Luque
Luque is a white village of 2,800 people at 662 metres on the northern edge of the Sierras Subbéticas, Córdoba, below Hisn Lukk, a 9th-century Moorish castle restored and reopened in 2024.
About Luque
Luque stands at 662 metres where the Sierras Subbéticas meet the campiña. The chronicler Ibn Hayyan first mentions it as Lukk in 909, and its castle, from the late emirate, was rebuilt under Nasrid rule. Fernando III took it in 1240, and Alfonso XI recovered it for good in the 14th century. About 2,800 people live here.
The Castillo de Luque, or Venceaire, is climbed by a modern stairway to a 26-metre keep, cisterns and a parade ground; it reopened in June 2024 after restoration (€4). Below it, the 16th-century Iglesia de la Asunción is called the cathedral of the Subbética for its size. The museum Luque, Tierra de Fronteras (€1) and the Cueva de la Encantada, with prehistoric paintings, complete the visit.
Luque is 75 km south-east of Córdoba, about an hour by car on the N-432, and 4 km from Zuheros. Plaza de España is level, but the castle climb is steep with steps, so wheelchair users are limited to the square and church. Allow two hours. It suits families and cyclists on the Vía Verde del Aceite.
Spring and autumn are best, and in May houses fill with flowers for a patio competition. The Feria Real is held around 24 August, and a medieval market fills Plaza de España on the last weekend of October in alternate years. Taste olive oil of the Baena designation, roscones de piñonate and pestiños. At weekends a €5 ticket covers castle, museum and cave.
Luque in pictures
What you’ll find
- CastleCastle entry (€3–€4, 10:00–21:00)Ticket
- ChurchChurch visitFree
- FestivalAnnual festivalFree
- Hiking trailHikingFree
- Historic centreOld town walkFree
- Local foodLocal cuisineBuy
- Moorish quarterMoorish heritage walkFree
- MuseumMuseum entry (€1, 09:30–14:00)Ticket
- Tourist officeVisitor informationFree
- ViewpointSightseeingFree
Nearby places to visit
Next door, Zuheros (4 km) is the gateway to the Cueva de los Murciélagos de Zuheros (3 km), a show cave with Neolithic paintings, and the Cañón del Río Bailón (4 km) gorge walk. Carcabuey (13 km) lies south through the sierra, and Priego de Córdoba (15 km) has the Baroque Fuente del Rey, Priego de Córdoba (16 km). North of the village, the Vía Verde del Aceite passes the Civil War bunkers of El Aceitunillo, and the Laguna del Salobral, the largest lagoon in the province, fills with waterbirds after wet winters.
Luque at a glance
Category
Culture White villages
Town
Luque
Address
Plaza de España 14880
Opening hours
Open access; the streets can be visited at any time. Castle: Wed–Thu 12:00–14:00, Fri 12:00–14:00 and 18:00–21:00, Sat, Sun and holidays 10:00–14:00 and 18:00–21:00; closed Mon–Tue. Museum: Wed–Fri 09:30–12:00, weekends 12:00–14:00. Cueva de la Encantada: guided visits at weekends at 12:30.
Prices
Free to walk around; castle €4, museum €1 (free with castle ticket), cave €2, weekend combined ticket €5
Website
turismodelasubbetica.es/luque
Phone
+34 957 667 574
Email
turismo@luque.es
More places nearby
Other places within 25 km of Luque, nearest first.
