Chite: Church, castle remains and landscape in the Barranco de Chite

Chite offers several specific points to consider when choosing a travel destination: the parish church Iglesia parroquial de la Inmaculada, the remains of Castillo de Chite, two former olive mills and the Barranco de Chite. Together, they represent religious architecture, a historic defensive role, former olive processing and links to the landscape of the Sierra Nevada. When planning your trip, you can weigh these themes separately: architecture and history on the one hand, waterways and landscape on the other. If you are looking for hotels in Chite, this overview gives you a concrete starting point for choosing the village according to your interests.

Church and architectural history

The parish church Iglesia parroquial de la Inmaculada was built in the 16th century. Its rectangular floor plan describes the overall shape, while the single-nave layout describes the organisation of the church interior. The roof is also a limabordón roof: its timber framework has seven crossbeams decorated with stars. The floor plan and nave describe the spatial form, while the roof framework adds details of the construction and decoration. This brings together the date of construction, the spatial layout and a specific feature of the roof structure.

Castle and former olive mills

Castillo de Chite is believed to be a castle of Arab origin; its remains are considered to be in ruins. Historically, the site occupied a strategic position between the Barranco de Arrendate and the Río Grande and commanded the ascent into the valley. Remains of an approximately 80-metre-long rammed-earth wall survive on the western edge of Castillo de Chite. Rammed earth is compacted soil used as a building material; the approximate length refers to this wall. Its origins, historic location and surviving structures offer different points of reference for understanding the castle.

Two other cultural and historical landmarks are Molino de los Aguilera and Molino de la Inquisición. Molino de los Aguilera is a former olive mill of Moorish origin. Molino de la Inquisición is in Barrio Alto, is also of Moorish origin and was an olive mill. Both buildings therefore offer a different perspective from the church and castle: they represent the former processing of olives. In this way, they add another historic use of the village to the picture of Chite.

Landscape and the Sulayr

Chite lies beside the Barranco de Chite, which flows down from the Sierra Nevada. The landscape also features the confluence of the Barranco de Chite and the Embalse de Béznar. The Barranco de Chite serves as a reference point for accessing the Sulayr via Lecrín. The Sulayr is a 300-kilometre circular hiking trail around the Sierra Nevada, divided into 19 stages. For your planning, it is useful to distinguish between the two: the ravine is a local landscape feature and a reference point for access via Lecrín; the length and stages describe the Sulayr as a whole.

Artist residency

The Residencia Artística José Guerrero adds a contemporary perspective. The residency programme in Chite provides space for artistic work in sculpture and supports emerging artistic talent. Public presentations by the invited artists are scheduled at the start of each edition; residents of Chite and the municipality of Lecrín are invited to attend. Open talks by researchers and specialists about José Guerrero are also planned for the public and educational institutions in the comarca. Dates and specific arrangements vary with each edition. If a presentation or talk is important to your travel plans, check the dates for the relevant edition in advance.

For the wider travel overview: Lecrín.