Discover Sierra: holiday apartment between El Castellar and Huerta serrana

Culture and history

Sierra draws attention to El Castellar, a Hispano-Muslim fortress in the town. The complex served as a watchtower and as a link between the surrounding castles and dates back to the 13th century. The remains of the important medieval complex of El Castellar lie between the districts of Sierra and Cordovilla in Tobarra.

Its history also extends into the period of Castilian rule: El Castellar was incorporated into the Crown of Castile in 1243, before the Council of Alcaraz acquired the complex in 1268. Despite its ruined condition, numerous structures have survived at El Castellar. An old tower stands on a hill; two towers remain from the El Castellar de Sierra complex. The ensemble is protected under the general protection declaration pursuant to the Decree of 22 April 1949 and Law 16/1985 on Spanish Historical Heritage. El Castellar is regarded as one of the province’s finest representative ensembles of medieval heritage.

Landscape

From El Castellar, views extend across the surrounding landscapes as far as the Tolmo de Minateda archaeological park. From the watchtower of El Castellar, the view also extends over the Saladares de Cordovilla and across the landscapes that connect this area with Murcia.

Between Sierra and Tobarra there is a natural rock fissure with a spring called Sierra del Molino or La Raja. Its water was channelled for a grain mill. The spring of Sierra del Molino, or La Raja, is considered the source of the Huerta serrana. This lies along the Arroyo de Tobarra, which it crosses on its way to Tolmo de Minateda.

Routes and dates

The Ruta de los Molinos leads to Sierra and climbs up to the tower of El Castellar. For 4 October 2015, it is listed as a 14-kilometre linear route with 212 metres of elevation gain; the same listing gives a low level of difficulty and a duration of five hours. The differing information on the route, length, elevation gain and duration gives you several specific points for comparing a hike with other excursion plans.

In Sierra, celebrations in honour of the patron saint San Francisco Javier take place on 3 December. The local church history is also connected with this name: the first Amigonian religious brother in Sierra was appointed parish priest of the Church of San Francisco Javier on 4 June 1944.

Local character

Ajo de matazón is one of Sierra’s traditional dishes.

When booking a holiday apartment in Sierra, you can check the travel dates, room category and cancellation conditions side by side on the respective listing page. This information helps you compare specific offers based on their individual terms.

For the overarching travel overview: Tobarra.