The History of La Casa del Califa
Every corner tells a story, and every meal here becomes part of it.
Vejer in a 14th-century engraving, contemporary with the building that houses El Jardín del Califa.
In the heart of Vejer de la Frontera, overlooking the iconic Plaza de España, stands our building – a silent witness to centuries of history, today known as El Jardín del Califa. Its foundations rest upon remains that transport us back to the Islamic era. Over the centuries, this house has lived many lives. Known as La Casa del Juzgado and, according to oral tradition, even La Casa de la Inquisición – though historians have since discounted the latter – its architecture still bears the traces of its past: thick walls, stone vaults, hidden patios, and a network of ancient aljibes that still whisper stories from another time.
The Plaza de España at the end of the 18th century.
Situated near the Arco de la Villa, the original portal into the medieval walled city, the house occupied a strategic position overlooking the valley. From the 8th to the 13th century, Vejer was under Muslim rule, and the influence of al-Andalus remained alive well into the late 15th century. During this period – or perhaps even in Roman times – a cobbled road was laid that still today connects our garden to the Barbate River, just a 15-minute walk away. Until the early 20th century, this river was a vital trade route bringing goods from the coast inland. Many of those goods passed through this propery: they were weighed, recorded, and taxed in its storerooms.
‘El Aljibe’ (10th–11th century), with one side dismantled in the 16th century to provide access to the upper floor.
The oldest surviving part is the interior of the Aljibe, dated between the 10th and 11th centuries and attributed to Islamic architecture. Later, in the early 16th century, the local diocese built the main structure, which served as a grain store and warehouse, while the upper floors housed offices and residential quarters. The elegant façade facing the plaza dates to the 17th century, though it may have been damaged in the aftershock of the great Lisbon earthquake of 1775.
Rear façade of El Califa, photographed by Nicolás Müller in the 1950s.
With the construction of the Cilla Nueva (the new grainstore) in the late 18th century, the building fell into disuse. Its history became hazy for more than a century, until it reemerged during the Spanish Civil War, when it was used by Nationalist forces as barracks for soldiers and stables for horses. In the 1950s, a large window at street level was replaced by the current entrance to the old courthouse (now home to the offices of the Califa Group).
The façade of Plaza de España 17 (now Hotel La Casa del Califa) in 1989.
At the end of the 20th century, a new era began for the buildings. In 1989, James Stuart bought a house that would become his family home for the next 20 years. The neighbouring houses were all abandoned, and he was able to acquire two more properties, with the long-term vision of offering accommodation in the Plaza de España.
In 1999, together with his business partner Regli Álvarez, they began the Hotel La Casa del Califa project, which opened its doors in July 2001 with eight rooms. The new business was funded by their adventure travel agency Discover Andalucia. The immediate success of the hotel led them to strike a deal with the then-owner of the historic Casa del Juzgado, in order to add more rooms and open what is now the iconic Jardín del Califa. A decade later, they purchased the property and completed the restoration of this historic site.
What we see today is the result of years of work and a clear vision: a complex made up of twelve interconnected houses, with seven wells, twelve staircases, ninety windows, fifty-eight doors, five patios, and a cave…
