Andalucía Bound

Day Trip Itinerary: Zuheros and Luque – Andalucía Bound The neighbouring villages of Zuheros and Luque are within easy reach of Córdoba, on the edge of the Sierras Subbéticas UNESCO Global Geopark. See the rock formations up close at the Cueva de los Murci...

The drive itself takes around 3 hours, but you could easily spend the whole day on the trip if you make a few stops.
Another option is to spend a night in one of the villages along the way. If you do, our Zuheros and Luque day trip has ideas for even more things to do in the area.

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Moclín castle

Views of the Sierra Nevada from Moclín

Gollizno hiking route, near Moclín

The final leg of our journey to Granada takes you past Moclín, another picturesque village crowned by a romantic castle. There are fantastic views of the Sierra Nevada mountains, and the village is the starting point for the popular Gollizno hiking route down into a dramatic gorge.

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Fortaleza de la Mota in Alcalá la Real

Fortaleza de la Mota in Alcalá la Real

Fortaleza de la Mota in Alcalá la Real

Fortaleza de la Mota in Alcalá la Real

The first thing you see as you approach Alcalá la Real is the Fortaleza de la Mota standing high on a plateau above the town. Originally a Muslim fortress, it developed into an important frontier town, which exchanged hands several times in the 13th century.

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Alcaudete castle

Alcaudete castle

Alcaudete castle

Alcaudete castle

Continuing towards Granada you reach the castle of Alcaudete, which was held by the powerful religious-military Order of Calatrava during the Middle Ages.
In more peaceful times, it was converted into a Renaissance palace.

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Luque castle

View of Zuheros

Zuheros

Hiking near Zuheros

Next you reach the 9th-century Moorish castle in Luque, which has been lovingly restored. Nearby is the picture-postcard village of Zuheros, with some lovely hiking trails in the mountains behind it.

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Robert Capa monument in Espejo, which commemorates his photo The Falling Soldier

Coming from Córdoba, the route takes you past the Robert Capa monument in Espejo, which commemorates his photo The Falling Soldier, perhaps the most iconic photograph taken during the Civil War.

The monument also has great views of Espejo castle and the surrounding landscape.

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It was once frontier country between the Christian Kingdom of Castile and the Muslim Kingdom of Granada, and more recently it marked the boundary between the Republican loyalists and the Nationalist rebels during the Spanish Civil War.

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View from Alcalá la Real

View of the Subbética

We’ve often driven to Córdoba from Granada, particularly over the past few years while researching our audio tours there. It’s a fantastic route which skirts the Sierras Subbéticas UNESCO Global Geopark, with great mountain views in all directions.

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Driving route: Córdoba to Granada – Andalucía Bound This driving route takes you through a mountainous area that was contested for hundreds of years, which explains why there are so many castles.

We’ve just published a new itinerary on our website, and this one’s a bit different. The ones we’ve done before are all about the destinations and what you can do there. This one, on the other hand, is all about the journey. It’s our first driving itinerary, but it won’t be our last.

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Traditional lavadero or washing place in Pampaneira

A tinao (covered passageway) typical of the architecture of the Alpujarra

A tinao (covered passageway) typical of the architecture of the Alpujarra

View towards the high Sierra Nevada from Pampaneira

Here are some more photos of a previous visit to Pampaneira.

We went to Pampaneira with friends today, to work on a Spanish version of our VoiceMap tour.

Beautiful day, but we didn’t get many photos as the villages were heaving - the 6th and 8th of December are public holidays.

We did have a good lunch, including a tropical salad - almost like a dessert.

Festivals and public holidays - Andalucía Bound Andalucia has a reputation for being fond of fiestas - with some justification - each town and village has its own festivals.

Our website includes a brief introduction to Andalucía's most important festivals and public holiday, including the zambombas.

Jerez de la Frontera is the place most associated with zambombas, but they actually take place in many towns, including Córdoba and Antequera.

As well as being famous for its sherry, Jerez is known for its "zambombas".

A zambomba is a kind of friction drum whose skin is perforated by a stick, but the name zambombas is used for a festival celebrated in the run-up to Christmas when traditional carols are performed in the streets.

Not the most beautiful weather in Andalucia today, but a good day for a museum.

The historical museum in Écija has some great prehistoric exhibits.

These warrior stelae were once thought to be gravestones, but from the locations they were found it’s now believed they could be boundary markers.

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All set in a beautiful Baroque mansion. Highly recommended!

After the Romans, there were some Visigoth, Moorish and Christian exhibits, including a rather grizzly one of a woman who was hanged.

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There was an unusual gilded bronze railing which may have adorned a temple, as well as lots trinkets, oil lamps, etc.

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Also a great collection of mosaics, as you would expect, including a Nereid riding a sea monster and the “gift of wine” - Bacchus’s gift to mankind.

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But the biggest highlights are from the Roman period, when Ecija (Astigi) was the capital of one of the four “conventus” in the province of Baetica.

Including a superb statue of a “wounded Amazon”, discovered as recently as 2002.

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From the Tartessian period in the 1st millennium BC, there’s this amazingly intricate piece of gold filigree. Look at the level of detail!

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Not the most beautiful weather in Andalucia today, but a good day for a museum.

The historical museum in Écija has some great prehistoric exhibits.

These warrior stelae were once thought to be gravestones, but from the locations they were found it’s now believed they could be boundary markers.

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Trip itinerary: Nasrid Kingdom of Granada - Andalucía Bound Explore the key locations in the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada, which held on as the last Muslim kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula until 1492.

If you’re wondering how Antequera might fit into a longer trip to Andalucía, take a look at our 10-day Nasrid Kingdom of Granada itinerary, which also includes Málaga, Granada and the villages of the Alpujarra.

Dolmen of Menga in Antequera

Tholos de El Romeral

The Menga and Viera dolmens are just a 20-minute walk (or a short taxi ride) from the town centre; if you’re travelling by car, there is a car park on site. The excellent interpretation centre gives the historical context for the dolmens and shows how they might have been built.

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The dolmen of Menga lines up with the Lovers' Rock

Antequera’s impressive dolmen site consists of three separate megalithic monuments, the oldest of which is almost 6,000 years old. In 2016 they were recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site thanks to their unique orientation towards two landforms: the Lovers’ Rock and El Torcal.

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After spending the morning tramping around, you’ll need some lunch, and fortunately there are lots of good options. Our favourites include Mesón Juan Manuel, Mesón Adarve and the slightly more upmarket Mar de Gloria. Bar El Reloj offers simple tapas with fabulous views across to the Alcazaba.

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Romantic Antequera: The City of Ballad and Chronicle | Antequera self-guided audio tour | VoiceMap Trace the rise and fall of the Moorish citadel at the crossroads of Andalucía with this self-guided tour of Antequera, Spain. For the best experience, install the VoiceMap audio guide app with automat...

You won’t be surprised to hear we’ve produced an audio tour to guide you around Antequera while telling you about the history and legends of a town that long stood on the frontier between Christians and Muslims, and later captivated Washington Irving during his journey to Granada in the 1820s.

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Iglesia del Carmen

Iglesia del Carmen

Real Colegiata de Santa María la Mayor

Real Colegiata de Santa María la Mayor

Antequera has a huge number of churches and convents, with the Iglesia del Carmen and deconsecrated Real Colegiata de Santa María la Mayor particularly worth a visit.

The Discalced Carmelite nuns, who have a small museum at their convent, have also won plaudits for their traditional cakes.

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Antequera's Alcazaba

View of the Peña de los Enamorados (Lovers' Rock) from the Alcazaba in Antequera

Plaza Coso Viejo in Antequera

Views towards El Torcal

Start by exploring Antequera’s attractive historic centre, including the town museum on Plaza Coso Viejo, before heading up to the lovingly restored Alcazaba, or citadel, on the hill. From there, you get great views across to the striking Lovers’ Rock and the limestone formations of El Torcal.

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View of Antequera's Alcazaba with the Lovers' Rock in the background.

Antequera makes a great day trip from various Andalucian cities. It’s quickest and easiest to get to from Málaga, but you can also visit from Córdoba, Granada or even Seville.

It's right in the heart of Andalucía, and it has a traditional, but laid-back, feel.

Why should you visit Antequera?

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Granada Trip Itinerary - Andalucía Bound There's a lot to do in Granada besides the Alhambra, from the winding alleyways and panoramic viewpoints of the Albaicín to the lively tapas scene.

For more details, see the full itinerary on the website.

Our itineraries illustrate what you could do in the time, and we're realistic about how long you need for each activity, but of course you can adapt them to your personal preferences and the exact amount of time you have available.