Siles
Siles is another of the towns in the province of Jaén that is part of the Castle Route through Andalusia thanks to the Torre del Cubo, a tower of circular plan which is all that remains of a castle of Muslim origin renovated in Christian times, and which has the category of Historical Monument. Also in the same category are the remains of a wall, another tower and the Torre de Magdalena that can be seen among the hamlets of its picturesque town centre of stepped streets. It has about 2200 inhabitants.
HISTORY
The exact date of origin for the town is unknown, however records state it was won from the Moors by Don Pelay Pérez Correa and that another Master of Santiago, Don Lorenzo Alvarez de Figueroa, gave it to the privilege of villazgo at the beginning of the fourteenth century, later confirmed by Felipe II. It is thought that the name, Siles, comes from the many silos found on the nearby hill of San Cristóbal, however some say the name is from the Latin word, Sileo, meaning to be silent, since, in effect, the town is as if silent in a valley between hills. More>
THINGS TO SEE
Torre del Cubo y Murallas
The tower and remains of the walled enclosure date from the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, and the tower specifically draws attention for its 27m height. Given the type of construction, it points to a Muslim origin, restructured in the Santiago era. Another element of the old enclosure is the Magdalena tower and arch, declared a Historical Monument. Both the tower and walls were declared an Asset of Cultural Interest in 1985. Located on Calle Casa Caída.
Iglesia Parroquial de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción
The church was built between the fourteenth and eighteenth centuries, synthesising the oscillation of taste from Gothic to Classicism. The medieval remains preserved inside are a pointed diaphragm arch and the choir, located high and supported by a beam. The elements of the eighteenth-century church are the half-barrel vault and the false transverse arches on which it rests. The church has a small Mannerist altarpiece, originally consecrated to the Virgin. On the outside, Renaissance lexicography predominates, not exempt from Gothic reminiscences. The north doorway, protected by wooden guards between buttresses, opens with a semicircular arch on imposts. The doorway on the gospel side presents, in addition to a semicircular arch and dust cover, flared windows and highlighted pilasters. The tower, from the sixteenth century and located at the foot, has three sections, the first with a barrel passage to connect two streets, and the last with holes for bells and finished with a pyramidal spire. Located on Callejon Iglesia.
Ermita de San Roque
The chapel, where the image of the patron saint is venerated, was built in the eighteenth century when the love for Baroque art was still preserved. Its only nave covered with a wooden frame has a rectangular plan, with lintel doors located on the epistle side and at the foot. The most prominent element is the presbytery, covered with a lowered half-orange on pendentives, which is accessed through a central semicircular arch. Located on Avenida de San Roque.
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.
La Peña del Olivar
A recreational area where visitors can tour the adjacent botanical garden, at the foot of Cerro Bucentaina (from which you can see a beautiful view of Siles, Valle del Guadallimar, Peña del Cambrón, etc.). La Peña del Olivar has several picnic areas as well as a recreational area, it also has a restaurant, where take-out meals are ordered.
Peñalcón y Río Tus
The Tus River, on the one hand, is ideal for contemplating the beautiful waterfalls that have formed in its bed. On the other hand, Peñalcón, which is accessed by a path, is an impressive natural viewpoint from which you will get excellent panoramic views of the Natural Park and the Tus River itself. The Tus River rises in Siles, at the foot of the Las Acebeas-Nava del Espino Reserve Area, one of the best preserved areas of the Natural Park. Its environment is wild and humid, an open valley between high valleys such as Calarico, Calar de la Sima, Calar de Morillas, Nava del Espino, Navalperal, Sierra del Agua, El Calarejo Chico and Calarejo Grande, an unparalleled environment with a dense forest of black and black pines, where deciduous species such as maples abound, gall oaks, hawthorns and hawthorns that host a high diversity of indigenous flora.
COUNTRYSIDE WALKS
Siles offers a wide range of routes in the area such as:
Ruta Peña del Olivar-Piedra del Agujero
Ruta de los Molinos PR A-79
Ruta Joelette-Mirador de la Presa
Ruta Sierra Alta de Siles
Ruta Cumbre del Cambrón
Ruta Pozo de la Nieva
Ruta Circular Peña del Olivar
Ruta Joelette Portichuelo-Junta de los Arroyos
Ruta Peña del Olivar-La Fresnadilla
Ruta Junta de los Arroyos
Ruta La Acebeas-La Cumbre de Navalperal
Ruta Circularel Portichuelo
Ruta Cumbre Navalespino
Ruta Era del Concejo
Ruta Cumpre de las Mentiras
Ruta Cueva Santa Quiteria.
GASTRONOMY
Visitors to Siles can try traditional dishes such as ajo mulero (savoury porridge), migas (fried breadcrumbs with pork), andrajos con liebre (pasta stew, often made rabbit), jamarules (chips fried in tomato) and pastel de tortillas (a 3 layered omlette cake). Sweet treats include roscos fritos (doughnuts), buñuelos (profiteroles) and arroz con leche (rice pudding). Also worth trying are a variety of drinks such as mistela (made with aniseed liqueur, orange peel and coffee), zurra capote (white wine and aguardiente), licor de naranja (orange liqueur), media vida (grape juice, aguardiente and aniseed liqueuer) and cuerva (wine with peaches).
BUS SERVICE
There is bus service from Siles to Beas de Segura, Granada, Úbeda and Jaén. More>
FESTIVALS
Popular festivals in Siles are Feria de San Miguel Arcángel, Fiestas Patronales de San Roque, San Isidro Labrador, San Marcos and San Antón. More>
WEATHER FORECAST
The weather forecast for the next few days for Siles. More>
TOURIST OFFICE
The tourist office of Siles is located on Carretera Hellín. More>
NEARBY PLACES
The neighbouring villages to Siles are Benatae, Torres de Albánchez and the region of Castilla La Mancha.