Logbook · 8 places

What to see and do in Santa Elena

What to see and do in Santa Elena (Sierra Morena, Jaén): 8 places across monuments, nature, activities and curiosities, with a photo and a Google Maps location.

1 Villages · 1 Monuments · 2 Nature · 1 Activities · 1 Curiosities · 2 Historical milestones

When to go to Santa Elena: festival calendar

May: Romería de San Isidro y Mercado Colono de Santa Elena (12 de mayo (Romería de San Isidro); 8 de diciembre (Mercado Colono))

How far each place is from the centre of Santa Elena

Towns near Santa Elena

What to see in La Carolina 10 km · 7 places
What to see in Carboneros 15 km · 3 places
What to see in Vilches 15 km · 5 places
What to see in Aldeaquemada 16 km · 6 places
What to see in Almuradiel 19 km · 12 places
What to see in Viso del Marqués 20 km · 17 places
What to see in Arquillos 21 km · 4 places
What to see in Guarromán 22 km · 6 places

Spain › Andalusia › Jaén › Sierra Morena › Santa Elena

What to see and do in Santa Elena

Santa Elena
Village
Municipality with 863 inhabitants (INE 2025), founded in 1767 as one of the Nuevas Poblaciones (New Settlements) of the Sierra Morena promoted by Charles III under the direction of the intendant Pablo de Olavide.
Batalla de las Navas de Tolosa
Historical milestone
Near Santa Elena, at the Despeñaperros pass, the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa was fought on 16 July 1212, opening the Christian route into Andalusia.
Arte rupestre del arco mediterráneo
Monument
The Despeñaperros area preserves groups of cave art included in UNESCO's 1998 World Heritage declaration of the Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula.
Parque Natural de Despeñaperros
Nature
Protected area that includes the Monumento Natural de Los Órganos, a distinctive rock formation of the gorge.
Cueva de los Muñecos
Curiosity
Iberian-era sanctuary in use until the 4th century, located in the Despeñaperros area.
Fundación de Santa Elena en 1767
Historical milestone
Santa Elena was founded in 1767 as one of Carlos III's New Settlements (Nuevas Poblaciones) of Sierra Morena, with Central European, French, German and Flemish colonists. It is the only one of the New Settlements to have Empress Santa Elena as its patron saint and perpetual mayoress, rather than the Immaculate Conception, the usual patron of the rest of these Enlightenment foundations.
Peña de Malabrigo
Nature
At 1,159 metres, the Peña de Malabrigo is the highest point in the municipal territory of Santa Elena, whose landscape is mostly forested, with grazing land for fighting bulls and cattle.
Romería de San Isidro y Mercado Colono de Santa Elena
Activity
Santa Elena holds the Romería de San Isidro on 12 May and the Mercado Colono on 8 December, evoking the town's origins as an Enlightenment-era New Settlement.