Jimena is situated in Los Alcornocales Natural Reserve with Ronda and San Roque as its neighbor towns.
With a panoramic view over the white houses all with uniform designs from the top of a hill, Jimena is a memorable tourist destination among those who value peace and quiet while communing with the beauty of nature.
Originally called “Ximena”, this town has a past of great successes and pitfalls.
Long before the Christians conquered this town, Jimena was a military foothold in the 8th by the Moors. Iberians, Phoenicians, Arabs and the Romans had strong cultural influences on the town’s heritage and history.
Metal was mined from its soils which the Moors used to its full advantage during its wars. The availability of metal ore gave Jimena importance among local invaders.
Over the years Jimena always had more than sufficient resources due to the nice and pleasant climate and fertile soil. However the fall of Gibraltar and the French Invasion almost destroyed the city.
Jimena was officially declared a town by by Alfonso XII in the 1890s. In 1983, the Spanish Government formally declared JImena as a historical site.
At present, this town has a population of less than 10,000 out of which 2% are foreigners (mostly British) who, after having spent their leisurely vacations here, considered this tiny village as their new residence of choice.
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