Aracena region natural Park sierra Aracena in North east Andalucia

The extensive natural Park sierra Aracena y Picos de Aroche is a region of many marvels- beautiful, green landscape with dreamy villages, impressive caves with crystalline waters, castles, mosques and semi-wild pigs that produce exquisite ham. Still, the area remains a hidden treasure yet to be discovered up in the north-east Andalucia in Costa de la Luz.

The best jamon iberico is from Jabugo

There is one thing which unites the many Spain’s of Spain. While not everyone loves football, nor is every region blessed with a beautiful Mediterranean climate, almost everyone eats the native jamon, or cured ham. And those who love their jamon know that the best comes from Andalucía’s Sierra de Aracena, especially from the town of Jabugo.

Thanks to its cold, dry winters and its mild springs and summer weather, Jabugo is simply the finest producer of the famous jamon iberico or rarer still the pata negra – literally “black foot”, referring to the special breed of semi-wild pig which produces the very best. This deliciously marbled cured ham comes from indigenous pigs fed mainly, and in the case of the supreme jamon iberico de bellota, on acorns in the wild oak woodlands of the region.

This jamon bellota, surprisingly for the uniniated, fetches as much as 350 for a whole leg. Unsurprisingly there are many spots in Jabugo, and in the neighbouring towns of Cortegana and Cumbers Mayores, which offer high quality jamon iberico.

Aracena regions Natural Parks

Indeed, the Aracena region offers many other natural delights. For example, the area is well known for its marvellous harvests of wild mushrooms. The local farmers in the south are produce grapes for the famous sherry bodegas in Jerez. And, although the natural park of Doñana in the south of the province attracts the headlines, the more rugged and varied countryside boasts a distinctive blend of tiny remote villages speckling valley slopes, and typically Mediterranean forests of oak, cork and chestnut. It is full too of delightful fauna with kestrels, eagles and deer commonly sighted, not to mention the many storks that enjoy nesting in the tower s of the area’s many ancient churches. And as a result, this is perfect countryside for exploring on foot or on horseback.

The Parque Natural Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche takes in more than 450.000 acres of this lovely hill country and includes many marked walking paths. Especially enjoyable is the area around the town of Aracena itself. This is the part of the province celebrated by Honor Tracy in her delightful classic account of a tour around Spain in the late 1950s, “Silk Hats and No Breakfast.” Thanks to her intimate and ultimately stormy relationship with Gerard Brenan and his wife Gamel Woolsey, Tracy came to know rural Andalusia well and writes of how the pueblo of Aracena, “a beautiful place little visited by foreigners,” left behind an impression of great beauty and peace.

The Gruta de las Maravillas - Grotto of Marvels in Aracena

But Tracy was particularly struck by one of Aracena indeed Spain’s most spectacular landmarks, the cave system known as the Gruta de las Maravillas (Grotto of Marvels). It is hard to disagree with her description of the caves as “a weird and wonderful place”, a network of halls formed from the limestone hillside into a series of chambers full of stalagmites, stalactites and other natural rock sculptures.

The caves were discovered in the early 20th century by a young boy looking for a lost pig –what else? - And become the first caves in Spain to be opened to the public. So unusual are the interiors that they were used in the film version of Jules Verne’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth.

The Rio Tinto

However, despite the natural wonders, the fingerprint of man is also noticeable in the north of the province. The huge Rio Tinto mines which spawned an astonishingly complex British colonial outpost are still very much in evidence to the south of Aracena. And, man has also made his mark architecturally through the two key Andalusia cultural flashpoints of war and religion. It is easy to forget that not all invading or counterattacking armies worked their way along a north-south axis through the country.

The nine-sided fortress in Cumbres de Mayores

Huelva province borders Portugal (it’s in the north of Costa de la Luz) and is a popular access point for the Algarve. However, a reminder of less happy days can be seen in the numerous castles in the area built in the 13th century as bastions against the incursions of Moorish soldiers from Portugal. Among the most interesting examples are those at Aroche, the nine-sided irregular polygon of fortifications at Cumbres de Mayores which were declared a national monument in 1985, and the nicely conserved castle built by Sancho IV the Brave in Cortegana.

Aracena Nuestra Senora Del Mayor Dolor church

And of course where there are castle there are churches, the architectural statements of domination by victorious armies. As elsewhere in Andalusia, Christian and Moorish religious building work sit intriguingly side by side. So Aracena 13th century Gothic-Mudejar church the Iglesia de Nuestra Senora Del Mayor Dolor, established by enterprising Knights Templar’s, has fine mud jar brickwork while nearby Almonaster la Real boasts Spain’s smallest and arguably loveliest mezquita.

Built in the 10th century of Moorish builders from Alhambra Granada, it was turned into a church in the 13th century and remained so until it was recently restored back to its former glory. Today, travellers can see the original minaret (not to mention an archway from earlier Visigothic occupation) and the in side is strongly reminiscent of Cordoba’s own great mezquita with hypnotic rows of brick arches and columns, some of which have ancient Roman capitals.

Alajar’s Ermita de Nuestra Senora Reina de Los Angeles inspires equal devotion but also hosts a boisterous Romeria, or pilgrimage. While the Romeria de Rocio attracts larger crowds, Alajar has an added element – many of the pilgrims making their way to the 16th century hillside shrine which contains a 13th century carving of the Virgin Mary, do so on horseback. The ermita boasts a second major historical distinction as the retirement retreat of Philip II’s trusted intellectual adviser Benito Arias Montano, and Philip is said to have visited him here during his time as a local parish priest. Montano’s former farmhouse is now the restaurant Casa el Padrino and his former chapel a dining area.

Since Honor Tracy visited nearby 50 years ago, many of Spain’s most remote treasures have been discovered and the Sierra de Aracena is by no means unknown. Yet visitor numbers are reassuringly low and largely restricted to those who appreciate the natural and finer things of life. “Aracena”, observed Tracy. “Is a place where you could dream your life away”.