Cultural heritage and gastronomy
Enjoy the Natural Park with all five senses
Immersing yourself in the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park is also an opportunity to discover the rich traditions and authentic local culture. The villages surrounding the park, with their cobblestone streets and whitewashed houses, offer a glimpse of traditional Andalusian rural life.
These territories possess a rich historical and cultural heritage, coming from the very diverse cultures that occupied them, as is attested by the Paleolithic caves and cave paintings (Quesada, Segura de la Sierra and Santiago-Pontones), the Iberian remains (Castellones de Ceal in Hinojares, the sepulchral chamber of Toya in Peal de Becerro) or those belonging to the Roman period (Roman Villa of Bruñel, in Quesada).The remains of the Iberian cultures (Castellones de Ceal in Hinojares, the burial chamber of Toya in Peal de Becerro) or those belonging to the Roman (Roman Villa of Bruñel, in Quesada), Muslim and Renaissance periods.
Castles, towers, walls and fortresses, most of them of Andalusian origin although with important later remodeling, constitute practically 50% of its 74 declared Assets of Cultural Interest . As for the movable heritage, the collections that can be seen in several museums, such as the Municipal Archaeological Museum of Torres de Albánchez, the Interpretation Center of the Villa or the Museum of Graphic Humor in Beas de Segura, the Parish Museum of Villacarrillo and the Rafael Zabaleta of Quesada, stand out.
Other notable immaterial cultural manifestations are the "Caracolada" of Cazorla, the Corpus Christi procession of Villacarrillo, the Christmas "luminarias" of Orcera, or the traditional bolos serranos.
The inhabitants of the region are known for their hospitality and their attachment to ancestral customs. Visitors have the opportunity to participate in local festivals (such as the transhumance festival), learn about traditional handicrafts and sample the delicious local cuisine.
Regional Gastronomy
The gastronomy of the Natural Park of the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas is a feast for the senses, based on fresh and local ingredients. Typical dishes of the region, such as lamb segureño, gachamigas, salads with vegetables from the garden, ajoblanco reflect the influence of the Mediterranean diet and are made with high quality local products. In addition, this area as well as the whole province of Jaén is popularly known for its extra virgin olive oil. Visitors can visit local olive groves and mills to learn about the production process and taste this liquid gold in its purest form. Two protected designations of origin for olive oil, Sierra de Cazorla and Sierra de Segura, and a protected geographical indication for Segureño lamb are examples of the commitment to quality agricultural and livestock production in the Natural Park.