The Castillo de Albánchez is one of Jaén's most dramatically sited castles, its leaning tower perched on top of a rock on a sheer cliff rising directly above the village of Albánchez de Mágina. You can, surprisingly, walk up to it in about 20 steep minutes: ask for directions in the central Plaza de la Constitución. The bird's-eye views over the whitewashed village and surrounding mountains are stunning.
© Almagro Fotoaficinado/Shutterstock
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
17.71 MILES
Jaén's massive cathedral still dwarfs the rest of the city, especially when seen from the hilltop eyrie of Cerro de Santa Catalina. Its construction…
-
16.02 MILES
This famous chapel, built between 1536 and 1559, is the flagship of Úbeda Renaissance architecture. Commissioned by Francisco de los Cobos y Molina as his…
-
18.24 MILES
High above the city, atop cliff-girt Cerro de Santa Catalina, this fortress's near-impregnable position is what made Jaén important during the Muslim and…
-
27.64 MILES
In a stunningly picturesque and panoramic perch on a rocky pinnacle towering over pretty La Iruela village, this ancient fortification is well worth the…
-
13.79 MILES
As was the case in much of Andalucía, the Reconquista destroyed Baeza's mosque and in its place built a cathedral. It's a stylistic melange, though the…
-
13.87 MILES
Baeza’s most flamboyant palace was probably built in the late 15th century for a member of the noble Benavides clan. Its chief glory is the spectacular…
-
15.99 MILES
Úbeda's ayuntamiento (town hall) is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful – if not the most beautiful – in Spain. It was built by Vandelvira in about 1562…
-
16.11 MILES
The medieval Sinagoga del Agua was discovered in 2006 by a refreshingly ethical property developer who intended to build apartments here, only to discover…
Nearby Andalucía attractions
13.65 MILES
These fascinating tours of a working oil mill near Baeza will teach you all you could want to know about the process of turning olives into oil, how the…
13.79 MILES
As was the case in much of Andalucía, the Reconquista destroyed Baeza's mosque and in its place built a cathedral. It's a stylistic melange, though the…
13.82 MILES
Heading southwest from Plaza del Pópulo, then looping back northeastward along the escarpment at the edge of town, this street and pedestrian promenade…
4. Seminario de San Felipe Neri
13.83 MILES
Plaza de Santa María is the most characteristic of Baeza's squares and was designed to be a focus of religious and civic life. On its north side stands…
13.87 MILES
Baeza’s most flamboyant palace was probably built in the late 15th century for a member of the noble Benavides clan. Its chief glory is the spectacular…
13.88 MILES
This 13th-century church was one of the first to be built in Andalucía after the Reconquista. With its impressive round-arched western and southern…
13.89 MILES
Joined to the Puerta de Jaén on the west side of Plaza del Pópulo, the Arco de Villalar was erected by Carlos I in 1526 to commemorate the crushing of a…
13.89 MILES
On the southern side of Plaza del Pópulo is the lovely 16th-century Casa del Pópulo, formerly a courthouse, now housing Baeza’s tourist office. It was…