Sierra de Segura
The wildest part of the nature park: hilltop villages and dark skies.
Key points
- The Sierra de Segura makes up the northern half of the Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas Nature Park.
- Segura de la Sierra and Hornos are two of the most spectacular villages in Andalusia.
- The Segura river, which flows into the Mediterranean, rises in Pontones.
- Its olive oil carries the PDO Sierra de Segura, one of the first olive oil designations in Spain.
Higher mountains and more remote villages than Cazorla: the Sierra de Segura is the wildest and quietest part of the nature park. Its villages look over deep valleys, with castles that belonged to the Order of Santiago and hamlets where shepherds still move their flocks with the seasons.
Segura de la Sierra
Crowned by its castle at over 1,100 metres, it is one of the most charming villages in the province. Its steep streets hold Arab baths, the house where tradition says the poet Jorge Manrique was born, an unusual irregular bullring and a Renaissance fountain. From the keep, the view takes in half the park.
Hornos
Hornos sits on top of a rocky outcrop above the Tranco reservoir. It has a castle, a small old town and the Cosmolarium, an astronomy centre inside the castle itself: the dark mountain skies are perfect for stargazing.
Villages and landscapes
- SilesChestnut and walnut woods and the Acebeas trail, with ancient holly trees.
- Santiago-PontonesThe source of the Segura river and the Cueva del Agua, in the province's largest municipality.
- Orcera and BenataeQuiet squares, fountains and the scenic road up to El Yelmo.
- Beas de SeguraThe gateway to the mountains, with a convent founded by Saint Teresa of Ávila.
Things to do
What to eat
Segureño lamb (with Protected Geographical Indication), andrajos, migas and home-made cured meats. And olive oil, of course, from the PDO Sierra de Segura.