What to do in Jaén

Jaén is the capital of Europe's largest olive-growing province, and its surroundings combine an agricultural landscape with two natural areas well suited to outdoor activities. Sierra Mágina, about 20 km to the southeast, offers hiking above 2,000 m, with marked routes through oak and holm-oak woodland up to the Mágina summit. Rock climbing is practised on the walls of Sierra Pandera, near Los Villares, with well-equipped limestone sectors for different grades. Horse-riding and mountain biking routes follow rural paths through olive groves stretching in every direction from the city. The Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas Natural Park, roughly 90 km to the east, broadens the options with canyoning, canoeing on the Tranco reservoir and hiking at the source of the Guadalquivir. The province's eco-routes link rural villages through the livestock-path network, passable on foot or by bike, with the mountains as a constant backdrop.