It’s been little over two weeks since we arrived at our first home, and I’ve truly enjoyed my stay here in Olvera, Spain. I remember when I was a little girl I wanted to live in a castle. I’m sure a lot of girls at some point daydream about that. Well, I no longer have to build castles in Spain because now part of that dream has come true. While I’m not living in a castle, I sure have explored an impressive Arab Castle—uh, yes, in Spain 🙂 . Let’s check it out! By the way, the castle is only a seven minute walk away from our house, all uphill, quite a leg workout.

Castle from far away.

The Castillo de Olvera was built at the end of the 12th century, it was part of the defense system of the Nazarí Kingdom of Granada.

Entryway to the castle with an indoor fountain.
Fountain’s origin.

The castle stands on a rock, the highest point of the town. Wondering why was it built on such a high point? To be able to communicate with nearby castles through signals, such as reflecting light with mirrors or smoke signals. Of course in our times we would’ve communicated by updating our Facebook status or sent a tweet.

Built on a rock; serving as a strategic point.

As I climbed up the stairs, I took advantage of the rest areas to take in such spectacular views of the town.

View of the town.

Next to the castle is the Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación (the Parish of Our Lady of the Incarnation) which dates back to the early 19th century.

Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación church to the right.

Once you get to the top of the castle, you have a 360 degree bird’s eye view of Olvera, the whitewashed walls, the olive groves and the hills pull it all together to create such beauty.

Top of the castle.
Layout of the castle.
View of Olvera through the castle’s window.
Castle sentry manning the tower.

I hope you enjoyed the views as much as I did.

The tower.
The artist.

Stay tuned for more of Spain.