I have been thinking writing about Cazorla  for a while now and it wasn’t an easy task because this beautiful town is one of my favorites in Andalusia. What should I say? Where do I start? What photos to show? And one day, I realized that to me, Cazorla is like an old and noble lady, sitting  undisturbed next to the impressive Sierras de Cazorla, the largest protected natural park in Spain. It has deep roots in the past, and Romans, Moors and Christians shaped her over many tumultuous centuries to become what she is today: a venerable and beautiful lady.  Ancient but charming,  the town  has twisting  streets, popular plazas, beautiful churches and remarkable castles.

My favorite place is the uncanny “Santa Maria” church. Situated in the oldest plaza in town it has witnessed  history like no one else around. Nobody knows exactly when the church was build, but in June 2, 1694 some of the the monument’s walls collapsed and scores of locals died after a serious flooding. It was rebuild, but during the Independence War, Napoleon’s army burned it down. The Spanish Civil War treated the church harshly too and it laid in ruins for many decades. During the 80’s and 90’s the ruins of the church went through  an intensive restoration and nowadays, it is used as an auditorium for concerts and shows. 

Santa Maria Church has an underground secret. There is a “boveda” a stone vault running under the church and plaza through which the Cerezuelo river is channeled down to Guadalquivir. For a mere 2 euros a friendly guide will tell you the legend of the beautiful Moorish princess, and will show you the walk along the  underground wild river. It is just fascinating at least to say. Here is a short YouTube  video showing the mysterious vault. 

But let me tell something else about  this beautiful and distinguish lady.  She loves music, but not any kind of music. Cazorla loves Blues. Every year she puts its festive clothes and hosts the most important blues festival in Spain. Musicians like Johnny Winter, Susan Tedeschi, Janiva Magness, Buddy Guy, Mavis Staples to name just few, electrify with their music thousands and thousands of  fans. I was fortunate to participate to few festivals and I can say, it was worth every single hour of it. So if you are looking for a special place to spend few romantic days, filled with good food, music and natural beauty, Cazorla is the right place for you. 

For more information about this year  Blues Festival, check the link below

Cazorla Blues Festival 2016