The Sierra de Campillo, also known as the Sierra de Alta Coloma, brings a distinctive natural landscape into your travel plans for Campillo De Arenas. There are also churches and historic sites, festival traditions, and distinctive cuisine. When choosing a destination, you can weigh up different priorities: landscape and botany, local history, or culinary traditions.
Sierra, botany, and nature activities
The Sierra de Campillo is a Mediterranean mountain area with geological and plant formations of great value. Its vegetation includes holm oaks, oaks, junipers, and savin junipers. For travelers interested in plants and landscapes, the Sierra brings together these closely linked themes, while offering nature experiences that are not limited to just one type of outing.
At the Desfiladero de Puerta Arenas, there is an educational trail focused on local botany. At the Área Recreativa de Puerta de Arenas, birdwatching, a botanical garden, and hiking opportunities sit alongside a picnic area and a recreational area. Their focus is easy to distinguish: the educational trail highlights local plant life, while the recreation area brings together several nature and leisure activities.
La Peñuela is also a picnic and recreation area, located near the town center. It has a viewpoint, shaded areas, and a water spring. This gives it a different focus from the botanical attractions at Puerta de Arenas. When comparing nature and recreation spots, you can use these specific differences as a guide rather than treating both places as the same kind of destination.
The Sierra de Campillo can be reached by off-road vehicle, bicycle, or on foot via the JV-2.228 and along agricultural and forestry tracks leading directly out of town. Before planning your trip, check the conditions on roads and tracks, as well as the state of the facilities.
Churches and historic sites
Construction of the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación began in the late 16th century on the site of a small chapel dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament. The Ermita de Santa Lucía has a more recent history: it was built in 1858 after worshippers had spent several years collecting donations. Travelers stopped to pray at an image near the old tunnel.
The Ermita’s interior also features specific architectural details: an elaborately decorated wooden ceiling, a main altar with an image of the saint, flooring and wainscoting made from high-quality materials, and two wrought-iron lamps. On Cerro del Castillo stands a rock fortress of Arab origin. It belonged to the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada for many centuries, until it was conquered by the Catholic Monarchs in 1486. Together, these sites offer different historical perspectives—from the fortress’s Arab origins to the later church and pilgrimage traditions.
Festival traditions and cuisine
The main patron saint festivities take place on the second weekend of August in honor of the Virgen de la Cabeza and include reenacted battles between Moors and Christians. The festival traditions also include the Campanilleros: on Saturday night, they sing the traditional coplas de la Aurora with bells, guitars, and bandurrias, and invite people to take part in the Holy Rosary. If you plan to attend the festivities, check the dates and program in advance; the details may vary.
Traditional cuisine includes both legume dishes and a distinctive style of gazpacho. Dishes include a chickpea stew with bacon and other pork ingredients, as well as ardoría, a gazpacho made with olive oil, garlic, salt, vinegar, and bread crumbs. A stew made with white beans, chickpeas, and cod is typical of Holy Week.
Campillo De Arenas also has a tradition of producing pork products. These include various types of chorizo, especially one made with lamb or goat meat, as well as blood sausages and longanizas, which are called salchichas here. Lomo is usually prepared with garlic. When choosing your destination, you can therefore explore several distinct interests: the Sierra’s landscape and botany, nature activities at Puerta de Arenas and La Peñuela, history and festival traditions, and dishes and products from the local cuisine.
Discover more destinations: Villanueva Del Arzobispo, Santisteban Del Puerto, La Iruela, La Matea, Martos, Pozo Alcón, La Carolina, Jaén
For the broader travel overview: Jaen.
