you will need to go to Seville or Malaga, or from elsewhere in Spain, by road you can reach Cordoba by way of the A-4 from Seville or the A-45 from Malaga. Be sure to visit colourful Cordoba some time soon. Cordoba Map.