Discover Alcalá La Real

Alcalá La Real combines a striking historical heritage with cultural events and routes through the surrounding area. There are several ways to plan your trip, including the Fortaleza de la Mota, the traditions of Semana Santa, Etnosur and the town’s archaeological remains.

Etnosur and cultural traditions

Etnosur has been held in Alcalá La Real on the third weekend of July since 1997; admission is free. The multidisciplinary festival uses the whole town as a venue and combines music with circus, workshops, storytelling, street activities, crafts and food. If you want to plan your stay around a recurring cultural event, it offers a clear date to consider when arranging your trip.

Semana Santa also shapes the town’s cultural identity. It is recognised as a Fiesta de Interés Turístico Nacional (Festival of National Tourist Interest). Its distinctive expressions include mime performances and theatrical proclamations; its origins lie in the Baroque autos sacramentales. Together with Etnosur, these represent two distinct forms of public culture: a multidisciplinary festival and a religious tradition with a Baroque background.

Fortaleza de la Mota and the old town

The Fortaleza de la Mota is designated a Bien de Interés Cultural (Asset of Cultural Interest). It preserves the original structure of the Almohad wall and the Renaissance urban layout. Its design also follows the layout of an Islamic city: Madina, Alcázar and Arrabal form three fortified areas. Siege galleries run beneath the fortress, connecting Arrabal and Madina. The tunnels extend for more than 120 metres and have a 40 percent gradient.

A route through the old town follows the Llanillo from Paseo de los Álamos to Compás de Consolación. Along the way, it passes San Antón and the former Convento de Capuchinos. For a different perspective on the town’s architecture, there is the Palacete de la Hilandera: built at the end of the 19th century, it is considered one of the finest examples of Modernism in the comarca.

Museums, archaeology and architectural heritage

The Museo de la Religiosidad is located in the Iglesia de San Juan. Its exhibitions focus on local popular religious traditions, including rostrillos—masks worn by figures from the Bible during Semana Santa in Alcalá La Real. The Casa-Hermandad del Ecce Homo y Jesús en la Columna houses another exhibition on Semana Santa. It features dressed and masked figures, a family altar and photographs documenting local traditions.

The Yacimiento Domus Herculana contains Alcalá La Real’s most significant Roman archaeological remains. Excavations uncovered a faun’s head and a high relief depicting Hercules with a dog; both can be seen at the Museo de Palacio Abacial. The town’s heritage thus spans everything from its Roman past to the religious customs reflected in its collections and exhibitions.

The Convento de la Trinidad also brings together different historical layers. A multipurpose building intended to serve as an exhibition and gastronomy centre was reconstructed on the site of the former church and convent, founded in 1475. The entrance gardens of the convent contain remains of a maqbara, a former Muslim cemetery. The Jardines de la Trinidad retain their cypress and boxwood trees, as well as a fountain and the remains of pergolas, springs, steps and balustrades.

Routes and landscapes

Outside the old town, two officially approved routes offer contrasting landscapes. The hiking trail along the Río Velillos follows the river through a landscape in the municipality shaped by dryland farming. The Zumaques route leads to the rock formations known as “Los Tajos”; below them, natural vegetation survives as a remnant of the Mediterranean forests of southern Spain. The Centro de Rescate de Anfibios y Reptiles provides information about native and invasive species. It also helps rescue threatened native populations and exotic animals from the pet trade.

Alcalá La Real is also a gateway to two stages of the Camino Mozárabe de Santiago. For pilgrims coming from Granada, the town is the end point of one stage and the starting point of the route through the province of Jaén. The fortress, old town, cultural traditions and landscape routes give your trip a range of possible themes.

Discover more destinations: Charilla, La Guardia de Jaén, Bailén, Aldeaquemada, Begíjar, Escañuela, Cabra Del Santo Cristo, La Carrasca.

For the main travel overview: Jaen.