Jamilena

Arriving through olive groves

You reach Jamilena along the A‑316 with olive trees on every side. Kilometres of them. At weekends it is usually easy enough to park near the main square, although there is no designated car park. Just ordinary streets and whatever spaces you find. The village sits close to the road. Turn off, go up a couple of streets and you are already in the centre.

There are no long itineraries here. In about an hour, you will have seen it.

The monastery built from a dismantled castle

The parish church is what remains of a former monastery belonging to the Calatrava order of nuns, a military and religious order that once held territory across this part of Spain. It stands next to the square, so it is likely the first building you notice after arriving. The façade is Renaissance in style, the stone carefully worked, and the tower is visible from several points around the village.

If it is open, often in the morning, it is worth stepping inside. Part of the masonry comes from a castle that once stood here. When it was dismantled in the 16th century, many of its elements were reused in the monastery. Capitals, large blocks of dressed stone and part of the choir were incorporated into the new structure. On one side there is a Gothic doorway that leads nowhere. It used to be the entrance to the cloister.

There are no displays or information panels. This is an active parish church, used in everyday life.

A few minutes away on foot is the Ermita de San Francisco. It is much smaller. A simple building with a brick arch at the entrance. It is often closed, though sometimes it opens for band rehearsals or cleaning work.

A short walk through the olive groves

For a bit of walking, a path begins at the end of Calle Río: the route to Cueva Palomera and Pecho de la Fuente. It is around 6 kilometres there and back. The gradient is gentle, following a track through olive groves with a few holm oaks along the way.

Take water with you. There are no fountains or bars on the route.

The “cave” is really more of a crack in the rock where pigeons tend to nest. The “spring” is a spout of water trickling over stone. It is not dramatic, but it works as a way to stretch your legs and step away from the paved streets for a while.

What people eat here

The food is what you would expect in an olive-growing village in this part of Andalucía. Straightforward dishes. Fresh garlic when it is in season, ensalada de bacalao, grilled meat, tortilla de patatas.

Garlic is an important source of work in Jamilena. On the road out towards Martos you can see industrial units where it is processed, along with lorries loading boxes. There are no organised visits or anything similar. It is simply agricultural industry.

History at the edges

The name Jamilena appears in medieval texts as Geminiana. The Marqués de Santillana mentions it in a serranilla, a short poetic form, from the 15th century. Before that there had been Iberian and Roman presence in the area, and later the settlement came under the control of the Order of Calatrava.

At the end of the 13th century there were clashes with troops from the Nasrid kingdom of Granada. The castle suffered heavy damage and, over time, it was taken apart. In the 16th century, permission was given to reuse its stone for building the monastery.

Very little of the fortress remains today. There is a ruined tower that some locals still call “la mazmorra”, the dungeon. It stands within private land. If you ask for the path to the Castillejo, people will point you in the right direction, but it can only be seen from outside.

Before you move on

Spring is when the landscape looks its best. The olive trees are greener and poppies appear along the edges of the paths. In summer, the heat is intense and there is little shade, so it is better to come early in the day.

There is no accommodation in the village itself. Most people stay in Martos, Torres or Alcalá la Real.

Jamilena does not take long to explore. Walk around the square, step into the church if it is open and wander a few nearby streets. Then carry on your way. It is a quiet agricultural village without major attractions, and it does not seem particularly interested in inventing them.