JOURNAL
Linares - La Carolina
Mining District
The Linares–La Carolina Mining District is a breathtaking industrial and geological landscape of global importance, shaped by over 4,000 years of mining history. Its golden era came in the 19th century, when the Industrial Revolution, powered by British and French investment, brought Cornish-style steam technology to the region. Between 1870 and 1920, this district rose to become the world’s leading producer of lead.
Today, the area is a living monument to its powerful legacy—a cultural, academic, and economic asset that invites exploration. Visitors can discover more than 65 preserved industrial structures, including towering chimneys, historic mine shafts, engine houses, slag heaps, railway stations, and tracks—134 protected heritage elements in total.
Beneath the surface lie extraordinary geological treasures: silver-rich galena veins, formed 350 million years ago, still visible today—silent witnesses to a deep and dramatic past.
Natural park
Cazorla, Segura & Villas
The Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas Natural Park, covering more than 210,000 hectares, is the largest protected area in Spain and the second largest in Europe.
Designated a Biosphere Reserve (1983), Natural Park (1986), and Special Protection Area for Birds (ZEPA, 1987), it hosts the largest continuous pine forest in the country, with trees such as the salgareño pine reaching over 1,000 years old, and one remarkable specimen over 2,000 years old, found along the Millennial Yew Tree Trail.
The park is home to more than 2,200 plant species, including around 24 local endemics like the Cazorla violet and the fascinating Rivasmartinezia cazorlana. It also shelters 51 species of mammals and 185 species of birds, including the griffon vulture, golden eagle, and the bearded vulture, which is currently being reintroduced.
Los Centenares
The village of Los Centenares is one of the "lost villages" located in the remote Sierra de Segura (Jaén), within the municipality of Santiago-Pontones. It was once a thriving settlement, but more than 4,500 people were displaced between 1951 and 1979 due to expropriations carried out for environmental and hunting-related purposes. The village was seized by Francoist and Andalusian authorities to create the National Game Reserve and for reforestation efforts, leading to the forced relocation of its inhabitants and the eventual abandonment of the area.
It is situated at an altitude between 1,300 and 1,400 meters, in a rugged and beautiful valley within the Natural Park of Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas.
Old & abandoned
Railway
Baeza–Utiel:
This was part of the ambitious “Tren del Renacimiento” (“Renaissance Train”) project, intended to connect Jaén with Valencia via Albacete. The project was permanently canceled in 1963 due to reports of financial deficits; only partial sections, such as the Albacete stretch (opened in 1967), ever entered service. Construction was halted in 1985, and the tracks in Jaén were dismantled in 1991.
The old Úbeda station, built with a solid structure of concrete, ashlar masonry, marble-framed openings, and exposed brickwork, features a harmonious design with a mixtilinear pediment. Inside, you can still find platforms, original floor tiles, and remnants of bunk beds, kitchens, and bathrooms. The workers' buildings are in a semi-ruined state, with collapsed roofs.
World Heritage Cities
Úbeda & Baeza
Nestled in the province of Jaén, the twin cities of Úbeda and Baeza are jewels of the Spanish Renaissance. Recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites in 2003, they offer an extraordinary concentration of palaces, churches, and civic buildings that reflect the architectural splendor of the 16th century.
Wandering through their narrow, stone-paved streets reveals a harmonious blend of Renaissance elegance and Andalusian tradition. Úbeda impresses with its majestic Plaza Vázquez de Molina, while Baeza captivates with its cathedral, fountains, and university cloisters. Together, they form a unique cultural and historical landscape that stands as a testament to Spain’s Golden Age.
Natural park
Sierra de Andújar
It features vast Mediterranean forests of holm oak, cork oak, gall oak, and pine, along with unique granite formations known as bolos.
The area between Andújar, Baños de la Encina, and El Centenillo offers a unique blend of Mediterranean landscape, flagship wildlife like the Iberian lynx, mining and historical heritage, and countless opportunities for outdoor activities including hiking, MTB, stargazing, and cultural exploration.