Cambil, Spain: travel guide to the Sierra Mágina village, its Nasrid castles and frontier history

Cambil is a village in the province of Jaén, in Andalusia, set at the foot of the Sierra Mágina among olive groves and rugged peaks in southern Spain. Once a fortified stronghold on the frontier of the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada, it is a town of whitewashed houses, dramatic crags and a long, contested history.

For travellers searching for Cambil Jaén, Sierra Mágina, Nasrid castles or villages in the Jaén mountains, Cambil offers striking scenery and a vivid sense of the medieval frontier.

History

In the Middle Ages there were two settlements here, Qanbil and Alhabar, each defended by a fortress perched on a sheer crag and separated by the river. These castles formed part of the northern defensive line of the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada and were fiercely contested for three centuries between Muslims and Christians, changing hands several times. In 1485 the troops of the Catholic Monarchs besieged Cambil and, with the help of artillery that shattered its walls and towers, finally took the fortresses to open the road towards Granada. The area was repopulated with Christian settlers from 1539.

Main sights

The twin rocky crests that once held the castles of Cambil and Alhabar still rise above the village, today offering a viewpoint with sweeping panoramas of the Sierra Mágina. In the centre, the Renaissance Church of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación, built in the 16th century after the Reconquest, stands on a peaceful square, while the Baroque façade of the old hospital and the Renaissance former town hall recall the town's later history.

Practical information

Cambil is a gateway to the Sierra Mágina Natural Park, with hiking and superb mountain landscapes, and the nearby poplar grove of Mata Bejid is a notable natural site. The surrounding country is olive land, and the local extra-virgin olive oil is central to the cuisine of Jaén.