The keep and cistern

What it is

The keep, or torreón, is the most visible part of what remains of Setenil’s castle, the Andalusi fortress that crowned La Villa, the upper part of the town. Wikipedia describes it as a 13th-century Nasrid fortress with around 40 towers and a wall of about 530 m: alcázar, medina, baths, mosque and a coracha (a walled passage) that ran down to the water. It is one of the few Nasrid fortresses to keep its whole medieval urban layout. The date of the keep varies by source: the Diputación de Cádiz guide places it in the Arab period, in the 12th century, and the association Los Pueblos Más Bonitos de España in the 15th.

This fortress is the reason for the town’s name. Between the reigns of John II of Castile and the Catholic Monarchs it withstood seven sieges; according to tradition, that is where the Latin septem nihil, “seven times nothing”, comes from. The last one, on 21 September 1484, ended with the town being taken by the Catholic Monarchs.

What you see

Inside the tower you climb its floors up to the terrace, from where you can see the whole town: the rooftops, the river gorge and the countryside around. Just below the keep is the cistern, the tank that collected rainwater to supply the fortress during sieges.

At the foot of the tower is the Lizón viewpoint, which, according to the town council, offers views over the whole municipality. Very close by, in the little square of the main church, the Villa viewpoint looks out over the Cabrerizas and Jabonería neighbourhoods and part of the Guadalporcún river.

Opening hours, price and how to get in

Neither the town council nor the Andalusian tourism website publishes the tower’s opening hours or price. The tourist office, in the old town hall, is a few steps away: ask there for the day’s hours and the fare before you climb. You can also contact the town council on 956 13 40 04 if you are going on a public holiday or special date.

The visit is short: half an hour is enough for the tower, the cistern and the Lizón viewpoint.

The old town hall

It is worth going in even if you only want the map. It was built in the early 16th century and incorporates a former gate tower of the wall and the Casa de la Harina. It keeps a Mudéjar par y nudillo coffered ceiling.

Getting there and parking

The tower is in the upper part of town, next to the Plaza de Andalucía and the Church of the Encarnación. Don’t drive up: park below, on the Paseo Federico García Lorca, and walk up through the cave streets and Calle Herrería, which bring you out in the square.

With children and reduced mobility

Children enjoy climbing a real tower and seeing the cistern. There are stairs inside, so it is not accessible by wheelchair or with a pushchair: leave it below. The climb from the lower part of town has slopes and steps.

Combine it with

The Church of the Encarnación is next door, and from the Lizón viewpoint you get a better sense of how the town is laid out before heading down to the covered streets. If you are staying up here, the Hotel Villa de Setenil is next to the castle.