Walk around the village
The best place to start a walk around Jimena is in the Plaza de la Constitución.
Entering the village on Avenida los Deportes (Av. los Deportes), you will find a number of parking spaces and a small car park area just below the square itself.
If you’ve arrived in the town early, Restaurante La Tasca in the bottom left corner of Plaza de la Constitución is a great place to have a bite to eat and a coffee to prepare you for the walk ahead.
Starting up Calle San Sebastian along the left hand side of the square, this pedestrianised street offers a charming example of the architecture and properties which can be found all over Jimena. You can admire the large flower pots with beautiful plants placed in the middle of the street, as well as the various flowers on balconies and facades of some houses.
At the end of Calle San Sebastian, carry on to Calle Barrera. On the corner at the end of this street you will see Iglesia de San Francisco. This historic building was renovated in the mid-20th century; little is known about the original structure of the church, but it is assumed that it was a hermitage most likely in the 16th century.
Turning left at the church to go up Calle San Francisco, you then join onto Calle Consuelo and continue upwards. As you climb this street, the view stretches out over the rooftops of the village to the green fields of the countryside beyond.
At the top of Calle Consuelo, take a left to join Calle Caminete de la Luna and look out for the house with a pretty ceramic name plate ‘Casa de Luna’ to ensure you’re on the right track. Walking a few yards on, you’ll spot a red sign directing you up Calle Crúz del Rincón to Jimena Castle (Castillo de Jimena). About halfway up this street you will find another red sign pointing you down an alleyway, which leads to the old Iglesia de la Misericordia; today this is used as the village’s tourist office. The weathervane on top of this building is the logo for the tourist office of Jimena itself.
From the tourist office you may be lucky and catch a tour up to the castle. The castle is open for you to explore freely at your leisure from Monday to Thursday 09:00 – 20:00 and Friday, Saturday, Sunday 09:00 – 21:00. It really is worth a visit, with great views for taking pictures. You can check out our History and Castle of Jimena de la Frontera pages for information on the different aspects of the castle and it’s past.
After completing a trip around the castle, or simply admiring it from below, retrace your steps back down the alley which led you to the tourist office and go back down Calle Cruz del Rincón, turning left onto Calle Caminete de la Luna and shortly right back onto Calle Consuelo. As you descend, stay on this street rather than turning left as the road forks, and eventually you will come across the charming Hostal Anon. This is a perfect spot to stop, eat and recharge after your visit to the castle, or even to stay overnight.
At the end of Calle Consuelo look out for a brown sign on the right, pointing you towards the Real Fabrica de Artilleria de Carlos III and a hiking route along the Rio Hozgarganta. Turn left onto Calle La Vaca and then shortly after right when you see another brown sign.
At the end of this street, make a left and join Callejón de la Vaca, heading towards the riverside hiking route, which takes you around Jimena and eventually leads you back to Plaza del Puerto Morán at the top end of the village. To find the start of this route continue down Callejón de la Vaca and Calle Pasada de Alcalá until you reach the second-to-last right-turn before the bridge over the river leading away from town. On this corner there will be another route sign, as well as a bigger green sign, indicating the river hiking route. For more information on this route, see our River Hozgarganta Walk page.
The end of this route should lead you to Plaza del Puerto Morán at the northern end of the village. Walking straight on to Calle Sevilla, turn left then take the next right down Calle Calzada. When you get to Calle Santa Ana turn left, then follow this street until you turn right into Plaza Llano de la Victoria. Here the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Victoria stands tall against the small square and children’s playground. This may date from the 17th century, although other documents suggest it is much older – according to a testament to the church from the late 16th century, it offered mass and burial services. The convent located there, which makes up part of the church, is a clear example of where people who were part of the Mendicant Orders (Christian religious orders that adopted a lifestyle of poverty, traveling, and living in urban areas for the purposes of preaching, evangelization, and ministry) would stay, which tells us a little more about the history of the building.
Retracing your steps, turn left out of Calle Calzada to take you back onto Calle Sevilla, this time continue down this street and you will arrive in Plaza de la Constitución (along the opposite side from where you started). Along Calle Sevilla there are various points of interest, such as Plaza Olof Palme containing the municipal library and the town hall (Ayuntamiento de Jimena de la Frontera). There is also a museum about the Spanish Civil War, Casa de la Memoria de La Sauceda – look out for the flag of the Second Republic of Spain flying outside.
Arriving at the end of Calle Sevilla, you will be at the edge of the Plaza de la Constitución, almost opposite where you started. At this end of the square you will see El Ventorrillero restaurant, which offers you a good place to eat and drink before leaving the main part of this traditional Andalusian village.