Banos de la Encina is a very charming little city in the south of Spain. Not many international tourists have visited or even heard about this town, but it was voted one of the prettiest small towns in Spain in 2021. And although Banos de la Encina is not a popular tourist destination there are still some things to do for visitors.
Banos de la Encina is a very beautiful town with many cute streets. It actually reminded me a bit of Jardin in Colombia. Same one/two story buildings from nice looking streets.
I also recommend you to bring your camera if you have it on the walk around the city. There are a few great spots with gorgeous views of the castle.
While exploring the city, be prepared to walk a lot up and down, since Banos de la Encina is built on very hilly ground. Comfortable shoes that are not slippery are preferred. I actually slipped on the polished cobblestones while walking down the hill.
At the Plaza de la Constitución you will find the beautiful church of San Mateo. It is a well preserved piece of history from the XV century.
You can visit the church on your own or with a tour group (ask at the tourist information office).
If you are planning on visiting the church of San Mateo on your own, pay attention to the mass schedule. It is better to visit before or after mass (unless you want to be present during the mass), otherwise the church might be closed.
Note: the mass at the church of San Mateo starts around 11 am – 12pm. But the time can change.
Inside the church you will see a beautiful altar. Also pay attention to the ceiling, it is quite gorgeous.
Overall, the church of San Mateo is very beautiful and well worth a visit.
Castillo de Banos de la Encina is located 3 minutes from the plaza de la Constitución. It is very easy to spot, since the castle of Banos de la Encina is visible from the plaza, and there are a lot of street signs that will bring you to the right place.
Known also as Burgalimar Castle, it is supposedly the oldest standing castle in Spain and second oldest in Europe. It was built in 968 AD.
Castillo de Banos de la Encina is a very well preserved castle and well maintained one.
The castle was built to protect the Andalusia region from the north (at the Guadalquivir valley). It mostly was used for watching out and training the soldiers. Inside the castle you will see the remains of the walls that once were accommodations for soldiers.
Actually, considering how long Castillo de Banos de la Encina was around, it is surprising that it still stands and looks pretty good.
After the castle lost its military purpose, it became a cemetery. And during the 19th and 20th century it stayed that way.
Later a new cemetery was built in the outskirts of the town and from the 1950s until 2007 an exhumation occurred in the castle.
Nowadays there are no corpses in the grounds any more (as far as we know), and the place is open for tourists.
To get inside the castle you will need to pay a small fee. A ticket for an adult is €3. You also can book a visit with a professional tour guide to learn more history about this place.
There is not actually a lot to see inside, however you can explore the grounds of the castle and climb up the fortification wall. All around the castle you will see plaques with some history of the place which are also translated to English.
While walking on the wall, check out the view of the city. From the wall you can also access the torre del homenaje (main tower) and learn more facts about the castle there as well.
Overall it will take you about 20 – 40 minutes to explore the whole place and enjoy the view from the castle’ walls.
Molino de viento del Santo Cristo is a big stone windmill that is located on Calera hill. The windmill was built in the 18th century to mill grain (no surprise here).
Despite the olive oil production around this area, a lot of other crops were farmed here as well, which meant structures needed to mill the grains into flour.
The windmill is nicely preserved and you can see it while exploring the city. Most of the time it is closed, which is a bit disappointing, since I really wanted to see how it looks inside.
There are also organized tours available during which you can learn the history of the windmill and explore it more. For those who wish to do so ask in the tourist information office near the entrance of the city.
If you are traveling by your own car, chances are that you will do Banos de la Encina in a day and then go to another city for the night. However if you are coming to Banos de la Encina by public transport, you are probably spending a night in this city.
Despite Banos de la Encina being not a very popular tourist destination, there are still a few hotels in this city where you can stay.
Since you are staying a short time in Banos de la Encina, choose a nice accommodation to relax and get a nice experience. For example we spent a few nights at the charming hotel Rural Palacio Guzmanes (click here to read a full review of the hotel) that we really liked.
One of the main reasons people even visit Banos de la Encina is to use it as a jumping off point to Sierra de Andujar. This natural park is home to the rare Iberian lynx which is one of the most endangered wildcats in the world.
Looking for the Iberian lynx as well as other animals like birds and rutting deer was the highlight of the trip. There are two tour companies that offer private and semi-private tours, but you can also drive yourself if you have your own car and gear.
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