To the North
In the North of the Province lie the Sierra de Aracena and the Picos de Aroche. They make up a gently rugged landscape dotted with small villages. The slopes are covered with cork, oak, chestnut and wild olive trees and are cut by rushing streams and mountain roads.
Río Tinto Mines & Museum
The area was settled in ancient times by the Phoenicians and Romans who mined copper, silver and iron. The open faced mines of Río Tinto are still one of the regions attractions. Corta Atalaya is one of the largest opencast mines in the world and from the viewpoint you can see the crater and marvel at the extent of years of excavation.
Situated in the village, the museum explains the history of the mines and of the Río Tinto Company. There is a 250 metre long reproduction of a Roman mine which you can walk round and witness first hand the ancient struggles to retrieve the earth's treasures. Also in the village is the unusual Bella Vista Quarter where English style 19th century terraced houses were built for the English employees of Río Tinto.
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Aracena, Iglesia del Castillo & Gruta de las Maravillas
The town of Aracena is a prime tourist spot which surrounds a ruined Moorish fortress and its adjacent church of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores. There are a number of pleasant bars and cafés in the charming streets.
The spectacular limestone formations of the underground cave system of the Gruta de las Maravillas are the finest in Andalucía. An hour long tour takes you through 1,200 metres of illuminated galleries and tunnels which link 12 spectacular caverns, where limestone deposits have formed stalagmites and stalactites. There are six underground lakes within the system and the whole is linked by paved walkways, ramps and steps.
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Jabugo
The village of Jabugo is famed across Spain as the home of the country's tastiest cured ham - jamón ibérico or pata negra. The Iberian pig, with its slender dark coloured hooves, is fed on the acorns from holm oaks and then its meat is left to cure in the dry, fresh mountain air of the Sierra de Aracena.
The Jabugo area was settled in Neolithic times, as the archaeological sites of la Cueva de la Mora and the Bronze Age remains at El Becerro testify. In the village, the Mudéjar Iglesia Parroquial is situated at the foot of a hill which serves as a viewing point across the Sierra.
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Aroche
The charming hill top village of Aroche lies only 24km from the border of Portugal. Its Moorish castle, originally established in the 9th century, was rebuilt substantially in 1923 and now incorporates one of Andalucía's most eccentric bullrings, as well as the village's archaeological museum. Aroche's main square, Plaza de España, has a good number of cafés and bars and is a delightful place to while away a few hours, watching the world go by.
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