The province of Jaén is located in northeastern Andalusia and covers an area of 13,484 km². It is bordered to the north by the province of Ciudad Real and to the east by the province of Albacete (both in Castile-La Mancha), to the south by the province of Granada and to the west by the province of Córdoba.
It is located in the far northeast of Andalusia, between the Sierra Morena and the Betic Cordillera. It is in the north of the province that the Despeñaperros pass is located, carved by the river of the same name: it is the only passage allowing one to cross the Sierra Morena to reach Andalusia from the Meseta to the north. Jaén is crossed from east to west by the Guadalquivir, and it is in this province that most of its basin is located. Several of its tributaries take their source or flow through it: the Aguascebas, the Guadiana Menor, the Guadalbullón, the Borosa, the Aguamulas, the Guadalimar, the Jándula, etc.
Although it is one of Spain's least visited provinces, the province of Jaén offers many places of interest, including four natural parks and two Renaissance cities, Úbeda and Baeza.
The annual chess tournament in Linares attracts several of the world's best players.