Priego de Córdoba

About Priego de Córdoba

Priego stands at 649 metres in the Sierras Subbéticas, its Barrio de la Villa set on the edge of a natural cliff. As Medina Baguh it was a rebel stronghold in the 9th century; Fernando III took it in 1225, the Order of Calatrava held it from 1246, and after a Nasrid interlude Alfonso XI retook it for good in 1341. The quarter became a Conjunto Histórico in 1972; the town has about 22,000 people.

Enter by Plaza de Santa Ana and follow Calle Real to Plaza de San Antonio and Calle Jazmines, then drop to the Adarve. The castle, with a 30-metre keep and Mudéjar windows, costs €1.50; the Asunción church beside it (€2) has an 18th-century Rococo Sagrario. A €5 bono covers most sites.

Priego is about 100 km south-east of Córdoba (1 hour 30 minutes) and 80 km from Granada (1 hour 15 minutes); Carrera buses run from Córdoba. Park outside the centre and walk: the Villa is pedestrian, with narrow cobbled lanes, while the Adarve itself is level. Allow half a day for the Villa, castle and churches. It suits photographers and lovers of Baroque art.

May is the classic month, when the Domingos de Mayo festivities fill the churches and the patios are in flower; autumn is also good. The Festival Internacional de Música, Teatro y Danza runs in July or August. Taste extra-virgin oil of the Priego de Córdoba designation of origin and local chacinas. Check hours: many monuments open mornings only.

Priego de Córdoba in pictures

What you’ll find

• Bus connectionPublic transportBuy
• CastleCastle entry (€2, 11:00–14:00)Ticket
• ChurchChurch entry (€2)Ticket
• FestivalAnnual festivalFree
• Historic centreOld town walkFree
• Local foodLocal cuisineBuy
• Moorish quarterMoorish heritage walkFree
• MuseumMuseum entry (€2, 10:00–14:00)Ticket
• Tourist officeVisitor information (10:00–14:00)Free
• ViewpointSightseeingFree

Nearby places to visit

The town's own sights include the Fuente del Rey, Priego de Córdoba (1 km), a Baroque fountain with 139 spouts completed in 1803, and the Adolfo Lozano Sidro House Museum (under 1 km), home of the illustrator. Carcabuey (7 km) has a hermitage inside its castle walls, and Zuheros (16 km) gives access to the Cueva de los Murciélagos de Zuheros (15 km), a show cave with Neolithic remains. To the south-west, Iznájar (23 km) rises above Andalucía's largest reservoir, and the frontier church of Iglesia de la Villa, Montefrío (20 km) crowns its crag in Granada.