Baena

Baena was the Iberian city of Bedua or Baniana and later the Roman Baena. The town played a significant role in the wars between Julius Caesar and Pompey's sons — Caesar camped near Baena before the decisive Battle of Munda in 45 BCE. After Roman rule the town passed through Visigothic and then Moorish hands, prospering as an agricultural settlement.

The Christian reconquest came in 1241 under Ferdinand III. The town has been associated with olive oil production since at least Roman times; the DOP Baena olive oil designation, one of the first in Spain, was established in 1981. Easter Week in Baena, with its traditional 'tamborada' drum-beating processions involving thousands of participants, is one of the most distinctive festivals in Andalucía.

The upper town, the Villa, contains the most historic fabric: the ruined Moorish castle, the Church of Santa María la Mayor (built over the mosque), and the network of narrow streets typical of a reconquered Andalusian town. The lower town, the Llano, has the more recent civic development. The Nuñez de Prado olive mill, one of the oldest continuously operating mills in Spain and producer of what many critics consider the finest olive oil in the world, can be visited; their 'Flor de Aceite', produced by allowing oil to drip naturally without pressing, is a benchmark product.

The Baena Olive Oil Museum documents the history and production of the DOP. The drumming processions of Holy Week transform the town for four days.

Baena is 70 km southeast of Córdoba on the N-432. Buses from Córdoba and Granada. The old town is a 10-minute walk uphill from the central plaza.

The Nuñez de Prado mill offers tastings and sales year-round. The olive harvest runs November–January and is the most atmospheric time to visit aside from Holy Week.