Make a self catering villa in Jaen Province, Spain your home away from home

Jaen province is best known for its unspoilt, beautiful landscape. There are many small Spanish towns in the province with wonderful Renaissance palaces and historic churches grouped around the town square. This area leads in the production of olives and olive oil. Orchards of these wizened trees can be seen dotted about the hillsides, and local olive oil makes a great souvenir or gift. Enjoy exploring this lovely area from your Jaen province villa.

Things to do in Jaen Province, Spain

One of the most beautiful areas to go hiking is the Sierras de Cazorla National Park, which is largely covered in protected forest. The forested peaks are most impressive, reaching up to 2107m. Enjoy the animals, deer, 185 bird species, reptiles and butterflies which call this UNESCO biosphere reserve home. The magnificent waterfalls cascade down to the rivers and lakes making this a scenic place for walking.

Even the sleepiest town in Spain wakes up and celebrates a festival, from the carnival (Mardi Gras) in February to the Holy Week processions at Easter and the saints’ festivals in the autumn. There is likely to be plenty of local events close to your self catering villa in Jaen province.

The annual music and dance festival in Ubeda features everything from opera to jazz, and modern dance to flamenco and takes place in May. Even at other times the town is worth a visit for its churches, culture and architecture. The San Mateo Fair takes place in late September at nearby Alcala, and the Fiesta de la Virgen de la Paz is celebrated in January in the famous gorge town of Ronda.

Places to visit in Jaen Province, Spain

The small but charming town of Baeza is set around the Plaza Mayor and the tree lined paseo with its many pavement cafés. The Marquessa de Jabalquinto is a wonderfully ornate building, now used as a seminary. Close by is the 16th century with wonderful painted screen work and a silver custodia hidden behind a painting of St Peter – it’s worth paying the small fee to see this novelty. There are many other monuments, too many to list, in this charming town which is within easy reach of your self catering villa.

Alcala is located between Cordoba and Granada and has an impressive fortress dating back to 727. It was still in use in the 19th century when it was badly damaged during battles with the French and was abandoned, but the three rows of fortifications and a small museum are interesting to visit. The imposing Abbey Church with its 42 metre high tower and hewn stone vaults is over 500 years old. It shows a progression of architectural styles from Gothic to Renaissance. The paseo, or promenade, is the site of various fairs and markets as well as a place to stroll with the locals.

Weather in Jaen Province, Spain

Winters in and around your Jaen province villa are mild and sunny with average daytime temperatures reaching 13C (56F) and nights are rarely below 2C (36F). From May to October temperatures reach as high as 35C (94F) with no rain at all.

Flights to Jaen Province, Spain

The nearest airport to your self catering villa in Jaen province is Malaga International airport, which about 213km away. Malaga airport has regular flights to and from many European cities on a daily basis.