This driving route takes you through former frontier country – between the Christian Kingdom of Castile and the Muslim Kingdom of Granada. This mountainous area was contested for hundreds of years, which explains why there are so many castles along the route.
The neighbouring villages of Zuheros and Luque are within easy reach of Córdoba, on the northern edge of the Sierras Subbéticas UNESCO Global Geopark, which has impressive karst landscape features. See the rock formations up close at the Cueva de los Murciélgos or visit a romantic castle.
The Guadalquivir has played a pivotal role in Andalcuía’s history and development. This itinerary takes you the whole length of the river, from its source in the Sierras de Cazorla to its mouth at Sanlúcar de Barrameda, where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean.
Get a flavour of the city of Granada and the mountain villages of the Alpujarra, both redolent of their Muslim past. Finish your itinerary with a day – or more – of hiking through the rugged mountain scenery in the Sierra Nevada National Park.
