Sabariego between the Río San Juan and Sierra de San Pedro

Sabariego lies between the Río San Juan and the Sierra de San Pedro. The village’s white houses stand out against the green of the olive groves. Its origins can be traced back to clusters of country houses on pastureland or farmland; there was no original village centre.

Landscape and Water

The remains of the approaches to a medieval bridge have been preserved on the Río San Juan. Charconales comprises a large waterhole with a small cave inside. The recreation area on the Río San Juan is located at Puente Palomillas and is surrounded by extensive olive groves. The leisure area on the Río San Juan has drinking-water fountains, barbecue facilities, tables and seating. The JV-2236 from Sabariego towards La Rábita provides access to this recreation area at its junction with the N-432 Granada–Badajoz. The Puente Palomillas facility has a car park and 18 tables, two of which are for people with reduced mobility. It is temporarily out of service. Seasonal fishing for trout and barbel is possible in the Río San Juan near the Puente Palomillas leisure area.

History and Culture

The nearby Torre de la Harina is a well-preserved round tower nearly seven metres high. As a monument, it is protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural. Due to its historical context, it is considered part of the defensive belt built between the early and late Middle Ages. The Torre de la Harina can be reached via a moderately difficult, pathless route through a private pine grove and offers panoramic views. Antonio Povedano Bermúdez was born in 1918 in Sabariego (Alcaudete), Jaén.

Festivals and Traditions

The Fiesta del Palo takes place in Sabariego on 1 and 2 May and is of great ethnographic value. It is considered the counterpart to Sabariego’s local feria. It includes processions with San Pedro and the Inmaculada, as well as dancing and communal meals. The procession of the Fiesta del Palo has taken place every year for more than a century. A procession in honour of San Pedro sets out in Sabariego from the Church of the Inmaculada Concepción.

Historically, the Fiesta del Palo included a climbing game in which participants attempted to reach ham and cured meats at the top of a pole. Originally, a tree was felled for the Fiesta del Palo and erected in the square; various festivities took place around it. Its origins point to the influence of migrations from the north in the 19th century.

On 13 June, a festival in honour of San Antonio is celebrated at the Venta de San Antonio. The Venta de San Antonio is located on the N-432 between Alcaudete and Alcalá la Real, directly at the junction with the road to La Rábita and El Sabariego.

Other destinations: Mancha Real, Hornos, Peñolite, Jaén, Noalejo, Puente De Génave, Torre Del Campo and Cazorla.

Routes

The Cañón del Río San Juan route, Sabariego ends in Sabariego after descending to the road and then continuing along the Colada de los Blancares.

To the overarching travel overview: Jaen.