Discover Bélmez De La Moraleda

Bélmez De La Moraleda brings together historic fortifications, a mountain landscape with bird habitats, the phenomenon of the Caras, festival traditions and local dishes. If you are looking for a hotel in Bélmez De La Moraleda, these themes can help you decide what to focus on during your stay.

Fortress and historic towers

Castillo de Bélmez developed into one of the Nasrid frontier fortresses. Troops from Baeza were only able to conquer it around the middle of the 15th century. It has been protected as a Bien de Interés Cultural since 1985. The surviving historic centerpiece is the keep, which has a rectangular floor plan and was probably originally three storeys high.

Torre del Lucero is a cylindrical tower near the town that monitored the southwestern route to Huelma. Torre del Sol, also called Torre de Bélmez, is instead a round rubble-stone tower with similar vaulted forms and was used to monitor the southeast. The two towers can therefore be distinguished by their shape and the historical monitoring function attributed to each.

Mountain landscape and caves

In the Barranco del Arroyo Gargantón, mountain vegetation, including hawthorn and buckthorn stands, meets rocky cliffs. These provide a refuge for various bird species, including Alpine swifts, black wheatears and kestrels. The natural landscape therefore encompasses both the vegetation and the habitat of the birds mentioned.

Cuevas del Chato y Baltibañas are located in a Mediterranean mountain landscape with outstanding geological and geomorphological formations. They are suitable only for experienced cavers. This distinction is important when planning a trip: the Barranco is known for its vegetation and bird habitat, while the caves are explicitly intended for experienced cavers.

The phenomenon of the Caras de Bélmez

The Centro de Interpretación de las Caras de Bélmez guides visitors through the history of the phenomenon using audiovisual and graphic materials. These include its media documentation, relevant publications, and various theories and hypotheses. If you include this topic in your travel plans, you will find a different focus here than in the history of Castillo: the emphasis is on presenting the phenomenon and its different interpretations.

Festivals and cuisine

The Fiestas de Moros y Cristianos take place from 20 to 22 August; the program includes two days of performances of the “Relaciones.” This recurring festival has been held since 1967. If you would like to plan your trip around the Fiestas, check the dates before making arrangements.

As part of the August festivals in honor of Nuestro Señor de la Vida, a Migas-making competition is also held, reflecting the dish’s traditional importance locally. Andrajos con liebre is also part of the cuisine of Bélmez De La Moraleda and is prepared there with anchovies as well. Choto al ajillo is described as the star dish of the local cuisine. The Migas competition is specifically linked to the August festivals, while the other two dishes round out the local cuisine.

Cycling route C6

Cycling route C6 starts at Plaza Nueva in Bélmez De La Moraleda. This named starting point gives travelers who are considering cycling a specific place to orient themselves around.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Segura De La Sierra, Lopera, La Hueta, El Almicerán, Baeza, Hinojares, Villacarrillo, Las Casillas

For the overview of the wider region: Jaen.