Photos of Castilléjar (de los Ríos) (Granada) (December 2022) (part 2)

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Castilléjar (also called Castilléjar de los Ríos) is a village and municipality in the northeast of the province of Granada, in Andalusia (Spain, Europe). It is part of the Huéscar region, of the natural region (and tourist area) of the Altiplano de Granada, of the municipality association of the Huéscar region, and since 2020, also of the territory of the Granada Geopark (also called Quaternary Geopark Valleys of Northern Granada). It also belongs to the judicial district of Huéscar, the judicial district no. 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 of the northern Granada area; they are homes excavated entirely in the rock of the bare hills (mountains) of the area which, by being within the mountain, enjoy a pleasant microclimate year-round around a constant 19ºC, resulting in fresh summers and warm winters. Nowadays, many of these cave houses have been adapted as tourist accommodations, capable of attracting all kinds of people wishing to experience their benefits and quality of rest.

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

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