El Condado
A quiet area of olive groves and wood pasture with a surprising Iberian legacy.
Key points
- El Condado groups seven municipalities between Sierra Morena and the Sierra de Segura, with Santisteban del Puerto as its main town.
- The Iberian Museum of Castellar and the Iberian sanctuary of Cueva de la Lobera are stops on the Journey to the Time of the Iberians.
- Near Vilches, the fortified site of Giribaile overlooks the reservoir.
Little visited and very peaceful, El Condado takes its name from the county of Santisteban del Puerto. It is olive and wood-pasture country, hunting land and home to villages with surprisingly rich heritage for their size.
Santisteban del Puerto
The main town keeps the San Esteban castle on its hill, the church of Santa María del Collado and a museum devoted to the sculptor Jacinto Higueras, who was born here.
Castellar and the Iberians
In Castellar, the Iberian sanctuary of Cueva de la Lobera was a pilgrimage site more than 2,000 years ago; its thousands of bronze votive offerings are displayed in the Iberian Museum, housed in a Renaissance palace in the village.
Vilches and Giribaile
The Giribaile oppidum, an Iberian town on a rocky plateau, has caves carved into the cliff and a medieval castle. From there you can see the Giribaile reservoir and, on clear days, Sierra Mágina.
More villages
- Navas de San JuanOlive groves and local festivals; a good stop on the way to Úbeda.
- Chiclana de SeguraA hilltop village overlooking the mountains and the Guadalimar valley.
- Arquillos and MontizónWood pasture, hunting and the castle route at Montizón.