ACTIVITIES – PozueloRural.com

Enjoy the many activities that the Sierra has to offer

There is much to see, if you want to enjoy a good hike or to try any of the many product our area has to offer you are in the right place.

…and if all you want to do is rest

You can always relax in one of our houses 🙂

See houses

These are the most interesting trails in the area

Thanks to the central location of our property with regards to the Sierra, we find ourselves in an ideal situation for activities such as hiking or cycling. We’ve taken advantage of modern technology to share with you the many possibilities you can enjoy once you put down your suitcase and pick up your backpack.

CULTURAL & HISTORICAL VISITS

Islam is still present:

From the beginning of the VIII century till the SXIII century Arabic influence left it’s mark on the Sierra. The trails of Al-Mutamid, a poet, musician and the king of the Muslim principality of Sevilla who made these trails famous in Al-Andalus. These trails go between Seville and Lisbon through the Sierra villages of Aroche, Cortegana, Almonaster la Real and Aracena.

The Mosque of Almonaster

Built during the reign of Abd-al-Rahman III is proof of the cultural importance at that time of the town. The mosque itself was built on the ruins of a Visigoth basilica built in the VI century reusing some of it’s ruined material. After that it was converted into a hermitage.

Cortegana Castle

Home to the medieval festival, it is the most emblematic building in the town. It was built on some Muslim ruins although to this day not much is known about it, some suggest it’s origines might be connected to the order of the Templar Knights. The citadel, surrounded by six towers, can still be observed.

Aracena Castle

It’s situated in the center of the town and beneath its mountain are the famous Grutas de las Maravillas (The caves of wonders). The structure consists of an inner fortress, an inner water tank (so that when it was sieged they’d have access to safe drinking water), fortified walls and turrets. Attached to the church is a Mudejar tower.

Aroche Castle

It is surrounded by a wall flanked by 10 towers, all of them square, three of them are taller than the rest. Archaeologists say it was built between the XI and XII centuries.

To complete the famous Route of the Castles, we must visit those located in Aroche, Cala, Cumbres de San Bartolomé or Santa Olalla del Cala. In order to defend the kingdom of Spain from the different sieges coming from the kingdom of Portugal, King Alfonso X “The Wise” distributed many of the lands reconquered from the Moors, but it was his son King Sancho who authorised the city of Seville to build fortifications to protect its lands.

La Peña de Arias Montano, located in the neighbouring town of Alájar, is named after Benito Arias Montano, librarian of the Monastery of El Escorial in the time of Philip II. He was also the editor of the polyglot Bible, astrologer and alchemist. This emblematic place of our region, with great telluric force, is made up of 8 caves, of which only El Palacio Oscuro and La Sillita del Rey can be visited. The sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles was built in the 16th century, where all the brotherhoods go on pilgrimage every 8th September.

Gruta de las Maravillas in Aracena, located in the centre of the town, the locals say that it was a shepherd who discovered it while looking for a lost pig. It is a cavity created by the action of water on limestone and marble from the Cambrian period (more than 500 million years old).

The first references to its existence date back to 1850 and it was opened to the public in 1914, becoming the first tourist cave in Spain. In 1926, new galleries were opened on the second level, thus extending the area open to visitors. It was in 1986 when the third level was explored. At present it has galleries with an extension of 2,300 metres divided into three levels. The visit takes approximately one hour and covers about 1200 metres, starting in the Sala de las Conchas, although we prefer to invite you to visit it and get to know another of the magical corners of our Sierra.

There are many villages that we have not mentioned in the previous lines, but they are just as important. Small towns such as Santa Ana la Real, Hinojales, Valdelarco, Puerto Moral, Cañaveral de León, La Nava, Los Marines, Cala, Corteconcepción, and Arroyomolinos de León complete a swarm of small towns with a great gastronomic, scenic and historical-cultural diversity.

The first references to its existence date back to 1850 and it was opened to the public in 1914, becoming the first tourist cave in Spain. In 1926, new galleries were opened on the second level, thus extending the area open to visitors. It was in 1986 when the third level was explored. At present it has galleries with an extension of 2,300 metres divided into three levels. The visit takes approximately one hour and covers about 1200 metres, starting in the Sala de las Conchas, although we prefer to invite you to visit it and get to know another of the magical corners of our Sierra.

There are many villages that we have not mentioned in the previous lines, but they are just as important. Small towns such as Santa Ana la Real, Hinojales, Valdelarco, Puerto Moral, Cañaveral de León, La Nava, Los Marines, Cala, Corteconcepción, and Arroyomolinos de León complete a swarm of small towns with a great gastronomic, scenic and historical-cultural diversity.

Enjoy the many activities that the Sierra has to offer

…and if all you want to do is rest

These are the most interesting trails in the area

CULTURAL & HISTORICAL VISITS

ANY QUESTIONS?

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