# Cerca de Jaén

Jaén is among olive groves and halfway to everything. To the east, the A-316 leads to Úbeda and Baeza and the Sierra de Cazorla; to the south, the A-44 to Granada and Sierra Nevada; to the west, the Subbética, and to the north, via Despeñaperros, La Mancha.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/jaen/getaways

## Planes de un día
- [Úbeda and Baeza in a day](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/ubeda-and-baeza/itineraries/ubeda-and-baeza-el-salvador-cathedral-and-michelin-table.md) (45 min en coche): The Sinagoga del Agua and the Sacra Capilla del Salvador in Úbeda, lunch in a Baeza convent and the cathedral with its tower in the afternoon. About 45 minutes from Jaén.
- [Priego and Zuheros: Baroque and a cave](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/priego-de-cordoba-and-the-subbetica/itineraries/zuheros-cave-and-fuente-del-rey.md) (1 h en coche): The Barrio de la Villa and the Adarve, the Asunción and the Fuente del Rey in Priego, lunch in Zuheros and the guided visit to the Cueva de los Murciélagos in the afternoon.
- [Cazorla: 4x4, olive oil and castle](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/sierra-de-cazorla/itineraries/4x4-through-the-reserve-and-yedra.md) (1 h 30 en coche): A half-day by off-road vehicle along tracks closed to private cars, a signature lunch with Jaén oil and La Yedra castle as evening falls. An hour and a half from Jaén.
- [Cazorla: gorge, source and grill](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/sierra-de-cazorla/itineraries/cerrada-del-utrero-and-the-source.md) (1 h 30 en coche): The Guadalquivir gorge in the morning, its source among pines, game in Cazorla and the river that runs beneath the square. An hour and a half from Jaén.
- [Almagro: theatre at the Corral and Calatrava castle](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/almagro/itineraries/almagro-corral-de-comedias-and-calatrava-la-nueva.md) (1 h 50 en coche): The Corral de Comedias with the 13:00 dramatised visit, the square of green galleries, aubergines and pisto at the Parador and, in the afternoon, the castle-convent of Calatrava la Nueva.
- [Sierra Nevada: slopes, Borreguiles and Mirlo Blanco](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/sierra-nevada/itineraries/skiing-by-bus-from-granada.md) (1 h 50 en coche): A day at the highest resort in Spain: slopes from 8:30, lunch at the foot of the slopes at Borreguiles and, for non-skiers, the Mirlo Blanco. 40 minutes from Granada by car or on the Tocina bus.
- [Sierra Nevada without skis: snowshoeing at 3,100 m and a table in Cenes](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/sierra-nevada/itineraries/snowshoeing-to-the-veleta-and-lunch-in-cenes.md) (1 h 55 en coche): A morning snowshoeing with a guide on the north face of Sierra Nevada, up to the Posiciones del Veleta, and a Sunday lunch at the Ruta del Veleta, in Cenes de la Vega, on the way down.
- [Pampaneira, Bubión and Capileira on foot](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/la-alpujarra/itineraries/alpujarra-three-poqueira-villages-on-foot.md) (2 h 20 en coche): The circular trail linking Pampaneira, Bubión and Capileira, Alpujarran cooking with its own garden produce and the afternoon at the Capileira viewpoint. An hour and a quarter from Granada.
- [Capileira, its museum and Trevélez](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/la-alpujarra/itineraries/capileira-and-trevelez-high-alpujarra-day-trip.md) (2 h 30 en coche): The streets, museum and viewpoint of Capileira, the winding road to Trevélez and an Alpujarran lunch with the village's ham. No long routes, an hour and a half from Granada.
- [Mulhacén from Alto del Chorrillo](https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/la-alpujarra/itineraries/mulhacen-from-alto-del-chorrillo.md) (2 h 30 en coche): You leave Granada at dawn, ride the National Park minibus up to Alto del Chorrillo and climb Mulhacén with the Nevadensis guides. On the way down, a stroll round Capileira and dinner.

## The A-316, the most used exit

The most used exit is the A-316 to the east. In 45 minutes it reaches [Úbeda and Baeza](/en/spain/andalusia/ubeda-and-baeza), with Baeza on the way, and from Úbeda, via Torreperogil and Peal de Becerro, the A-315 and A-319 climb to Cazorla and the [Sierra de Cazorla](/en/spain/andalusia/sierra-de-cazorla), an hour and a half away. To the south, the A-44 leads to Granada and, via the A-395, to [Sierra Nevada](/en/spain/andalusia/sierra-nevada); continuing towards Motril and Órgiva you reach [the Alpujarra](/en/spain/andalusia/la-alpujarra). To the south-west is [Priego de Córdoba and the Subbética](/en/spain/andalusia/priego-de-cordoba-and-the-subbetica), an hour away. To the north, the A-44 to Bailén and the A-4 via Despeñaperros lead to La Mancha: [Almagro](/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/almagro) and the [Lagunas de Ruidera](/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/lagunas-de-ruidera).

Without a car the options are few. Alsa links Jaén with Úbeda, which has a bus station but no train, and with the Cazorla station, on Avenida del Guadalquivir; the bus does not go into the sierra and there are few on Sunday. For the 4x4 through the reserve zone the bus can work, if the first one reaches Cazorla before the pick-up.

## Úbeda and Baeza, two Renaissance towns almost side by side

**Under an hour** are Úbeda and Baeza (45 minutes): two Renaissance old towns nine kilometres apart, with the Sacra Capilla del Salvador, the Sinagoga del Agua and Baeza cathedral.

**Between one and one and a half hours** are Priego and Zuheros (60 minutes), with the Barrio de la Villa, the Fuente del Rey and the Cueva de los Murciélagos, and the Sierra de Cazorla (90), with the Cerrada del Utrero, the source of the Guadalquivir and the tracks of the reserve zone.

**At nearly two hours** are Almagro (110 minutes), with the Corral de Comedias and Calatrava la Nueva, and Sierra Nevada (110 to the slopes, 115 to the Albergue Universitario). These are Sundays with an early start.

**From two hours onwards** the trip goes better with a night: [Antequera and El Torcal](/en/spain/andalusia/antequera/itineraries/antequera-dolmens-and-el-torcal-weekend) (120 minutes), [the Alpujarra](/en/spain/andalusia/la-alpujarra/itineraries/alpujarra-white-villages-weekend) (140), [Ruidera](/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/lagunas-de-ruidera/itineraries/ruidera-lagoons-waterfalls-one-night) (145), the [Caminito del Rey](/en/spain/andalusia/caminito-del-rey/itineraries/caminito-del-rey-weekend-from-malaga) (150) and [Cabo de Gata](/en/spain/andalusia/cabo-de-gata/itineraries/cabo-de-gata-weekend-kayak-from-almeria), almost three hours away. Riópar and the Chorros del Río Mundo are about two hours twenty away.

## Úbeda and Baeza look their best with the olive harvest

In winter, the snow is less than two hours away: a [Sunday of skiing](/en/spain/andalusia/sierra-nevada/itineraries/skiing-by-bus-from-granada) or [snowshoeing to the Veleta](/en/spain/andalusia/sierra-nevada/itineraries/snowshoeing-to-the-veleta-and-lunch-in-cenes), from December to March and with chains for the A-395. From November to January, with the olives in the fields, Úbeda and Baeza look their best, and the [4x4 through the Cazorla reserve zone](/en/spain/andalusia/sierra-de-cazorla/itineraries/4x4-through-the-reserve-and-yedra) is not cancelled for rain or snow.

In spring the Cazorla rivers run full: the [Cerrada del Utrero and the source](/en/spain/andalusia/sierra-de-cazorla/itineraries/cerrada-del-utrero-and-the-source), with the Linarejos waterfall in full flow, or the Borosa to the Cerrada de Elías on the [weekend in the sierra](/en/spain/andalusia/sierra-de-cazorla/itineraries/sierra-de-cazorla-borosa-weekend-from-jaen). It is also the season for Ruidera, from April to June, and for the dramatised visits to the Almagro Corral, at weekends from April to June.

In July and August Úbeda and Baeza and Priego are not recommended; if you go, monuments in the morning and a walk at dusk. In August Almagro is very hot. Summer is for the sierra and for the sea at Cabo de Gata.

In autumn, October is the month of the stag rut in Cazorla and of the forest changing colour; in Priego and Zuheros, from October to March, the cave adds an afternoon session on Sundays.

## A Sunday in Úbeda and Baeza, with lunch in a convent

- **45 minutes away:** [Úbeda and Baeza in a Sunday](/en/spain/andalusia/ubeda-and-baeza/itineraries/ubeda-and-baeza-el-salvador-cathedral-and-michelin-table). The Sinagoga del Agua and El Salvador in the morning, lunch in a Baeza convent and the cathedral with its tower in the afternoon.
- **Towards the Subbética:** [Priego and Zuheros](/en/spain/andalusia/priego-de-cordoba-and-the-subbetica/itineraries/zuheros-cave-and-fuente-del-rey). Priego's Baroque and the Fuente del Rey, lunch in Zuheros and the Cueva de los Murciélagos by reservation.
- **Towards La Mancha:** [Almagro, the Corral de Comedias and Calatrava](/en/spain/castilla-la-mancha/almagro/itineraries/almagro-corral-de-comedias-and-calatrava-la-nueva). The dramatised visit at 13:00, aubergines and pisto, and the castle-convent in the afternoon.