# Priego de Córdoba and the Subbética

The Fuente del Rey and Priego's Barrio de la Villa, Zuheros and its Bat Cave, and limestone trails in the south of Córdoba, an hour from the capital.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/andalusia/priego-de-cordoba-and-the-subbetica · Revisado: 2026-11-12

The Subbética is the south of Córdoba province: a sea of olive trees that breaks into limestone sierras, with white villages hanging from the crags and an olive oil with its own designation of origin. It has two stops that justify the trip. Priego de Córdoba, with its Baroque, the Fuente del Rey and the Barrio de la Villa. And Zuheros, a tiny village beneath its castle, with a prehistoric cave in the sierra behind. Between the two there are trails for all levels, from a stroll to the highest peak in the province.

## How do you get there from Córdoba, Jaén or Granada?

From Córdoba it is about an hour by car to Priego or to Zuheros, according to the hotels in the area. From Jaén, also an hour. From Granada and from Málaga, an hour and a half. From Seville, about two hours. These are the times published by the comarca's accommodation; with traffic, add a little. Between Priego and Zuheros, allow about 40 minutes on mountain roads.

Without a car, the comarca is difficult: the routes, the cave and the country accommodation call for a car.

## Where do you park?

In Priego, the Barrio de la Villa and the centre have narrow streets: park outside the old town and walk in. The Fuente del Rey is a stroll from the centre. In Zuheros, leave the car at the entrance to the village and walk up. For the Bat Cave you have to drive 4 km up from Zuheros to the Ecomuseum, or walk the 4.8 km circular route from the village.

## What is there to see in a day?

Start in Priego. Walk the Barrio de la Villa as the Mancomunidad suggests: from the Plaza de Santa Ana along Calle Real to the little Plaza de San Antonio and Calle Jazmines, and out through the Bajondillo to the Adarve, the balcony over the cliff. Next to it is the Asunción, with Pedrajas's Baroque Sagrario, and the castle, whose reopening after the works was announced for 2026. Go down to the Fuente del Rey, with its three pools and 139 spouts.

In the afternoon, Zuheros. If you have booked, go up to the Bat Cave for the guided visit: an hour and a half, 700 steps and the Organ Chamber. Then a stroll around the white village beneath the castle and a dinner with Zuheros cheeses.

## How much time do you need?

A day covers Priego and the cave if you start early. With a night, better: sleep in Priego or Zuheros, walk the Bailón river trail or the route to the cave on foot, and finish with the Arab baths of the Barrio de la Villa. With two nights, climb the Tiñosa Peak, the roof of Córdoba province, or cycle a stretch of the Vía Verde del Aceite.

## When to go?

Spring and autumn. In April and May the trails are green and in bloom; the Mancomunidad recommends the Bailón river in spring. From October to December it is the olive harvest and the oil mills are working. In summer, start early to walk and leave the afternoon for Priego and its fountains.

## Dónde está
- Cerca: Antequera (a 56.7 km), Caminito del Rey and El Chorro (a 77.0 km), Sierra Nevada (Pradollano) (a 80.1 km), La Alpujarra (a 92.0 km)

## Qué hacer
- **Fuente del Rey** (20 min · All ages · Free): What you will see
The image of Priego and its most photographed corner: three stepped pools, elongated with curved outlines, and 139 spouts that never stop pouring water, many with stone masks with ghostly faces. The fountain was transformed from the 16th century and finished in 1803, to a Baroque design by Remigio del Mármol. It is a National Monument, and the Junta guide places it among the great pieces of Priego, which presents itself as the capital of the Córdoba Baroque.
Walk it from top to bottom. In the first pool, a lion fights a serpent, a sculpture attributed to the Neoclassical artist José Álvarez Cubero. In the second, the work of Remigio del Mármol himself, is the central figure: Neptune and Amphitrite in a chariot drawn by horses rising out of the water. From there the water cascades into the last pool and flows out of the mask of the Clergy. Stop at the spouts: each mask has its own expression, and looking for the ugliest keeps children entertained for quite a while.
When to go and how much it costs
It is on a public promenade, at Paseo Fuente del Rey, 1: always open and with no admission charge. With twenty minutes you see it calmly. If you want photos without people, go first thing. The light changes a lot over the stone and water through the day, so if you are sleeping in Priego it is worth passing by in the morning and again at dusk. Dogs may go along the promenade on a lead.
Getting there and parking
The fountain is in the lower part of the old town, at the opposite end from the Barrio de la Villa and the castle, less than a kilometre from them. On the way you pass through the centre, where the Junta guide highlights the manor houses of Calle Río and Carrera de Álvarez.
If you come by car, the Town Council has a municipal car park on Plaza Palenque, with turnover spaces at €0.075 every five minutes and €10.80 for a 24-hour stay, according to the ordinance published in the Provincial Official Gazette in 2024.
Making a day of it
The easy way is to start here, at the bottom, and climb towards the parish church of the Asunción, the castle and the Barrio de la Villa and the Adarve, which is best enjoyed at sunset. The municipal tourist office is at Plaza de la Constitución, 3, telephone 957 700 625: there they give you the day's hours for museums and monuments, which the fountain does not need.
- **Barrio de la Villa and Balcón del Adarve** (45 min · All ages · Free): What it is
The original core of present-day Priego, declared a Historic-Artistic Site in 1972. With a medieval and Muslim layout, the Subbética association of municipalities compares it to the Albaicín of Granada or the Jewish Quarter of Córdoba: winding, white, narrow streets, whitewash and stone, flowerpots on every façade and a silence that surprises you two steps from the centre.
It is surrounded by the Adarve, a promenade open above a natural cliff with a steep drop that looks out over the olive groves and the sierras. That cliff was the quarter's defence for centuries. The Junta guide recalls that the area was inhabited since the 3rd millennium BC for its fertile land, its water and the defence of the cliff, and that the present town began as an Arab military camp between the 8th and 9th centuries, later becoming Madinat Baguh. Ferdinand III conquered it in 1225 and Alfonso XI in 1341.
Where to go
Get lost, which is the point, but if you want a thread to follow, the association suggests this one: from Plaza de Santa Ana along Calle Real to the little Plaza de San Antonio, small and secluded; continue along Calle Jazmines and, crossing Calle Real again, come out along the Bajondillo to the Adarve. Walk the promenade along the edge and return to the centre. It is about 45 minutes at an unhurried pace, flat apart from a few short slopes.
It is a quarter where people live: do not enter courtyards or doorways without permission and keep your voice down in the alleys. You can get through with a pushchair, although some streets are very narrow. Dogs may go on a lead.
When
At sunset, when the sun falls over the olive groves from the Adarve, and early in the morning, to see the streets freshly watered and free of groups. In June, the Junta highlights Corpus Christi, which is held on a Thursday and looks especially beautiful in the quarter. It is free and always open.
Around it
The quarter borders the castle and the parish church of the Asunción with its Baroque Sagrario: you can start with them and enter the quarter by Plaza de Santa Ana. Right on Calle Real, at number 63, is Casa Baños de la Villa, with its Arab baths open by reservation to those not staying. The Fuente del Rey is at the other end of the old town, less than a kilometre away.
- **Cueva de los Murciélagos in Zuheros** (1 h 30 · From age 6, with no knee problems · €8 · €6.50 for ages 6 to 12): The Cueva de los Murciélagos (Bat Cave) opens in the sierra above Zuheros, in the north of the Sierras Subbéticas Natural Park, about four kilometres from the village along a mountain road. It is a limestone cave visited only with a guide, in groups, and you must book beforehand. The visit lasts about an hour and a half and involves going up and down a lot of steps, so it is worth knowing what you are getting into before you book.
Seven hundred steps to the Organ Chamber
The tourist route goes down 65 metres and advances about 415 inside, with some 700 steps: half down and half up, as far as the Organ Chamber, where you turn round. It is not a visit for anyone with knee or back problems, or for children who tire quickly of stairs. Inside it is cool all year round: bring a jacket even if it is hot outside.
Booking at the Ecomuseum
Everything is handled at the Cueva de los Murciélagos Ecomuseum, an interpretation centre 200 metres from the cave entrance. Bookings are made by telephone on 957 694 545, Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 13:30, except public holidays and long weekends; it is not staffed on Mondays and Tuesdays. The Ecomuseum is open Wednesday to Friday from 9:00 to 12:30, and at weekends, public holidays and long weekends from 10:00 to 14:00 and in the afternoon, from 16:00 to 17:00 from October to March and from 17:00 to 18:00 from April to September.
The municipal ordinance published in 2023 sets admission at €8 and €6.50 for ages 6 to 12; confirm the price and the times of the tours when you book, because they may change.
Going up from Zuheros
From Zuheros you drive up a winding road to the car park next to the Ecomuseum. On foot, the trail from Zuheros to the Cueva de los Murciélagos climbs from the village through the sierra, an option for anyone who wants to make a full day of it.
Eating in Zuheros on the way down
After the cave, in Zuheros, the Zuhayra restaurant serves Subbética cooking with cheeses from the village, and in the same building is the Hotel Rural Zuhayra. The cave is one of the stops on the Sunday in Priego and Zuheros, along with the Barrio de la Villa and the Fuente del Rey.
- **Parish Church of the Asunción and its Baroque Sagrario** (30 min · Adults and teenagers): What it is
Priego's main church, on Calle Abad Palomino, next to the castle and the entrance to the Barrio de la Villa. It was begun in 1525 on the commission of the Marchioness of Priego: a Gothic-Mudéjar building with three aisles, with pointed arches on octagonal pillars and a Mudéjar roof whose decoration is still preserved hidden beneath the 18th-century Baroque vault.
The Sagrario
What you come to see is the Sagrario, considered one of the masterpieces of Spanish Baroque and a National Monument since 1932. It was made by Francisco Javier Pedrajas between 1772 and 1784. The plan is an octagon surrounded by a lower passage and a gallery, topped by a gadrooned dome that opens at its base with eight large windows; through them light pours over the whole. In front there is a smaller, square enclosure. All the architecture is covered in mouldings and plasterwork of Rococo inspiration, white, which in midday light look newly made.
Enter slowly from the square enclosure into the octagon: the change of scale and light is the effect Pedrajas was after. Raise your eyes to the dome before looking at the details.
Opening hours and visiting
The official listing does not publish opening hours, and as it is a parish church with services, it may be closed at times or hold Mass. Ask at the municipal tourist office, at Plaza de la Constitución, 3 (957 700 625), or at the parish itself before going, and avoid service times. Half an hour is enough. It is a place of worship: dress appropriately and keep quiet.
The Baroque of Priego
If you like it, Priego has enough for a whole route. The Junta guide cites, besides the Sagrario, the churches of La Aurora, San Francisco, San Pedro, Las Angustias, San Juan de Dios, El Carmen and Las Mercedes, and the Fuente del Rey. In June, Corpus Christi is still celebrated on a Thursday and the Junta highlights its beauty in the Barrio de la Villa.
To combine
When you leave you are at the door of the Barrio de la Villa and the Adarve and a few steps from the castle: the three together make a relaxed morning. To rest afterwards, in the same quarter are the Arab baths at Casa Baños de la Villa, by reservation.
How to look at it
Notice the church first: the octagonal pillars and pointed arches belong to the 16th-century Gothic-Mudéjar building; the vault that covers them, from the 18th century, hides the original Mudéjar roof above. Then pass into the Sagrario through the square enclosure. If you are with children, tell them that everything white they see on the dome is hand-made plasterwork.
- **Priego Castle** (All ages): What it is
A fortress of Islamic origin remodelled in the 13th and 14th centuries, military and austere in character, beside the Barrio de la Villa. It is formed by a perimeter of walls with square towers and one cylindrical one. At the main entrance there is a corridor with two pointed horseshoe arches, framed by an alfiz, with a gate to the outside and the slot down which a portcullis used to drop.
In the parade ground, off-centre, stands the keep or Torre Gorda, 30 metres tall, part of it now semi-underground. It has been a National Historic-Artistic Monument since 1943. It can be dated to the second half of the 13th century, when Priego was a commandery of the Order of Calatrava, although the Nasrid capitals of its windows point to an addition in the first half of the 14th, when Priego returned to Islamic rule.
What is new since July 2026
The castle was privately owned until 1996, when the Town Council received a partial transfer; today it is entirely municipal. On 2 July 2026 it opened new spaces after works costing close to 1.4 million euros of European funds. The main novelty is the north-west sector, with an archaeological crypt that preserves structures from the 9th to the 15th centuries: founding walls, Almohad, Calatravan and late medieval phases, an old access of caliphal origin and an artillery courtyard from the end of the 15th century with a recreation of a bombard.
The visit also gains digital audio guides in five languages (Spanish, English, French, German and Dutch) at twelve points, Braille panels and tactile reliefs beside the tower, and at the top of the keep a panel identifying 29 points in the landscape, such as La Tiñosa or the Calvario Viejo. The Town Council also announced online ticket sales and capacity control.
Opening hours and tickets
We have not found the current opening hours or price published in an official source since the reopening. Before you go, ask at the municipal tourist office, at Plaza de la Constitución, 3 (957 700 625), or look for the castle's online ticket sales.
How to fit it in
The castle is at the edge of the Barrio de la Villa, so it is visited on the same walk as the quarter and the Adarve and the parish church of the Asunción, which is next door. In an hour and a half you have time for all three. Climb the tower on a clear day: the views over the sierra and the olive groves are the best part of the visit.
- **Trail from Zuheros to the Cueva de los Murciélagos** (2 h · 4.8 km · Used to walking · Self-guided · free): What it is
A way of reaching the Cueva de los Murciélagos on foot instead of by car. The Subbética association of municipalities counts it among the most recommended routes in the district: it starts at Zuheros's drinking-water tank, is a loop of 4.8 km taking about two hours, with moderate difficulty.
What you will see
The views are the reason. When the sky is clear you see territory in the province of Seville, all of Córdoba, half of Jaén and the Sierra Nevada, as well as the Sierras Subbéticas Natural Park itself, declared a European and Global Geopark in 2006 with UNESCO's backing for its karst landscape. Along the way remain traces of earlier life: threshing floors where cereal was threshed and wells that gave the neighbours water.
At the top is the cave, a Natural Monument of Andalusia since 2001. According to the Junta it is about two kilometres long, of which only a quarter is prepared for tourism, and it is one of the most important Neolithic sites in Andalusia, with schematic rock art. The association adds that at the back there is a skeleton that DNA tests published in 2018 place among the first farmers of the peninsula, from 7,245 years ago, and a formation called the Espárrago (Asparagus), about four metres tall.
If you are going into the cave
The cave can only be visited with a guide and by reservation, at the Ecomuseum, on 957 694 545; it is on the Cueva de los Murciélagos road, kilometre 4. The visit goes down 65 metres and covers 415, with about 700 steps, half down and half up. Added to the trail, it is a long morning for the knees: book a slot that leaves you time to climb up without hurrying and arrive a little early.
When and how
In autumn, winter and spring; in summer the sun beats down on the open slopes. Bring water, a cap and shoes with a sole, and a jacket for inside the cave. Dogs may go on the trail on a lead, but they do not enter the cave. To park, Zuheros has car parks in the lower part of the village, next to the bridge over the río Bailón, according to the Junta.
To extend it
Zuheros is also the end of the río Bailón trail, which descends from the Sierra de Cabra through a canyon. If you are sleeping in Priego, on the way back you can finish the day at the Arab baths in the Barrio de la Villa.
- **Río Bailón Trail** (5 h · 12.2 km · Walkers · Self-guided · free): What it is
One of the most-walked routes in the Sierras Subbéticas Natural Park and Geopark. It follows the río Bailón from its source and crosses two karst jewels: the polje of La Nava de Cabra, an enclosed plain at almost 1,000 metres above sea level, and the río Bailón canyon, which comes out at Zuheros. Along the way you will see poljes, sinkholes, palaeo-dolines, springs and karren, the landforms that earned the park its Geopark designation in 2006.
The facts
The two official listings do not entirely agree. The Subbética association of municipalities gives it 12.2 km one-way, about five hours and moderate difficulty. The Junta leaflet speaks of 12 km one-way, 4 hours 15 minutes and medium difficulty, between 1,039 and 620 metres above sea level, with a maximum height difference of 419 m and little shade. It can be done in both directions: from La Nava to Zuheros, downhill, or from Zuheros to La Nava, uphill.
The route
In the downhill direction you start near the Picacho of the Sierra de Cabra, with the hermitage of the Virgen de la Sierra on the summit, the so-called Balcón de Andalucía. A track goes down past the ruins of Cortijo Nuevo and Cortijo de la Virgen to La Nava, with springs, drinking troughs, shepherds' huts and flocks of sheep and goats, and large Portuguese oaks that turn yellow in autumn. The small detour to the Chorreras, some waterfalls on the arroyo de la Fuenseca, is worth it. Further on, a panel explains a palaeo-doline and the Fuenfría spring makes a good stop. Then comes the canyon, with rock shelters such as the Cueva del Fraile, and the path runs beside the river, crossing it a couple of times, until Zuheros appears with its castle. Look up: there are griffon vultures, Bonelli's eagles and peregrine falcons.
Before setting out
The Junta leaflet states that this trail needs authorisation from the natural park's management, requested through the Consejería's electronic office or by registration 15 days in advance. Check before you go, because we have not found whether it is still in force.
As it is one-way, organise the return: two cars or a taxi. From Cabra you reach it by the A-339 to the Venta de los Pelaos and from there along the road that climbs to the hermitage; before the summit the trail's track branches off. The association places the start at the car park of the río Bailón viewpoint, at kilometre 5 of that road. There is more parking at the hermitage, at the Venta de los Pelaos and in Zuheros, next to the bridge over the río Bailón. By bus you can only reach Cabra, with Autocares Carrera (957 500 302).
The Junta recommends walking poles and a cap and avoiding hot days; the association advises spring and also autumn. If you finish in Zuheros with energy to spare, the Cueva de los Murciélagos is a few kilometres away, by reservation.
- **Arab Baths at Casa Baños de la Villa** (1 h 30 · Adults): What it is
To end a day of streets and slopes, a bath right in the Barrio de la Villa. The country house Casa Baños de la Villa, at Calle Real, 63, has its own Arab baths, open by reservation also to people who are not staying there.
What the session is like
The circuit lasts 90 minutes and revolves around three pools, cold, warm and hot, to alternate between. It includes a steam bath and a rest area where tea is served at the end. There are three ways to book it:

Bath session: the pools and the steam bath, 90 minutes.
Baths and a 15-minute massage: the relaxing massage is within the 90 minutes.
Baths and a 30-minute massage: also within the 90 minutes.

Only over-18s may enter, so it is not an outing with children.
Booking and price
You book on the house's website: you choose the experience and check availability. The price appears when you choose the session; it is not published elsewhere. They also sell gift vouchers for the Arab baths. The website does not say what to bring or whether they lend towels or flip-flops: ask when you book.
If you want to sleep there, the house offers getaways that combine accommodation, baths, massage and the Priego Monumental Pass: one night in Priego, two nights with a visit to the Cueva de los Murciélagos in Zuheros or a boat trip on the Iznájar reservoir, and three nights across the whole Subbética. Those are arranged by WhatsApp.
When to fit it in
It is best at the end of the day, after walking the Villa Quarter and the Adarve, the castle and the parish church of the Asunción, all a few minutes' walk away. It also works after a walk in the sierra, such as the trail from Zuheros to the Cueva de los Murciélagos: hot water is welcome after 700 steps. If you are staying at the house, see its Casa Baños de la Villa listing.
What to expect
These are the baths of a country house, inside the medieval quarter: the appeal is in the place and the calm. The circuit alternates cold, warm and hot water with the steam of the Turkish bath, and ends in the rest room with tea. If you choose a massage, it takes place within the same 90 minutes, so it does not lengthen the session.

## Dónde comer
- **Zuhayra Restaurant** (Restaurant, Zuheros, €€). Qué pedir: the Zuheros cheeses and the oxtail
- **Huerta de las Palomas Restaurant** (Restaurant, Priego de Córdoba, €€). Qué pedir: the oxtail and the local goat, cow and sheep cheeses

## By car: By car among white villages and olive groves
The Subbética is explored by car: Priego, Zuheros and the Cueva de los Murciélagos are separated by mountain roads among olive trees, and the trails begin outside the villages. Within Priego and Zuheros, park at the entrance and continue on foot: the old quarters have narrow streets.
Presupuesto orientativo: 60–120 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Hotel Rural Huerta de las Palomas** (Hotel): Huerta de las Palomas is a four-star country hotel at kilometre 3.5 of the Zagrilla road, on the outskirts of Priego de Córdoba, in a countryside setting at the foot of the Sierras Subbéticas. It is a large building, among gardens, with a pool, restaurant and function rooms, from the family group Zerca Hoteles, which also has the Hotel Zuhayra in Zuheros. It is a comfortable base if you travel by car and want to park without trouble and return to a quiet place after exploring Priego.
Thirty-four exterior rooms
It has thirty double rooms, two junior suites and two more junior suites with a terrace. All are exterior, with views of the natural surroundings, and have a full bathroom, heating, air conditioning, television and free wifi. Some of the doubles, very spacious according to the hotel, have a terrace. Prices are checked in its booking engine or on 957 720 305.
Pool, garden and local cooking
The pool is large and surrounded by gardens. The Huerta de las Palomas restaurant, in the hotel itself, serves traditional cooking with produce from the district: olive oil, cheeses, lamb, quince and vegetables from the market garden. There is also a café serving meals and portions. The hotel organises weddings, communions and business lunches. Parking is free.
Bikes and routes
The hotel hires out bicycles for the Vía Verde del Aceite or the roads of the district and gives information on walking routes and nearby villages. According to the hotel, it is an hour from Córdoba and Granada, an hour and a half from Málaga, two from Úbeda and Baeza and three from Seville.
Priego, going down by car
You drive down to Priego's old town. There you will find the Barrio de la Villa and the Adarve balcony, the Fuente del Rey and Priego castle. If you want to walk, the río Bailón trail starts from Zuheros, in the same district.
If you are travelling with a dog or arriving late, ask about the conditions on 957 720 305 or at huertadelaspalomas@zercahoteles.com: they do not appear on its website.
- **Hotel Rural Zuhayra** (Small hotel): Hotel Rural Zuhayra is at Calle Mirador, 10, in the upper part of Zuheros, the white village of about 600 inhabitants that looks out over the countryside from the Sierras Subbéticas Natural Park, beside the Vía Verde del Aceite. It is a small hotel, with eighteen rooms, run by the family group Zerca Hoteles, which has been in the district for twenty-five years. It is a base for those who come to walk, cycle or tour the villages of the Subbética.
Eighteen rooms facing the sierra
All the rooms are exterior and most have views of the sierra. They have a full bathroom, heating, air conditioning, television and free wifi. Prices are checked in its booking engine or by telephone.
Local cooking and a fireplace
In the same building is the Zuhayra restaurant, with traditional cooking using local produce: olive oil, Zuheros cheeses, meat and vegetables from the market garden. In summer it has a terrace for eating or having an aperitif, and the lounge-café, with a fireplace, serves informal meals, portions and pizzas. The hotel also has a small shop of local products.
Bikes for the Vía Verde
The hotel hires out bicycles to ride the Vía Verde del Aceite, which passes beside the village, or the roads of the district, and gives tourist information on walking routes, the natural park and the surrounding villages. According to the hotel, Zuheros is an hour from Córdoba and Granada, an hour and a half from Málaga, Úbeda and Baeza, and two from Seville.
Zuheros on foot and the cave by car
From the door you can explore the village and climb to the castle. About four kilometres along the mountain road is the Cueva de los Murciélagos, which is visited with a guide and prior booking, and on foot you reach it by the trail from Zuheros to the cave. Priego de Córdoba, with its Barrio de la Villa and the Fuente del Rey, is also in the district; the Sunday in Priego and Zuheros joins the two villages.
The village streets are narrow and steep: ask when you book where to leave the car. The website does not publish check-in and check-out times or conditions for pets; ask on 957 694 693.
- **Casa Baños de la Villa** (Country house): Casa Baños de la Villa is a country house at Calle Real, 63, the main street of the Barrio de la Villa, the medieval quarter of Priego de Córdoba, two steps from the Adarve balcony and the parish church of the Asunción. It has nine rooms, an inner courtyard, a terrace, a pool and, what sets it apart, its own Arab baths inside the house, open also to those who are not sleeping there.
Nine rooms with names of their own
Each room has its own name and identity, with its own colours and details: Solidaridad, Vitalidad, Aroma, Imaginación, Pasión, Legado, Sueños and Sostenibilidad, plus the Suite Armonía, with two bedrooms and a separate lounge, for a family or small group of two to five people. All have air conditioning, heating and a bathroom, with a shower or bath depending on the room. Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out before 12:00; for other times, ask at reception. Prices are checked in its booking engine.
Ninety minutes of Arab baths
The circuit lasts ninety minutes and revolves around three pools of cold, warm and hot water, with a steam bath and tea. You can book the session alone or with a relaxing massage of fifteen or thirty minutes, and there are vouchers to give as gifts. Only over-18s may enter, so it is not an outing with children.
Getaways to get to know the Subbética
The house sells packages that combine accommodation and baths with visits: a one-night getaway with baths, massage and the Priego Monumental Pass; another of two nights around Iznájar and its reservoir, with a boat trip and lunch; and another around Zuheros, with a visit to the Cueva de los Murciélagos. There is also a romantic pack with breakfast.
The quarter on foot
From the door you are in the Barrio de la Villa and the Adarve balcony; the parish church of the Asunción and the castle are a few steps away, and the Fuente del Rey is down through the centre. If you are interested in the history of the quarter's baths, the listing for the Arab baths of the Barrio de la Villa tells it.
The Barrio de la Villa has very narrow streets: leave the car outside the quarter and arrive on foot with your luggage; ask when you book where to park. The website does not say whether pets are admitted.

## By bike: By bike on the Vía Verde del Aceite
The Vía Verde del Aceite crosses the south of the province of Córdoba among olive groves along the old railway line, 67 km within the province, and passes at the foot of Zuheros. The association also publishes mountain-bike routes through the north and south of the Subbética. The Zerca hotels hire out bicycles.
Presupuesto orientativo: 55–110 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're cycling
- **Hotel Rural Huerta de las Palomas** (Hotel): Huerta de las Palomas is a four-star country hotel at kilometre 3.5 of the Zagrilla road, on the outskirts of Priego de Córdoba, in a countryside setting at the foot of the Sierras Subbéticas. It is a large building, among gardens, with a pool, restaurant and function rooms, from the family group Zerca Hoteles, which also has the Hotel Zuhayra in Zuheros. It is a comfortable base if you travel by car and want to park without trouble and return to a quiet place after exploring Priego.
Thirty-four exterior rooms
It has thirty double rooms, two junior suites and two more junior suites with a terrace. All are exterior, with views of the natural surroundings, and have a full bathroom, heating, air conditioning, television and free wifi. Some of the doubles, very spacious according to the hotel, have a terrace. Prices are checked in its booking engine or on 957 720 305.
Pool, garden and local cooking
The pool is large and surrounded by gardens. The Huerta de las Palomas restaurant, in the hotel itself, serves traditional cooking with produce from the district: olive oil, cheeses, lamb, quince and vegetables from the market garden. There is also a café serving meals and portions. The hotel organises weddings, communions and business lunches. Parking is free.
Bikes and routes
The hotel hires out bicycles for the Vía Verde del Aceite or the roads of the district and gives information on walking routes and nearby villages. According to the hotel, it is an hour from Córdoba and Granada, an hour and a half from Málaga, two from Úbeda and Baeza and three from Seville.
Priego, going down by car
You drive down to Priego's old town. There you will find the Barrio de la Villa and the Adarve balcony, the Fuente del Rey and Priego castle. If you want to walk, the río Bailón trail starts from Zuheros, in the same district.
If you are travelling with a dog or arriving late, ask about the conditions on 957 720 305 or at huertadelaspalomas@zercahoteles.com: they do not appear on its website.
- **Hotel Rural Zuhayra** (Small hotel): Hotel Rural Zuhayra is at Calle Mirador, 10, in the upper part of Zuheros, the white village of about 600 inhabitants that looks out over the countryside from the Sierras Subbéticas Natural Park, beside the Vía Verde del Aceite. It is a small hotel, with eighteen rooms, run by the family group Zerca Hoteles, which has been in the district for twenty-five years. It is a base for those who come to walk, cycle or tour the villages of the Subbética.
Eighteen rooms facing the sierra
All the rooms are exterior and most have views of the sierra. They have a full bathroom, heating, air conditioning, television and free wifi. Prices are checked in its booking engine or by telephone.
Local cooking and a fireplace
In the same building is the Zuhayra restaurant, with traditional cooking using local produce: olive oil, Zuheros cheeses, meat and vegetables from the market garden. In summer it has a terrace for eating or having an aperitif, and the lounge-café, with a fireplace, serves informal meals, portions and pizzas. The hotel also has a small shop of local products.
Bikes for the Vía Verde
The hotel hires out bicycles to ride the Vía Verde del Aceite, which passes beside the village, or the roads of the district, and gives tourist information on walking routes, the natural park and the surrounding villages. According to the hotel, Zuheros is an hour from Córdoba and Granada, an hour and a half from Málaga, Úbeda and Baeza, and two from Seville.
Zuheros on foot and the cave by car
From the door you can explore the village and climb to the castle. About four kilometres along the mountain road is the Cueva de los Murciélagos, which is visited with a guide and prior booking, and on foot you reach it by the trail from Zuheros to the cave. Priego de Córdoba, with its Barrio de la Villa and the Fuente del Rey, is also in the district; the Sunday in Priego and Zuheros joins the two villages.
The village streets are narrow and steep: ask when you book where to leave the car. The website does not publish check-in and check-out times or conditions for pets; ask on 957 694 693.

## As a family: A cave with bats and a fountain with 139 spouts

With children, the Subbética has two highlights: the Cueva de los Murciélagos, with its descent of steps into the dark, and Priego's Fuente del Rey, with its spouts and stone faces. In between, white streets and viewpoints.

### What works best
The Cueva de los Murciélagos, at €6.50 for ages 6 to 12

The Fuente del Rey, counting the spouts and looking for the lion

The Barrio de la Villa and the Adarve viewpoint

Priego castle, if it has reopened

### Where to sleep
Huerta de las Palomas, with a pool and gardens

### Where to eat
Huerta de las Palomas restaurant, with parking

### Worth knowing
The cave has about 700 steps: it is not for pushchairs or very young children

The Arab baths are for over-18s only

### Qué hacer as a family
- Fuente del Rey
- Barrio de la Villa and Balcón del Adarve
- Cueva de los Murciélagos in Zuheros
- Priego Castle

## Consejos

### Book the cave in advance
You only enter with a guide, and the phone is answered Wednesday to Sunday mornings.

### Priego in the morning, Zuheros in the afternoon
The cave also opens in the afternoon at weekends.

### Confirm the castle
Its reopening after the works was planned for 2026.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### What is there to see in Priego de Córdoba in a day?
The Fuente del Rey, the Barrio de la Villa with the Balcón del Adarve, the Asunción and its Sagrario and, if it has reopened, the castle.

### How much does the Bat Cave cost?
The 2023 municipal ordinance sets €8 and €6.50 for ages 6 to 12. Book on 957 694 545.

### Can you visit the cave without a reservation?
No: there are only guided visits with prior reservation.

### How long does it take from Córdoba to Priego?
About an hour by car.

### Where do you sleep in the Subbética?
In Priego, at Casa Baños de la Villa or the Hotel Rural Huerta de las Palomas; in Zuheros, at the Hotel Rural Zuhayra.