El Real de la Jara: Nature, Trails and Cultural Heritage

El Real de la Jara is located in the Sierra Norte comarca and within the area of the nature park of the same name. The surroundings of the town centre are characterised by great natural wealth and diversity, particularly along the Ribera del Cala.

Hiking

The “Los Dos Castillos” route is a 2-kilometre circular trail with a low level of difficulty. The “Ribera del Cala” route is an 11-kilometre circular trail through the countryside; it takes 3 hours and is also of low difficulty. The GR-48 El Real de la Jara stage is 13 kilometres long, takes approximately 5 hours and has a medium level of difficulty.

Culture and History

Castillo de El Real de la Jara preserves large sections of its walls, as well as several cylindrical and square towers. Its features suggest that it is a Christian structure dating from an advanced phase of the 14th century. Castillo de las Torres (8240) is a cultural heritage site in El Real de la Jara associated with castles, towers and city-wall gates.

The Iglesia Parroquial de San Bartolomé is a Mudéjar building with three naves and a main chapel with ribbed vaults. Several works from the 18th century are preserved in the church. The Ermita Nuestra Señora de Los Remedios is an old Christian chapel that may originally have been an Arab mosque; a mihrab may have survived from it.

The Centro de Interpretación Ribera del Cala comprises four areas covering monuments, flora and fauna, the Way of Saint James and local mycology. It is located on the road between Santa Olalla and El Real de la Jara. El Real de la Jara also has the “Iter Hispalense” interpretation centre dedicated to the Mozarabic Way, the “Vía de la Plata”. This centre pays particular attention to El Real de la Jara because the town is located at the end of the route’s fourth stage in the province.

The Vía de la Plata passes through El Real de la Jara, and pilgrims on the Way of Saint James pass through the town. The Geo-Ruta Batrocal can begin at Plaza de Andalucía. Another possible starting point is a medieval stone quarry opposite the sports centre; stones for building the castle were extracted from this quarry.

The “Rafael Díaz” route leads to numerous animal sculptures distributed throughout the town of El Real de la Jara. The Museo de Ciencias Naturales in El Real de la Jara is locally known for its significant and diverse collection of birds and mammals representative of the surrounding area.

Fragua de Luciano is a cultural heritage site in El Real de la Jara associated with blacksmithing and intangible cultural heritage. Minas de Real de la Jara is a cultural heritage site associated with mining, as well as industrial and intangible cultural heritage. The Exposición de Costumbres Populares is located at the Torre del Reloj in El Real de la Jara.

Regional Traditions

Iberian pork products are considered the local gastronomic speciality of El Real de la Jara. The “Rito Gastronómico de la Matanza del Cerdo Ibérico” is a local tradition; for the edition in question, the venue was Plaza de Andalucía and its surroundings.

Other Places

Discover more destinations with Palomares del Río, Bormujos, Benacazón, La Puebla de Cazalla, Gelves, Coria del Río, La Campana and San José de la Rinconada.

El Real de la Jara is 80 kilometres from Seville and can be reached via the A-66 Autovía de la Plata.

Back to the main travel overview: Seville.