The village is situated near the Sierra Morena Mountains near to the Despeñaperros Mountain Pass, natural link between Castilla and Andalucí­a. Its landscape's main feature is the olive tree but there are also abundant meadows and medium sized mountains covered with pines and oaks, where old mining chimneys are common, an unmistakeable sign of the past connection of the area with this activity.

It was founded by Carlos III in 1767, following his ideas of colonization of land south of Sierra Morena, and among them all, this is perhaps the most important city. It shows, therefore, a rationalist urban design, typical of S. XVIII, with linear and perpendicular streets, around a center where all the important buildings are situated, the Church of la Inmaculada Concepción and the Palace of Olavide. Other buildings of interest are the old Jail, the Towers of la Aduana and the Monoliths commemorating its foundation.