Benatae
Benatae is one of the towns within the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y las Villas Natural Park. It is an ideal destination for those looking to get away from the stress and noise of the cities to enjoy rural tourism. It has about 500 inhabitants.
HISTORY
We do not know when the first settlement in what is now the town of Benatae existed although it must not be ruled out that there was already a settlement from going all the way back to the Stone Age. The Cueva del Águila, in the Cortijo de los Lagartos, could be this initial type of occupation since some microliths such as small pieces of flint that are frequent in the Mesolithic stage have been documented in the area. More>
THINGS TO SEE
Iglesia Parroquial de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción
The church is the most important of the buildings in Benatae and does not correspond with the typical religious architecture of the province, but rather responds to the paradigms of sacred Levantine architecture. This could be due to the fact that during the period of its construction, the town, attached to the Segura de la Sierra Commandery, belonged to the Kingdom of Murcia, a situation that lasted until the Order of Santiago was abolished. The construction of the church began in the fifteenth century and was completed in the eighteenth century, encompassing Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque stylistic elements. Located in Plaza de Pío XII
Plaza de Toros
The bullring corresponds to a typology that is characterised by its relationship with the landscape adapted to the morphology of the terrain, taking advantage of its unevenness to place the stands. The ring is a public building, built little by little over time with the help of locals and without architects. Located on Calle Veintecinco de Agosto.
THINGS TO SEE OUTSIDE THE TOWN
Castillo de Cardete
Cardete Castle is a fortress of Almoravid origin located in the Spanish municipality of Benatae, in the province of Jaén. The walled enclosure forms a trapezoid and there is a keep, embedded in the first of these canvases, externally aligned with the wall. The tower is rectangular, with three bodies and an entrance from the parade ground. The whole set is built in mud rich in lime. Some authors attribute Berber origin to it, specifically Almoravid. Declared an Asset of Cultural Interest, in accordance with the decree of April 22, 1949, registered in the catalog on June 25, 1985. Located 3km from the town.
NATURAL AREAS
Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas
With a total surface area of 209,920Ha and covering almost a fifth of Jaén province, this is Spain’s largest protected area and one of its most extensive forested zones. Located in eastern Jaen province, it connects the Sierra Morena and the Subbética mountain ranges. The highest peak in this immense park is Pico Empanada at 2,107m and the entire park is higher than 600m.
Recognising its exceptional ecological importance, it was designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1983 and it was deemed a natural park in 1989. First impressions of the park may consist of barren rocky crests and vast pine forests, but the area’s botanical importance within Andalusia is matched only by the Sierra Nevada, with a fifth of the vascular plants in the Iberian peninsula being found in the Sierra de Cazorla Natural Park. It is also home to 51 species of mammals, 185 birds, 21 reptiles (including an endemic lizard), 12 amphibians, 11 fish and one of the highest number of butterfly species in the Iberian peninsula, with 112 varieties found here.
GASTRONOMY
Visitors to Benatae can try traditional dishes such as caldo valiente (tomato and pepper stew), migas (friend breadcrumbs served with pork), callos (tripe stew), ajoatao (mashed potato) and bacalao a la serrana (cod stew). Sweet treats include magdalenas (muffins), buñuelos (dumplings) and roscos (aniseed biscuits). Also try Benatae’s melele, a drink made by mixing grape juice, aniseed liqueur, sugar, cinnamon and coffee.
FESTIVALS
Popular festivals in Benatae are Sin Ginés de la Jara, San Antón, La Candelaria, San Blas, San Maros and “el Perdigón”. More>
BUS SERVICE
There are bus services from Benatae to Granada, Siles and Jaén. More>
WEATHER FORECAST
The weather forecast for the next few days for Benatae. More>
TOURIST OFFICE
The tourist office of Benatae is located in the Town Hall. More>
NEARBY PLACES
The neighbouring villages to Benatae are Orcera, La Puerta de Segura and Torres de Albánchez.