Jimena de la Frontera

Jimena de la Frontera is a historic town and municipality located in the province of Cádiz, Spain. According to estimates made by the National Statistics Institute of Spain (INE), the municipality has a population of 9,893 inhabitants in 2006. It is surrounded by the Los Alcornocales Natural Park.HistoryThe town has been inhabited by the Phoenicians, Iberians, Carthaginians, and the Romans. The Moors used the town's position on the hill to their advantage, using it as a strategic military position.The village of Jimena de la Frontera became a town in 1879, during the reign of Alfonso XII.TodayToday, Jimena's population of around 10,000 has been made up of an increasing number of British ex-pats.The town is served by road and rail. The main road stretches north to Ronda, and south to San Roque. The railway station is situated just outside the town in nearby Estación de Jimena. Several trains a day stop at Jimena on the line between Algeciras and Granada.CastleThe castle was built on the hill by the Moors around 750 A.D. as part of making Jimena a strategic military position, today it is known as Castle of Jimena de la Frontera. Views stretch as far Gibraltar to the south. It is believed that the castle was built on Roman ruins, constructed using locally sourced limestone.