Baños de la Encina

Baños de la Encina was the site of the Caliphal fortress of Burgalimar, built by Abd al-Rahman III of Córdoba in 967 CE, according to an inscription on the main gate — one of the rare cases where the precise year of a medieval Islamic construction is known. The castle was built to control the Despeñaperros pass, the main route between Castile and Andalucía. It fell to Alfonso VII of Castile in 1147 and was briefly held by the Almohads before Christian reconquest in 1213.

Baños de la Encina itself developed as a small agricultural settlement below the castle. The castle's remarkable preservation is partly explained by its lack of strategic importance after the Reconquista — it was not significantly remodelled or damaged in subsequent centuries.

The Castle of Burgalimar is the reason to come: a near-perfect horseshoe-plan Caliphal fortress enclosing a large courtyard, with 14 semicircular towers, a keep (torre del homenaje), and the Puerta de Términos, an arched gateway with the original 967 CE foundation inscription. The exterior walls and towers are made of thin brick in the Caliphal style, with limited later additions. The interior can be visited.

It is considered one of the best examples of Caliphal military architecture surviving anywhere in the world. The village below is small and quiet, with a simple parish church and a few bars. The surrounding landscape of olive groves and the Despeñaperros Natural Park provides context for the castle's strategic importance.

Baños de la Encina is 35 km north of Jaén and 60 km from Úbeda, reached via the A-32. There is limited public transport; a car is advisable. The castle can be visited daily; guided tours run at set times.

Allow 1.5 hours. The village has a bar-restaurant beside the castle. Combine with a visit to Úbeda and Baeza for a Jaén heritage day.