Aracena is a gorgeous small town nestled in the hills of the Sierra de Aracena in Andalucía, southern Spain just a few hours drive from Seville. It is the perfect location for a European weekend city-break or a short stay if you’re busy exploring Andalucia. Weirdly, Aracena barely registers on the foreign tourist trails of Spain despite having been named a “Tourist Municipality of Andalucía” in 2006, the first town in Huelva to receive this recognition.

Let me take your hand and share with you exactly what to do in Aracena.

Aracena Location Highlights – why do people visit?

As I said, foreigners aren’t regularly spotted in Aracena but the Spanish absolutely know about this gem of a location.

📌 There is plenty to do in Aracena and it’s the perfect distance from Sevilla for a day trip or weekend trip.

📌 The biggest tourist draw is the Gruta de las Maravillas – a cave right under the castle hill that will blow your mind. This cave is one of the reasons Aracena is so great for kids visiting Andalucía.

📌 The ruined castle and church are visible from almost everywhere in the town and the very first glimpse of the castle on its craggy hill will take your breath away as you enter town.

📌 Most people who visit Aracena are interested in good food and exploring the gorgeous surrounding Sierra de Aracena.

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Where is Aracena?

📍 Aracena is in the north of Huelva Province, in the Spanish Autonomous Region of Andalusia. It is the largest town in the Parque Natural Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche.

🚗 Just thirty minutes from Aracena is the similarly gorgeous town of Almonaster La Real.

🚘 Aracena is an approximately ninety-minute drive from Seville and Huelva and two hours from Mérida. The roads are safe and well-maintained all the way. The views for much of this drive will have you exclaiming with joy. It’s a perfect day trip from Seville distance.

History of Aracena

The modern history of Aracena seems to be tied up with its castle site but there have been people living in this region since the Chalcolithic period. The mines in the area were what drew the Romans to the area in the first century BCE.

The castle we see today was built when the Orden del Hospital (Portuguese) ruled the area in the thirteenth century. This castle was itself built on the site of a much older Moorish castle. In the late thirteenth century, Aracena was ceded by Portugal to Castile and was included in the region named “Banda Gallega”, a collection of border fortifications designed to protect Castille from Portugal.

The village of Aracena, from what I understand, grew up around the castle and by the late Middle Ages had reached into the valley spreading into numerous villages.

The discovery of the cave under the hill in 1850 and its subsequent opening to tourists in 1914 made Aracena something of a spot for “underground tourism”.

What to do in Aracena

TOP TIP: The “Tarjeta Aracena Turistíca” offers discounted access to the three main tourist sites of Aracena:  the castle, cave, and Museo del Jamón. This ticket costs fifteen Euros per adult. Book online or buy as you enter the cave or pig museum.

📌 Tourist Train

If you don’t fancy wandering around town then there is a tourist train that takes people around the town including up the hill to the castle. It costs five Euros for adults and four Euros for kids. You can purchase tickets on Plaza San Pedro just down from the cave.

📌 Castle and  Priory Church

Up on the hill dominating your every thought as you explore the gorgeous town that is Aracena, this combo can’t be missed. Together the two are known as Castillo-Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores. The easiest way up is via the stunning Plaza Alta (the plaza that used to be the centre of town). Here, you’ll find signs pointing out the narrow path up the hill.

If you’re a fan of castles then you may need to add Alcalá de Guadaira, Olvera, Zuheros, Segovia and the Castle in Monfragüe National Park to your list of awesome places to visit in Southern Spain.

You might think you’re heading up for the castle but it’s more than likely to be the church and the views that steal your heart – first, the glorious bell tower entrance will grab your attention, and then as you head around the corner, the huge imposing church windows with views onto the valley below will take your breath away.

If spectacular views are your thing then you should absolutely visit the nearby pueblos blancos of Cádiz Province, Mijas Pueblo in Malaga or Antequera, also in Malaga Province where the views from the Alcazaba on just one of the many draws to the city (think most important dolmens in western Europe and the best example of a karst landscape in Europe). Don’t forget, of course, Monfragüe National Park in Extremadura

The castle is fascinating and your entry fee includes (via an app) a commentary worth checking out.

📌 Gruta de Maravillas

Beneath the castle lies a stunning cave system that will blow your mind. I began by being fairly non-plussed by the cave, having spent the last six years playing in Mexico’s cenotes but it didn’t take long for me to begrudgingly concede that I was experiencing something really pretty special.

The cave is visited as tour with a Spanish-speaking guide there are audio guides for non-Spanish speakers. The tour takes around an hour and during that time the group moves pretty continuously through twelve cave chambers. In total, the walk is 1.2km including many sets of steps up and down. The cave system contains fabulous underground lakes, weird rock formations, stalactites, stalagmites and columns. One chamber is called “the naked room” because it is full of brilliantly phallic-shaped formations.

⭐️ There are a myriad of excellent reasons to visit Spain, keep reading to learn more about this magnificent country ⭐️

Other Fascinating Spanish Caves to Visit

➡️ Zuheros, a tiny mountain village in Córdoba province also has a  castle and cave that are well worth visiting

➡️ Gibraltar is also home to a fascinating cave. In fact, the Romans thought this was a never ending cave

➡️ The Spanish island of Mallorca is home to the Caves of Drach (Dragon Caves) – this is a series of four massive caves and one of the biggest subterranean lakes in the entire world!

Be aware that it is requested you do not to take photos in the caves. It is recommended to buy tickets online as they do sell out, especially on holidays and weekends. See above for link to where to do this.

📌 Plaza de San Pedro /Plaza de la Gruta de Maravillas

Upon exiting the cave complex you’ll find yourself in a touristy area with shops and restaurants. If you walk left through you find yourself standing between these two beautiful plazas. Here you can sit and enjoy a drink before checking out the small  Outdoor Museum of Contemporary Andalusian Art where, amidst the numerous orange trees, you will find sculptures. The Lavadero Fuente De Concejo where locals used to congregate to wash their clothes is also right here and is worth a moment of your time.

One final stop here must be Richard Chocolat – a small chocolate store owned by Estelle, who makes the bean-to-bar chocolate herself. She let me try a good range before I decided on the three I wanted to take home.

Museo del Jamón

This small museum needs to exist because the region really is famous for its ham. If you want to learn about the process of raising pigs for ham, it’s probably very informative. I did go in because truthfully, I love checking out weird museums but this one didn’t do it for me. The Mycology Interpretation Centre is in the same building.

Stroll around the old town

Aracena is just the best town to stroll around. I was there at the end of November so it was chilly but the sky was bright blue, making the white buildings twinkle in the sunlight. It’s perfectly fine to just get yourself a little lost in this tiny town. Be sure to find the Plaza Alta and the Plaza Marqués de Aracena as you stroll around. Arias Montano Park is a beautifully maintained park with a nice kids’ area, some chickens and many fountains.

Explore the national park and surrounding villages – we did not but there are many great hikes and paths to follow as you get to know the area. Recommended places to visit include: Almonaster la Real,  Minas de Riotinto, Cascada de los Molinos, Higuera de la Sierra. There are great hiking areas, particularly between Aracena and Cortegana.

Aracena Foodie Travel Tips

🍄 Stop in at Tienda Setas Sirlache to pick up local goodies (including seasonally freshly picked or deep-frozen mushrooms) and incredible olive oils. They also have a cafe so I absolutely recommend grabbing a coffee and sitting at a table outside to watch the world go by.

🧀 Abaceria Monte Robledo is another delicatessen – good for cheese

🥮 Confeteria Rufino – this pastry shop called to us even before we saw the long lines of people waiting outside to be allowed in. It did not disappoint. Staff are very helpful and patient when you have no clue what half the pastries are and be warned; you will spend more than you mean to especially when you notice the sheets of chocolate they sell. We went twice and I’m embarrassed to admit how much we spent in total.

Where to Eat in Aracena

Aracena seems to be one of those places where all the food is exceptional. Every single thing we put in our mouths while in Aracena was incredible. We booked our trip knowing that jamón de bellota was something of a specialty of the region and then were utterly thrilled to discover that not only is Aracena also known for its mushrooms, but our trip was slap bang in the middle of mushroom season. What luck! What joy! I did not want to waste this opportunity so did my research and found us some fabulous restaurants to try. Of course, in one short weekend, we couldn’t try all the restaurants in Aracena so all I can say is that these options are fabulous and I highly recommend them.

TOP TIP: 🍄 Mushroom season is Nov – April. There are dozens of different varieties including some that are only found in this region. 🐗 If you’re a meat eater then the local specialties jamón ibérico and jamón de bellota are considered to be some of the finest hams in the country.

Bar P’tasca

By Aracena’s bull ring this popular restaurant really requires a reservation because otherwise you’ll miss out on their amazing food. Everything we ate was incredible and everything everyone around us was eating looked similarly fantastic.

El Patio de Aracena 

This super-friendly restaurant serves up plates to make you wish for a bigger stomach. We ate mushrooms while enjoying a chat with the delightful owners.

Casa Sirlache

Linked to the delicatessen mentioned above, this restaurant, opposite the park, is very serious about mushrooms. Above the bar, when we were there, was a board explaining which mushrooms they had and how they are served. Again, everything was delicious and we wished we could have eaten more.

Where to stay in Aracena

We chose to stay just outside of town so we could enjoy incredible views. We stayed at Hotel La Era de Aracena and thoroughly enjoyed the stupendous sunsets and sunrises over cork-oak-covered hills. There are plenty of great hotels in Aracena too, of course.

Where to Park in Aracena

🚘 There are plenty of spots for parking in Aracena. We never had trouble finding anywhere to park in Aracena. When we went to the castle we left the car on Plaza Alta (note that google maps will give you a route all the way up but really it’s better to leave the car on Plaza Alta). When we were exploring in town we parked on Av de Andelucía

Where Next in Spain?

🌍 Cordoba – home to the mezquita, gorgeous patios covered in flowers, a spectacular old town and great food

🌍 Ronda – haven’t you always wanted to see the famous town that’s split across a deep gorge?

🌎 Mérida – a small city jam-packed with Roman ruins

🌍 Zuheros – a tiny mountain town with a castle, caves, an animal rescue centre and plenty of walking routes

🌍 Faro – nip into Portugal for a day or two to explore this cute and not super touristy town on the beach

🌍 Cadíz – one of the oldest cities in Spain, chock full of culture, beaches and great food

Suggested reading materials for your trip to Aracena

 
     

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