Parador of Jaen Luxury Hotel in the Haunted Castillo de Santa Catalina

This haunted Parador of Jaen Luxury Hotel is said to be haunted by more than one ghost. A broken hearted woman haunts the rooms, the ghost of two lovers haunts the ground as well as a fable of a so-called Terrible Lizard man that starved to death haunting the dungeons of the former Castillo de Santa Catalina.

Spain is a country that is known for its rich history and vibrant culture. It’s also known for its haunted hotels. If you are a fan of paranormal activity, staying at a haunted hotel in Spain may be just the thing for you. These hotels have been around for many years and are believed to be haunted by ghosts of the past. In this blog post, we will explore some of the most haunted hotels in Spain that you can stay in and the ghosts that are said to be lingering inside the rooms. Are you brave enough to spend a night in one of these haunted hotels?

Read more: Check out all of our ghost stories from Spain

This particular haunted hotel can be found in the olive oil producing center of Spain, sitting on the Cerro de Santa Catalina looking over the Spanish city of Jaen.

The Arabic Castle

The Castillo de Santa Catalina was first built in the 8th century as a Moorish castle, they have a long history with bloody battles as well as a tragic ghost story of a woman with a broken heart.

Overlooking the Andalusian landscape and serving local food like the ajoblanco in the distinctive architecture of the province that remains a mix of the arabic, catholic and napoleon architecture of those who were the owners of the castle throughout time. The hotel is also known to serve up some spooky ghost stories.

Read more: Check out all of our ghost stories set in Haunted Castles and Fortresses

Now the former Castillo de Santa Catalina and fortress has been reworked to a hotel next to the castle in 1965 where more than one ghost resides inside of the fine hotel rooms and most of the staff working there have a couple of anecdotes about the supposed hauntings that are said to go on.

The Haunted Historic Hotel

This former castle is now a part of the National Parador Hotel chain that takes historic sites and turns them into hotels you can stay in and experience the rich history of the building. Spain is renowned for its stunning landscapes, rich history, and unique cultural heritage. Among the many treasures that the country holds, Parador Hotels stand out as true gems.

This haunted Parador of Jaen Luxury Hotel is said to be haunted by more than one ghost. A broken hearted woman haunts the rooms, the ghost of two lovers haunts the ground as well as a fable of a so-called Terrible Lizard man that starved to death haunting the dungeons of the former Castillo de Santa Catalina. — **The Haunted Hotel and Castle:** Castillo de Santa Catalina, Tarifa, Cádiz in Spain.// Source: Diego Delso, delso.photo, License CC-BY-SA

These hotels are often housed in historic buildings, such as castles, monasteries, and palaces, offering visitors a chance to experience the past in a truly immersive way.

The Broken Hearted Woman in Room 22

One of the rooms of this hotel is said to be Room 22 that turned to room 401 after the hotel had some renovations done. People that have stayed here and local lore claim that this room is haunted by a woman that had her heart broken and ended her life here.

The room is located in one of the towers in the Castillo de Santa Catalina. When this haunting was supposed to have happened or started though it is a bit unclear.

Read more: Check out all of our ghost stories set in Haunted Hotels

One story about her ghosts goes that one night, a guest was staying in the room and claimed to be woken up by someone banging on the door and the sound of a woman crying. He went to the hotel to complain, but no one could really give an answer except for that it might have been a ghost.

Others tell about a strange presence in room 22 and sometimes also Room 23 that are said to disturb in the night and sliding the furniture around, opening suitcases as well as a drop in the temperature and shadows wandering in the room.

The Muslim Mistress that was too Powerful

Another variation of the legend is that the woman haunting the room is actually the muslim mistress to the lord of the castle, constable of Castile, Miguel Lucas de Iranzo. She is sometimes known as Jasmina It is said she had too big of an influence on the constable and that because of this he was neglecting his duties to the kingdom. It was because of this that King Enrique IV ordered her dead.

She is now forever haunting the Castillo de Santa Catalina where she was cruelly murdered after a group of men stormed the castle and set her on fire, burning her to death, some claim that she was pregnant.

People have also said to have seen a woman dressed in old Arab clothes in the room and the hallways outside.

The Ghost of the Lovers

Another ghost story told is the one about the Governor Omar and his wife Zoraida when the castle belonged to the muslims.
One night, Omar was summoned to town to solve an issue, but didn’t return. His wife went out looking for him that night because she was worried and right outside she found him stabbed to death.

She hugged him, crying for her lost lover. When his soldier found them, they tried to separate them, but found that the wife had also died, although her tears continued to run down as a stream. The tears eventually formed what is now Caño Quebrado fountain.

In the local town it is said that on February nights their ghosts have been seen returning together to the castle arm in arm.

The Paranormal Investigation in Castillo de Santa Catalina

The place was investigated by paranormal psychiatrists in 1984 and found the spirit of the ghost that haunted the room.
There has also been a well known TV program about ghosts that dedicated an episode to the hotel in 2015.

Lagarto Terrible Haunting the Dungeons

The heartbroken woman, the Arab mistress and the two lovers are not the only spirits that are said to haunt the hotel.
In the prison below the Castillo de Santa Catalina there is also a particular ghost that is said to haunt the place. This is the ghost of Lagarto Terrible, or Terrible Lizard, a man who died of starvation when he was imprisoned and is now haunting the place, harmless, but spookily wandering the halls and temporarily possessing guests not paying attention.