Castril – Old Electric Power Plant

Castril is a municipality of 2,000 inhabitants belonging to the region of Huéscar, north of the province of Granada. It is known for its natural beauty and its mountainous environment. The Castril Natural Park, located in the surrounding area, offers a great diversity of landscapes and is a popular destination for rural tourism and hiking.

The orography of the Natural Park comprises the headwaters of the Castril River, according to the northeast orientation of the river, marked by the Sierra de Castril, to the west, and Sierra Seca, to the east, to the vicinity of the municipality of the same name.

The old hydroelectric power plant “La Original”, built in 1918 in the rock of the Castril river canyon, was intended to generate energy by harnessing the river water and supplied electricity, for the first time, to the town. After the cessation of this activity decades ago, the plant has been in disuse until Endesa has finally ceded the property to the Castril Town Council.

Currently, it houses the new Castril River Interpretation Center, which has been funded by the Local Development Strategy Grants (LEADER), through the Rural Development Group GDR Altiplano de Granada.