This area lies between the mountains of the south of Jaen, the Sierra Subbetica and the Cordoba countryside. A mixture of hills and meadows, it is home to both fresh and salt waters and the character and customs of its people are marked by the summer sun and the chill of winter. A typical Mediterranean setting in the south of the Peninsula, but with a certain continental flavour.
A landscape of meadows, countryside, hills and olive groves set on fertile soils amidst limestone massifs crowned by hillocks and foothill plains, seams of salt and gypsum.
Streams, wells and springs make up the area’s hydraulic heritage. Water, in some cases hidden and in others visible in narrow beds coated with tamarisk, once resided in Roman fountains, wells and tanks, while further upstream it turned the paddles and buckets of waterwheels and now lies captive in Vadomojon reservoir.
El Guadajoz y Campiña Este de Cordoba is home to five municipalities: Baena, Castro del Rio, Espejo, Nueva Carteya and Valenzuela.
The country landscape is traversed from east to west by the River Guadajoz, at the head of which stands Vadomojon reservoir at the entrance to the province of Cordoba. Most of the countryside is made up of crop fields, notably devoted to the production of olives, and, to a declining extent, cereals and vines.
Our area also boasts a most valued treasure, a precious gift that brings us both prestige and universal renown. Veritable liquid gold, our olive oil, which enjoys Denomination of Origin status, has become one of our finest ambassadors on tables and in kitchens the world over. Endorsed by its extraordinary quality, our oil carries with it the enormous responsibility of tradition and innovation, culture and development, health and artisanship.
In addition to their conventional usage in producing a healthy condiment that has become an indispensable ingredient in the Mediterranean diet, the products and sub-products of our olive groves have since ancient times also served a wide range of purposes which, after teetering on the brink of extinction, have now been recovered as key resources in the diversification of the new rural economy. Soap, cosmetics and essential oils based on virgin olive oil, fertilisers made from olive juice and sediment, the generation of electricity using the biomass left over after the completion of the oil production process and hand-made olive wood furniture which has now brought international renown to the village of Castro del Rio all serve both to enrich the stay of our visitors and improve the lives of the local populace.
Apart from the produce of the olive groves, other sectors of economic activity include the textile industry and hand-crafted articles based on the traditional Easter figure of the “Judio” (Jew), including his unusual attire and drums, in Baena, hand-crafted equestrian items and traditional meat products in Espejo, and typical liquid foodstuffs and cakes in all of the area’s villages.
Halfway along the Caliphate Route between the cities of Cordoba and Granada, the visitor will find that a wealth of attractions await in the towns and villages of El Guadajoz y Campiña Este de Cordoba. Three of these, Baena, Castro del Rio and Espejo, are situated on the route itself, while Nueva Carteya and Valenzuela are just a few kilometres off the beaten track.
Olives, wine, local festivals and cuisine are just a few of the attractions referred to above, a brief summary of which would also include the following:
Baena boasts a past rich in history, as witnessed by both Ibero-Roman remains at Torreparedones (a 15-ha excavation) and the exhibits on show in the local Archaeology Museum. Baena is also famed throughout the world for its Easter celebrations, which are showcased in a museum devoted exclusively to this religious festival. Its oldest quarter, Almedina, is filled with eastern charm. The castle, begun in the IX century, was enlarged during the Caliphate era and the times of the Christian conquest. It was later home to the lords of Baena, whose patronage in the XVI century is evident in many of the local monuments, the highlights of which are Santa Maria la Mayor Church, which, prior to being converted into a flamboyant gothic church in the XIV century, was actually a XII-century mosque, the church of the Madre de Dios Convent, with its marbles, trusses and works of art by Zurbaran, Sanchez Coello and Bassano, the Plaza del Coso square and the Casa de la Tercia, the old public granary.
Even today, it is evident that the origins of Castro del Rio are closely linked to its castle, though there is thought to have been a settlement here even before the arrival of the Romans. Still in evidence here are the remains of the walls that once surrounded the district known as Barrio de la Villa, a haven of narrow streets and picturesque corners. The nearby manor houses and the façade of La Asuncion Chruch are a must for the visitor, not forgetting the Posito Agricola, the old public granary built in the XVIII century, now an exhibition centre and library, or Ramiro’s Mill, now the site of the Olive Oil Museum, which is flanked by the River Guadajoz, an ideal spot in which to take a stroll and enjoy the fresh air.
Espejo is characterised by the silhouette of its old castle standing on a hilltop. Its privileged location has made it a popular stopover point. Rich in archaeological remains, its artistic legacy is on display in San Bartolome Church, while the numerous bars that line the road provide the visitor with the perfect excuse to sample the wide variety of local sausages.
Nueva Carteya is the gateway to the more rugged terrain of the neighbouring Sierras Subbeticas. Vines and olive groves alternate between the country houses and fields immortalised in the songs of Juan Valera. The local wines and olive oil are as good today as they were back then. Nueva Carteya is a new village that invites the visitor to take a stroll and discover new landscapes. Worthy of special mention are the local streams, notably Carchena and Guadalmoral.
Valenzuela is first and foremost a rural village. Characterised by its wheat fields, it is a popular haven for the great and little bustard and other steppe birds. Valenzuela is also a place of rest for aquatic birds, for whom the village’s wet zones provide the ideal habitat. The view from El Calvario Chapel reveals a sea of cereal crops as far as the eye can sea, with the occasional olive grove now beginning to appear. Adding a splash of whitewash to these golden fields, the white pools and piles of the salt pans provide these fertile plains with yet another distinctive feature.
The traveller will find accommodation readily available in hotels and guesthouses, of the old and modern variety alike. Sustenance can be taken in one of the many restaurants to be found in all of the area’s villages.
The best way to really get to know and appreciate this culture of olive groves and olive oil is to follow what is known as the “Olive grove and olive oil route”, a tourist excursion endorsed by TERRA OLEA, the tourist quality mark as far as olive oil culture is concerned. This trip will enable the visitor to see at first hand the olive presses where the miracle of transforming olives into liquid gold is worked.

Wherever we turn, the earth is teeming with the fossilised remains of beings from bygone eras, of sea urchins and shells from the Primary, Secondary or Tertiary ages. Over time, the earth folded and the sea was filled with stones and sand. River beds and hills appeared, providing havens for a wealth of fauna and flora. The Mediterranean hills, then a vast expanse, spread throughout the area with their holm oaks, kermes oaks and wild olives, all surrounded by cistuses, rosemary and thyme. Then came the pasturelands and the breaking up of a system of which well-preserved pockets still remain in higher enclaves and in the shape of solitary holm oaks that look on in silence as the landscape is transformed.
The variety of species to be found in the area is extremely diverse. Amongst the multitude of birds and mammals, the partridge, turtledove, hare and rabbit are the key animals in exhilarating hunting expeditions that can be complemented by recreational fishing in the waters of Vadomojon reservoir. Up on the hills, thyme and other aromatic plants provide essential seasoning for olives, as well as forming the basis of a popular pharmacopoeia of health drinks and oils made from leaves, stems and roots. Elsewhere, esparto grass and twigs provide the raw materials used to make panniers and baskets.

Asociacion Desarrollo de Guadajoz y Campilla Este de Cordoba (Guadajoz y Campilla Este de Cordoba Development Association)

Address: Calle Santo Domingo Henares, 7 Bajo. 14850
Location: Baena
Telephone number: 957 69 23 45
E-Mail: info@adegua.com
Web Site: http://www.adegua.com