Photos of Castilléjar (de los Ríos) (Granada) (December 2022) (part 1)

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Castilléjar (also called Castilléjar de los Ríos) is a town and municipality in the northeastern part of the province of Granada, in Andalusia (Spain, Europe). It is part of the Huéscar region, the natural area (and tourist zone) of the Altiplano de Granada, the federation of municipalities of the Huéscar region and, since 2020, also part of the territory of the Geopark of Granada (also known as the Quaternary Geopark of the Northern Valleys of Granada). It also belongs to the judicial district of Huéscar, the judicial district number 8 of the province of Granada.

Castilléjar is the municipality with the highest number of cave houses in the entire Huéscar region. The cave houses are the traditional dwellings in the northern area of Granada; they are homes excavated entirely in the rock of the bare hills (mountains) of the area that, being inside the mountain, enjoy a pleasant microclimate throughout the year around constant 19ºC, which leads to cool summers and warm winters. Nowadays, many of these cave houses have been converted into tourist accommodations, capable of attracting all kinds of people who wish to experience their benefits and the quality of their rest.

It has a population (according to data from the INE in 2023) of 1289 inhabitants and an area of 131.22 km². The municipality of Castilléjar is divided between the town of Castilléjar de los Ríos and the neighborhoods (hamlets and/or villages) of los Carriones, los Olivos, la Sacristía, and los Isidros.

The beautiful parish church of Castilléjar (de los Ríos) is consecrated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception; it was built in 1657 and is in the Toledan Mudejar style. The revered patron of Castilléjar (de los Ríos) is Saint Dominic de Guzmán, who celebrates his festivities during the first weekend of August, coinciding with the Fair and Festivities of Castilléjar in his honor.