Iznatoraf

Iznatoraf's name derives from the Arabic Hisn at-Tawraf, meaning 'castle of the extremity' or 'castle on the edge', an apt description of the exposed ridge it occupies. The site was fortified in the Islamic period as a lookout post and minor defensive point. It was reconquered by Ferdinand III in 1224 and the area was assigned to the Adelantado of Cazorla.

The town's role as a strategic lookout was superseded by the growth of Úbeda and other lowland towns, and Iznatoraf remained a small farming village. Its very smallness and the difficulty of access have preserved both its medieval morphology — the streets are essentially unchanged — and its largely untouched character.

The village is best understood as a whole: a complete medieval morphology surviving on an impossible cliff edge, with houses built against the walls and streets that become stairways. The main square, the Plaza Mayor, overhangs the cliff to the south and provides vertiginous views over the Guadalquivir depression toward the Sierra Mágina. The 16th-century Church of Nuestra Señora de la Consolación, the parish church, is simple but well-proportioned.

Fragments of the medieval wall survive at the base of the village. The surrounding countryside is entirely devoted to olive groves — Jaén province produces more olive oil than Greece — and the effect at harvest time (November–December) is of a sea of grey-green stretching to the horizon.

Iznatoraf is 35 km from Úbeda, reached via minor roads from Villanueva del Arzobispo. A car is essential. The village has no tourist infrastructure; there are one or two bars.

Park at the entrance and walk. The best time to visit is early morning or evening in spring or autumn. Combine with Úbeda and Baeza.