Parador de Jaen Castillo de Santa Catalina

Spain - Andalusia - Jaen

Luxury four star hotel in a thirteenth century Arab fortress

The views as the road climbs to the Parador over the city of Jaen and the Andalusia countryside are marvelous with the ultimate panorama at the top from the Parador.

From the balconies of the bedrooms there is a 180 degrees view of the plain of the Guadalquivir river, surrounded by the hills of the Sierra Morena and the high mountains of the Sierra Nevada.

As this is enjoyed, it is easy to understand the reason for the position of this castle with both the ability to see approaching enemy and also the difficulty of making an attack.

Jaen has a long history. During the Roman occupation, around the time of Christ, it was called Aurigis because of the silver mines in the region. Later it was captured by the Moors who gave it the name of Geen which is the Arabic for caravan route since important trading roads met in the city.

During the Arab rule the castle was built on this site which kept the city at peace until it was captured by Ferdinand III in 1246. He extended the castle which held out against the repeated attacks by the Moors over the next two hundred years.

The castle was rebuilt and extended to form the Parador which opened in 1968.
Impressive twenty metre high crossed arches dominate the main sitting room with large metal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling with furniture to match the historic setting.

The comfortable and friendly bedrooms with magnificent panoramic views stand out. Many of them have canopied beds on raised platforms.

The decor of the large dining room is Arabic in style and a mixture of international dishes and local specialties are served. Some of the local dishes that should be tried include:

"ajo blanco" which is a cold soup with strong garlic flavouring;
"Ensalada de perdiz" being partridge with salad;
"pipirrana" being the regional mixed vegetable salad;
"morcilla en caldera", black pudding cooked in the pot;

There is an exterior swimming pool for the guests or a walk can be taken on the now grassed parade ground of the castle while looking at the surrounding fortifications.

This Parador has thirty one twin bedded rooms, six rooms with a double bed and eight single rooms. All rooms have a private bathroom, a telephone, satellite television and a mini bar.

The Parador is air conditioned with a restaurant and bar. There are conference facilities if required.

Pets are not allowed in the Parador.

Directions

The Parador on a hill overlooking the town 5 kms distant Go past the cathedral and turn right at the end following the Parador signs.