Arab Baths at Casa Baños de la Villa

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.