Aldeaquemada

Aldeaquemada is located to the North of the province, in Sierra Morena, bordering on Castilla la Mancha. This town enjoys a mountain landscape that has many mountain ranges with plentiful of pines, gall-oaks and other species. We can observe the Paraje Natural La Cascada of Cimbarra, a beautiful landscape because of its rough relief, the formations of riparian forest that are developed in the River Guarrizas and because its varied fauna. It is also an important cultural region due to the abundant signs of cave art that are located in the Tabla de Pochico and in headlands of Cimbarra

The first settlement is due to an early Prehistory age, owing to the discovery of some tools in quartzite found in terraces of Guarrizas and because the abundant signs in cave art found in the entire region. We can also mention the find of handmade ceramics, dating from the Copper/Bronze Age, although any village could be identified due to the rugged terrain and the abundant vegetation. We dare to point out the presence of one village called Plaza de Armas, this name is due to the constructive remains of some importance that we can find and dates from the Bronze Age.

We evaluate the mark of Roman Age because of the existing communication routes, the roads; in that case they link the mineral exploitations and foundries with the cities. You can observe these roads in several places of Aldeaquemada. In the same way we can also find some remains in the surrounding area of Puente de La Venta of what it could be a Roman lodging. Through this village would cross the route that goes up the mountain range from you can gain access to the Meseta.

From later ages, like the Visigoth and the Moslem, we cannot many references and it is possibly that there were not exist villages in Aldeaquemada until the age of the Colonización Ilustrada.

Monuments

Parish Church, XVIII century.

Archaeological Sites

El "Prao" del Azogue. Cave paintings.

El Pochico. Cave paintings.

There are more than thirty cave paintings.

Town Planning

Ancient flour mills.

Gastronomy

Calderillo: Stew of potatoes with rabbit.
Miga de patata: Crumbled potatoes and onion.
Harina de Guijas: with Almortas flour.
The Galianos: Bread flat cakes and hunting meat (hare, partridge, rabbit...), oil, garlic, etc... (shepherd food)
La camuña: it is typical of hunters.
Gachamiga: flour with fried garlic.
Jarapos with hare: bread dough with hare and condiments (shepherd food). 
Stewed of hunting meat and the typical products of the slaughter.

How to get there

From Madrid or North area

If you take the Motorway of Andalucía (Nacional IV) there are two options: 
 
-Option A: exit in the km. 200 (the sign is Valdepeñas, Alcaraz, Ciudad Real), towards Valdepeñas. Villanueva de los Infantes; take the exit towards Torrenueva. From Torrenueva continue by Castellar de Santiago and Aldequemada. 
 
-Option B: (this is more direct) continue through N-IV and once you have crossed Valdepeñas until you get to the exit Santa Cruz de Mudela – Torrenueva, take the exit 214 in the Motorway. You have to get until Torrenueva and from there towards Castellar de Santiago and Aldeaquemada.

From the South

Through the Nacional IV you have to enter the village to 23 Km. By the local road J-611 takes the exit 250 from the Motorway of Andalucía in Paso de Despeñaperros.

Distances

To Jaén 108 km
To La Carolina 40 km
To Santisteban del Puerto 84 km
To Castellar de Santiago 19 km
To Almuradiel 38 km
To Viso del Marqués 44 km
To S. Lorenzo de Calatrava 75 km
To Vilches 51 km
To Arquillos 58 km
To El Centenillo 57 km