Discover Jaén and olive oil doing oleoturism

The province of Jaén, with its more than 60 million olive trees, is the largest producer of olive oil worldwide, the culture and traditions surrounding its cultivation, its fully humanized "olive sea" landscape throughout the centuries, the production of olive oil in its almazaras, the traditional and mechanized collection of olive oil, the visit to the Museum of the Olive Culture of the Hacienda la Laguna, emblematic cortijos and the enjoyment of its rich gastronomy irrigated with the "liquid gold," are some of the activities that Ritas del Olivo Interior offers for our Paradise.
Our company, specialized in activities around the Olive and Olive Oil, has been offering for a decade Oleoturism experiences, for all ages and for groups and individuals, making one of our main signs of identity known.

We perform any kind of experience to the letter, either for individuals in small groups with our own vip van and a very personalized professional guide service or for incentive groups, congresses, major or school with bus transfer and with unique and unrepeatable activities that you will never forget.

Let the people who love their fields and "feel the land of the olive land" be taken for us, discover our millennial culture.

The ruins of the castle are impressive because of its elevated situation and the remains of houses and rooms made in tapial that are around it. From above you can observe much of the valley and see, right in front, the castle of Segura and a little below the Arab towers of Santa Catalina and Orcera. We suggest that you walk through the forest track that links this village with that of El Tobazo, by forest track with very little level marked for hiking like GR-146.

Ancient gardens turned into meadows when they are left without use, fruit, ferns, pine, oak, are present throughout the village. The houses are located around a square where we find silence only broken by the sound of the water of the fountain. Unpossible alleyways and windows of another time live together with rehabilitated houses and old laundry houses no longer used.

In the Utrera Strike there is a small path that goes towards the Water Cave that is worth the spectacular cave and the landscape surrounding the village.

The Civil War unevenly affected the province of Jaén, which remained in the Republican area until 28 March 1939, almost the end of the War. In many municipalities, agricultural communities had been implemented and some initiatives had been abruptly interrupted after the end of the war. As was the case during the Napoleonic invasion, these saws facilitated the emergence of groups of armed resistance, known as maquis. Some of his family and friends always tried to help them, at the risk of reprisals for collaborating with the guerrilla.

In the Sierra de Segura, he highlighted Sixto García Espinosa, "that of Marchena," who led a group that resisted until 1950 in caves near the village of Marchena, near Santiago de la Espada, of which José Antonio Fernández, from the village of Miller, Juan Sáez, who was mayor of the neighbouring municipality of Nerpio, and Manuel Romero, secretary of the same municipality. They were all killed or arrested by the Civil Guard.

Another of the resistors was Pablo, that of Motril, although it was actually called Manuel Pérez Rubiño, who focused his activity until 1952 on the terms of Cazorla, Quesada and Pozo Alcón. Other names that have remained in the collective memory are those of "Fernandillo" or the "Red Terrinches," which now become known thanks to the latest historical investigations and the attempt to recover the historical memory of the period immediately after the Civil War.

From here, with a little patience and luck, we can take advantage of the nearby feeding station for scavenging birds to enjoy the majestic flight of the griffon vulture, the most numerous of our large birds of prey. It may delight us by gliding just a few metres above the treetops of the surrounding pine forest. Other birds of prey can also be observed from here, including common buzzards and booted eagles.

From here, we continue along the same road until reaching Empalme del Valle, the point where this route connects with the main route when starting from the village of Arroyo Frío. We then turn right towards Vadillo-Castril. At this former timber settlement on the banks of the Guadalquivir River, we can make a second stop. Either by walking along the riverbanks through the village or by spending a little more time completing the circular Cerrada del Utrero trail on foot, which is also of ornithological interest, we can observe a wide variety of riverside bird species. These include the white-throated dipper, a reliable indicator of good water quality; the grey wagtail, moving among the rocks emerging from the water; Cetti’s warblers; and, in spring, the colourful golden oriole, among others.

Continuing onwards, after crossing the Iron Bridge beside the Cerrada del Utrero trail, we reach a fork where we turn left and climb towards Las Navas. We leave behind the Lanchales de Linarejos, a beautiful karst landscape where, with a little patience, it is possible to observe the agile Iberian ibex. By remaining quiet and carefully examining the trunks of the surrounding trees, we may also see several small but beautiful woodland bird species, such as Eurasian nuthatches, short-toed treecreepers, coal tits and long-tailed tits. We continue to the Los Collados forest house, where the unpaved forest track begins. This track takes us along the Cuesta del Bazar to Nava del Espino.

A little further uphill, on our right, we find the first viewpoint overlooking Los Poyos de la Mesa. Griffon vultures are frequently seen flying here, and with luck we may also observe golden eagles, booted eagles and short-toed snake eagles. The latter are present during spring and summer, after returning to these mountains from their wintering grounds in Africa.

We continue climbing through beautiful forests of maritime pine, holm oak and a number of old Portuguese oaks. The undergrowth consists of rosemary, marjoram, turpentine trees and rockroses. As we ascend the Cuesta del Bazar, the maritime pines gradually give way to majestic European black pines. We are now in the Oro-Mediterranean vegetation zone, where these slender pine trees grow alongside centuries-old Portuguese oaks, hawthorns, barberries and prickly cushion plants.

We have reached the beginning of Nava del Espino, a beautiful high plateau covered with dense European black pine forests and high-mountain grasslands. It is surrounded by striking peaks such as Cabeza del Tejo and Cerro de Pedro Cerrillo, where fallow deer can often be seen running swiftly across the landscape, grazing or resting beneath the shade of a pine tree.

We continue along the forest track, passing the Fuente de la Garganta recreational area, until reaching La Esperilla, where the second viewpoint dedicated to Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente is located. This viewpoint overlooks Nava de San Pedro and Torcales del Lobo. It is well worth spending some time here and using binoculars to scan this magnificent landscape in search of a great spotted woodpecker, green woodpecker or carrion crow hidden among the scrub or the interwoven branches of the replanted poplar groves. Looking towards the sky, it is not unusual to see the silhouette of a golden eagle, peregrine falcon, griffon vulture, raven or one of the bearded vultures released as part of the species reintroduction programme. The Bearded Vulture Captive Breeding Centre is now located beside the former Nava de San Pedro Game Park. This ambitious project is producing successful results, as this threatened species has once again returned to the skies above these mountains.

We continue along the route and, after passing through the cutting, reach a viewpoint overlooking Vado de las Carretas. On days with good visibility, it is possible to see as far as Sierra Nevada National Park. A little further uphill, beside the former farmsteads of Poyo Manquillo, a short path on our left leads to the third viewpoint. It overlooks a beautiful holm oak woodland growing over limestone slabs, as well as the impressive cliffs of Torcales del Lobo and, further away, Cerro de las Cabañas, Puerto Pinillo and Torcal de Linares.

We return to our vehicle and, after travelling approximately two kilometres, reach the fourth viewpoint in the area known as Estrecho de los Perales. Here, beautiful and unusual geological formations surround the crystal-clear waters of the Valdetrillos Stream. Agile mouflons and male Iberian ibex can often be seen climbing the vertical rock walls, while golden eagles, griffon vultures and booted eagles may be observed flying majestically overhead. Flocks of unusual birds with crossed bills may also be seen. These are crossbills, remarkably adapted to feeding in pine forests and using their distinctive bills to extract seeds from pine cones. Another small bird that may be observed here is the citril finch.

We continue along the forest track, passing the former Fuente Acero forest house. One kilometre further on, we reach beautiful and impressive limestone cliffs, dominated by the peaks of Loma del Caballo de Acero, Alto de la Cabrilla and Navalasno. These were the last places where the bearded vulture nested before disappearing from the area in 1986–1987.

Continuing along the forest track and passing Collado de Fuente Bermejo, we arrive at Collado de la Zarca. On our left stands an impressive European black pine more than 300 years old. From here, there are beautiful panoramic views over the Guadalentín Ravine and the Natural Park’s great limestone formations, including Navalasno, Poyos de la Carilarga and La Cabrilla. At the end of the route, we reach the area known as Ramblaseca, the gateway to the renowned Campos de Hernán Perea. This high plateau has sparse vegetation because of the harsh environmental conditions and, above all, the pressure of livestock grazing. An endless variety of small birds can be seen in these open uplands, taking advantage of livestock drinking troughs as sources of water. These include chaffinches, crossbills, mistle thrushes, common rock thrushes and ring ouzels, with the latter two being more frequent in winter. Northern goshawks and Eurasian sparrowhawks may also be seen waiting for an opportunity to catch one of the birds that lowers its guard while drinking.

All that remains is to return along the same route to the Puente de las Herrerías junction. Here, we can either return along the same route used on the outward journey or take the road leading to the source of the Guadalquivir River and then continue to El Chorro. There, we can enjoy views of a griffon vulture colony situated on vertical cliffs of imposing beauty. Griffon vultures, red-billed choughs and crag martins can be observed, as well as Egyptian vultures and Alpine swifts during the breeding season. Please note that this alternative route considerably increases both the duration and distance of the journey, so it is advisable to complete it on a separate day.

Information and Observations

The 25 m that separate the forest track from the lookout is not suitable for people with disabilities.

It begins in the Plaza de España de Jódar, where we can enjoy the facade of the facade of the Church of the Assumption (16th century). We continue on the c / General Noriega to Jódar Castle. We went up the c / Plaza del Castillo to the Hall of Nature Felix R. de la Fuente. From there, through the peri-urban park we access the Mirador de Traschina.

Behind us is the starting point of our "Los Pocicos" path, outside the city centre. We can get information on the information panel. We will follow an old well-defined horseshoe path leaving the town behind. We will gradually go up to a small hill where there was the Hermitage of San Cristobal, which gives name to this hill. We divised an ancient olive tree still in operation called "Primera Pocico." It has an old mine and a small water spring. We'll look back for a nice view.

We will follow a small stretch of lane about 100 m and we will take the path to the left again. After moving through almonds, we will pass through a short stretch of olive trees until we connect back to the lane at the end of the climb.

From here on the ground changes. We can observe the "Second Pocco" at the front, between olive lands and some isolated carrasco pines. Our goal is the rock formations we have in the West direction. When we reach the lane curve, we will take the second path that ascends between olive trees. We will continue straight on the path that leads us to the "Second Pocco" hill. From here we will have wonderful views of the Cazorla Natural Park, Segura and Las Villas and the Guadalquivir Valley.

At this point we surround the limestone formations to come down by the so-called Turrilla Hace. This is an ancient land of rain cultivation. The coat of the rock has an old cattle abrevadero, and on this one we must admire a curious rocky pinnacle: Peña Pescezo. We will go down among the almonds to continue our path. At 100 meters down we will take a lane with a certain slope that we will climb to turn left and continue our route.

During the return we will have another perspective of the town of Jódar as we walk between arbustive and herbaceous vegetation. The mountain is dominated by spartum: raw material of great importance to Jódar in the past.

The itinerary can be made from the Paseo de Donantes de Sangre and the Park del Chorrillo, from which we enter the road to the Vadillo, accompanying the river all the way and crossing its wooden bridges. But in addition to what is named, one of the most striking points is the great cataract that we find in this area of the South Sierra. A cataract of more than 15 meters that falls before us and from which we can enjoy in the same base as its waters fall and join the Vadillo River.

This whole route will give us beautiful moments that will leave us astonished, from the great waterfall, passing through the bridges that cross the Vadillo River or the area of the sleeping trees. From beginning to end it is a dream place, as taken from a story and is only a step away from Valdepeñas de Jaén.