Jimena: Castillo, Pinar de Cánava and Olive Oil

Castle Tower and Church Building

The preserved keep of Castillo de Jimena is a square, 20-metre-high tower built by the Christians at the end of the 13th or beginning of the 14th century.

Castillo de Jimena was declared a Bien de Interés Cultural in 1985.

The Iglesia de Santiago el Mayor was built at the end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th century over a mosque dating from the Islamic period.

Its general layout as a three-nave church and its chancel are Gothic and belong to the first construction phase in the 15th century.

The interior columns and the portal on Callejón de la Audiencia date from the 16th century and are designed in the Renaissance style.

Another sacred site is the Santuario de la Cánava, a hermitage built in 1910 in honour of the Virgen de los Remedios in the wooded Paraje de Cánava.

Los Tíos de Ricia in Jimena is also listed in the Atlas of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Jaén as a festive ritual.

If the tower of Castillo de Jimena is closed, visitors can ask for it to be opened at Jimena Town Hall.

You can access more places via these links: Lopera, Santiago De Calatrava, Pontones, Sabiote, Villanueva Del Arzobispo, Los Villares, Garcíez and El Almicerán.

Nature and Cave

Pinar de Cánava in the municipality of Jimena in the province of Jaén is a natural monument that the Junta de Andalucía placed under protection on 22 November 2001.

The stand consists of 121 specimens of the species Pinus halepensis, which are on average more than two centuries old; some specimens are over 250 years old.

The Cueva de la Graja is a Bien de Interés Cultural and has been recognised as a National Historic Monument since 1924.

The path to the Cueva de la Graja is a 0.6-kilometre linear route with an estimated walking time of around 30 minutes.

Festivals in September

The parade with giants and big-head figures takes place in Jimena every year on 7 September and begins at Plaza de la Constitución.

Jimena’s main festival in honour of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios takes place from 7 to 10 September. During the festival, the image of the patron saint is brought from her hermitage to Jimena and returned on 10 September in a pilgrimage to her sanctuary in Cánava.

Olive Oil from the Sierra

The AOVE sabor a sierra experience at Aceites Oro de Cánava in Jimena includes a guided tour of the facilities, during which the complete olive oil production process, from the delivery of the olives to bottling, is explained.

The AOVE sabor a sierra experience ends with a sensory tasting, allowing visitors to discover the characteristics and nuances of the oils produced in this Sierra setting.

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