Huelva Property - Zones and Maps - Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche
Towns and Villages
- Ecinasola
- Cumbres de San Bartolome
- Galaroza
- Cumbres de Enmedio
- Valdearco
- Cumbres Mayores
- Cortelazor
- Hinojales
- Aracena
- Canaveral de Leon
- Arroyomolinos de Leon
- Cala
- Santa Olalla de Cala
- Zufre
- Higuera de la Sierra
- Puerto Moral
- Corteconcepcion
- Los Marines
- Linares de la Sierra
- Alajar
- Fuente Heridos
- Castano del Robledo
- Santa Ana la Real
- Jabugo
- Almonastar La Real
- Cortegana
- La Nava
- Aroche
- Rosal de la Frontera
Map of Sierra de Aracena
Covering the northern area of the Huelva province, the Sierra de Aracena are low, forested mountains scattered with traditional villages. The national park of Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche consists of beautiful, rugged and remote countryside, forests of chestnut and cork oak, crossed with paths and teaming with wildlife, which make it excellent walking country. The border with Portugal to the west of the area has been instrumental in shaping the history of the region and the vestiges of this can be seen in the surviving castle ruins which are abundant in the Sierra de Aracena. The oak forests are used to rear free-range Iberian pigs and the hams produced in the region are famous throughout Spain. The main town of Aracena, with its majestic castle and famous cave, is surrounded by numerous quaint and rustic white villages, unspoilt by the modern world. Undiscovered by foreign visitors until recently, the area is becoming popular with those keen on rural tourism and with visitors from the city of Seville.
Aracena
This town of 6000 inhabitants is the main town of the Sierra de Aracena. A quiet, sleepy town set in beautiful surroundings, Aracena seems undisturbed by the few tourist buses that stop by here in the summer months. The town is characterised by its bare hill on which stands its fine 13th century castle as well as the excellent medieval church of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores. The church is striking for its ornamented Moorish tower and there is a lovely 16th century gateway through which one must pass when following the track up to the church from the town. The main square of the town on which the Casino stands is an attractive, animated place. Tourists come to Aracena to see the Gruta de las Maravillas, a cave located to the east of the town centre. The cave is an impressive sight, it reaches far beneath the ground to the hill on which the castle stands and contains underground lakes and a display of stalagmites and stalactites lit by artificial light. The cave has been used as a set for a number of films, including Journey to the Centre of the Earth.
There are a number of shops, supermarkets and services in Aracena. Aracena is situated on the N433 road, which runs from Seville to Portugal, 100km from Seville. The nearest airports are located at Seville, Jerez 180km away or Faro airport in Portugal, 150km away. Aracena is 100km from the coast.
In the attractive area surrounding Aracena are a number of lovely villages situated in the wooded countryside. These traditional villages tend to have pretty wooden beamed houses with flower bedecked balconies and are generally charming places. To the west of Aracena on the main N433 road is Los Marines, a quiet village of 300 inhabitants, surrounded by orchards and with a white washed parish church. Los Marines is 5km from Aracena. To the south west of Aracena, Linares de la Sierra is a pretty, well preserved village nestled in the low, forested mountains with a population of 300. A peculiarity of the village is the raised marble designs built onto the street surface that serve as doormats for the houses. There is a bullring in the village where bullfights take place. Linares is 6km from Aracena at the end of a country road with hills of the Sierra de Aracena just beyond.
Alájar, with a population of 700, is a further 4km west of Linares. There are 2 small supermarkets in Alájar. From this village, a pilgrimage is made each year on the 7th of September to the nearby Hermitage of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles. This famous hermitage is located on a rocky outcrop in between Alájar and Fuenteheridos. The views from the hermitage are spectacular and encompass the surrounding countryside down towards the Río Tinto. During the 16th century, the respected philosopher and theologian, Arias Montanto, resided in the hermitage and was visited here by King Philip II. There is an obelisk at the hermitage recording this visit. Fuenteheridos itself is another traditional village with 650 inhabitants some 8km north of Alájar situated just off the main N433 road 10km west of Aracena. The country road running between Fuenteheridos and the hermitage makes spectacular walking with wonderful views of the surrounding countryside. The tapas bars of Fuenteheridos are renowned for their delicious tapas of wild mushrooms which are gathered from the surrounding countryside during the autumn months.
Galaroza
Located on the crossroads of the main N433 and N435 roads which run through the area, Galaroza is a village with a population of 1500. One of the most attractive villages in the area, it is situated on the top of a hill that is crowned by the ruins of a castle. Galaroza is renowned for the festival that takes place there each year on the 6th September. During the festival, the Fiesta de los Jarritos, boys run through the village splashing everyone with water from the small jugs, or jarritos, that they carry. Galaroza is 16km east of Aracena.
Jabugo
This village of 2500 people in the heart of pig-raising country is famous for producing quality hams. The black-footed free-range pigs are reared in the surrounding hills and fed on acorns from the forests. The cured ham, known as jamón de Jabugo or Pata Negra, that is made here is renowned for being one of the best in Spain. Jabugo is a few kilometres from Galaroza, adjacent to the N433 and N435 crossroads.
Castaño del Robledo
This is a wonderfully preserved village of 200 inhabitants, picturesque wooden beamed houses and cobbled streets. The pretty wooden balconies of the houses are hung with flowers. Nestled into the surrounding cork and chestnut forests, Castaño is one of the highest villages in the Sierra de Aracena at 738m above sea level. There are 2 tapas bars in the village, one of which is a traditional rustic wooden-beamed bar. Castaño is located at the end of a small country road that runs off the main N435 road to Huelva, 80km to the south. Just off the very winding section of this road is the village of Santa Ana la Real with a population of 450. Surrounded by forests of cork oaks and chestnuts, as well as fruit orchards, Santa Ana is a picturesque village with traditional houses and a beautiful parish church. The area surrounding the village is excellent for walking.
Almonaster La Real
Almonaster is sometimes described as one of the most beautiful villages in the whole of Andalucía. The village of 2000 inhabitants has retained its cobbled streets and traditional style houses, with an absence of modern constructions of any kind. The 10th century mosque in the village has a wonderfully restored interior and from the minaret of the mosque there are excellent views of the surrounding countryside. The mosque presides over the village and there is an excellent restaurant and hotel at the entrance to the village. There is a pharmacy in Almonaster and 2 small supermarkets. Almonaster is situated about 5km away from the main roads which run to Portugal, Seville and Huelva. Northwest of Almonaster is Cortegana, a lively and friendly village of 5000 people. Cortegana is notable for its 16th century castle and for its crumbling and curious Art Nouveau Casino. Cortegana is located just off the main N433 road. Northeast of Cortegana is the village of La Nava with a population of 300, located on the N435 main road.
North of Galaroza
Valdelarco (300 inhabitants) is apicturesque village with cobbled streets and wooden-beamed houses. Valdelarco is 6km off the main N344 road. Just to the east of here is Cortelazor (300 inhabitants). There are a couple of bars in the village and picturesque walks to be had around Cortelazor. One such walk will take you to the “Charco Malo” or Evil Pool, where there is a deep, cold pool with a waterfall surrounded by rocks and trees. Cortelazor is 12km from Aracena.The northern Sierra de Aracenas region
Near the border of Andalucía with Extremdadura, the dense and shady woods of the Sierra de Aracena give way to the more barren landscape of the northern interior. Cumbres Mayores, a village of 2000 inhabitants, itself exhibits the more sombre characteristics of an Extremeduran village in contrast with its Andalucían counterparts. There is an impressive castle in the village and great views of the surrounding area can be seen from the battlements of the castle. Cumbres Mayores is situated on country roads 25km from Aracena. The hamlet of Cumbres de Enmedio with 60 inhabitants is 6km west of Cumbres Mayores, just off the main N435 road and Cumbres de San Bartolomé with a population of 500 and an interesting church is a further 4km west. Hinojales is a fairly isolated village near to the border with Extremadura with a population of 440. There is a lovely whitewashed church in the village, which is located on winding mountain roads, 12km from the nearest main road and 20km from Aracenas. Cañaveral de León, a village of 500 inhabitants is 6km to the west of Hinojales.In the northeast corner of Sierra de Aracenas, are the remote, little visited villages of Arroyomolinos de León with a population of 1000, Cala with a population of 1500 and Santa Olalla de Cala with a population of 2500. At Santa Olalla are the majestic battlements of the 13th century castle, which have been well preserved and stand above the village itself. Just below the castle is a pretty 14th century church and from here the castle is reached by climbing a rock face to a hole in the castles walls. The countryside to the north rolls away into Extremadura. Santa Olalla is situated on the N630 that runs from Seville to Extremadura. Seville is 150km south of the village.
Zufre
Zufre is a wonderfully picturesque village of 1000 inhabitants, situated on top of a hill above the Zufre reservoir. A steep road leads into the village of narrow, cobbled streets, around which many of the original 12th century fortified walls can still be seen. Due to the village’s proximity to Seville, Zufre was historically in an important strategic position, hence the fortified walls. The Town Hall Square contains the 16th century town hall with an arcaded front opening out onto the plaza and its lovely fountain – the Fuente del Consejo – The Fountain of Advice, which dates back to Roman times. On the edge of the hill is the church square, with a large parish church of pink stone surrounded by palm trees and sweet smelling orange trees. Hundreds of swallows and housemartins congregate in the church square. The large, freshwater reservoir that Zufre overlooks can be used for canoeing and fishing and when the sluices to the reservoir are opened, white water canoeing competitions are held on the water. There are several bars in this quiet and laid back village as well as village stores. On the first Saturday of each month, a farmer’s market is held selling local food products and hand made goods. Zufre is lively during Semana Santa and during the September Feria celebrations which begin on the last Sunday in August. Zufre is 25km from Aracena on a road running off the main N433 road.
Just east of Aracena is the village of Corteconcepción with a population of 700, a laid back village with wide streets and an interesting church. Puerto Moral is just east of Corteconcepción. It has a population of 250 and contains a bar and a small shop. Higuera de la Sierra (population 1200) is south of Puerto Moral on the main N433 road that runs to Aracena, 11km away.
Aroche
Located on the edge of the Sierra de Aracena is the village of Arroche with a population of 3500. This is an attractive village, not far from the border with Portugal, that has kept a historic atmosphere. On the outskirts of the village are the ruins of a castle within which a small bullring is contained. Near to the village is the quaint 13th century hermitage of San Mamés where a pilgrimage takes place each May. Some of the last of Europe’s black vultures live in the mountains surrounding the village. Aroche is 25km from the Portuguese border and 35km from Aracena.
Rosal de la Frontera
This attractive border town of 2000 inhabitants is adjacent to the border with Portugal. Due to its proximity to Portugal, the town is of commercial importance although it remains a quiet place with a long, straight main road lined with colourful houses. The natural area surrounding Rosal is pretty and includes the San Isidro recreational park. There are some medieval hydraulic mills located close to the town. Rosal is 60km west of Aracena on the main N433 road and the N493 runs south from Rosal to the town of Valverde, 65km away and Huelva, 90km away.
Ecinasola
Right in the north of the area is the village of Ecinasola with a population of 1800. Surrounded by large oak forests, there is a Moorish castle in the village with thick walls and a number of towers, reflecting Ecinasola’s position as a border town, just 8km from the border with Portugal. Of note are the 16th century churches of San Andrés and San Sebastián. The Múrtigas river runs just to the south of Ecinasola and is great for fishing. This picturesque river is flanked by weeping willows and the riverbed is carpeted with black and white pebbles. Ecinasola is 10km from the Portugese town of Barrancos just across the border. It is 20km from the main N435 road over a twisting mountain road.