Cazorla: a White Town at the Gate of Spain’s Wildest Park

The town’s landmark castle, also called the Castle of the Four Corners, stands high on its hill with the white houses spilling below. Its origins are Moorish, likely 12th century, though Christian builders gave it its final Gothic shape. Inside is the Museum of Popular Arts and Customs of the Alto Guadalquivir, with old farm tools, olive-mill models and a recreated mountain kitchen. The climb up is steep but short, and the view over the town and the olive country is the best in Cazorla.

This roofless shell of a grand church is the most striking sight in the centre. It is Renaissance work of the 16th century. It was very likely designed by Andrés de Vandelvira — the same architect behind the honey-stone monuments of Úbeda and Baeza. That ties Cazorla neatly to the rest of the trail. The church was built right over the Cerezuelo river, which runs in a vault beneath it. Never fully finished and later damaged, its open arches now frame the sky and host summer concerts.

The old heart of town, known to locals as the Plaza Vieja, sits at the foot of the ruined church. The river runs hidden beneath the paving. Beside the ruins stands the Fuente de las Cadenas, a fountain from 1605 raised in memory of King Philip II. Ringed by stone houses and simple bars, it is the town’s most atmospheric corner, especially in the evening.

Cazorla’s lively main square is oval in shape, which is why everyone calls it the Plaza del Huevo — the “egg square.” This is where the town gathers: cafés, a tree-lined pedestrian strip, the town hall and the church of San José, with old crested mansions around the edges. It is the best spot for a coffee and for watching everyday Cazorla go by.

Just outside town, about 3 km up the road, the tiny village of La Iruela is crowned by a castle set on a sheer rock spire. Its slim keep is visible for miles and is one of the most dramatic sights in the whole province. A short marked path climbs to the ruins, which include the shell of a 16th-century church. It makes an easy, spectacular add-on to a Cazorla visit.

Beneath the Plaza de Santa María, the Cerezuelo river runs hidden in a great stone vault. It was built in the 16th century to cover the river and free up land for the grand church above. Today a metal walkway of about 125 metres lets you cross right through it — over the water, under the old town. It’s an unusual few minutes underground, on a short guided visit booked at the tourist office in the ruins above.

This is the reason most people come. The park is the largest protected area in Spain and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, a vast world of pine forest, limestone gorges and high peaks. Two of Andalucía’s great rivers, the Guadalquivir and the Segura, both rise here. Wildlife is easy to see: red and fallow deer, Spanish ibex on the crags, and griffon vultures overhead. You can explore it yourself by car along the valley road (the A-319), stopping at miradors and the Torre del Vinagre visitor centre. But the wildest, roughest corners — the high tracks, the best wildlife spots — are reached on a guided 4×4 safari or a canyoning trip with a local operator, who knows where the animals are and can take you where an ordinary car cannot.

Deep in the park, at around 1,350 metres, a modest spring marks the start of the mighty Guadalquivir — the river that later runs through Córdoba and Seville to the sea. Reaching the Cañada de las Fuentes is a highlight in itself, along forest tracks past ancient pines and the historic 15th-century Puente de las Herrerías. It is a fine half-day drive-and-walk from Cazorla, best combined with the Cerrada del Utrero.

For walkers, two routes stand out. The Cerrada del Utrero is short and easy — a circular path of under two kilometres through a limestone gorge cut by the young Guadalquivir, past the Cascada de Linarejos waterfall. The Río Borosa is longer and more famous, often ranked among Spain’s finest walks. It follows the river up through the narrow Cerrada de Elías on wooden walkways and rock-cut tunnels. The full route to the mountain lakes is a long day, but you can turn back at any point.

Cazorla’s centre is made for slow walking. Steep, whitewashed lanes link the Plaza de la Corredera to the Plaza de Santa María and up towards the castle. Along the way, small balcony viewpoints open without warning — the best known is the Balcón del Pintor Zabaleta, which frames the castle and the white town below. Bring good shoes: the streets are cobbled and steep, and half the pleasure is getting a little lost.