Just because you’ve seen everything there is to see in Granada doesn’t mean you’re done. Within a short drive of the busy city, you’ll find a few fabulous towns waiting to be explored. Montefrío, Priego de Córdoba and Alhama de Granada each have their own personalities that match their mountain settings. Here are a few ideas for day trips from Granada.
Montefrío
We stared across the valley in awe of the awkward-looking rocky peak supporting a medieval church. It is one of the quirkiest locations for a historic church that we have seen, making Montefrío one of the most unique of the Pueblo Blancos.
When the town of Montefrío was under Moorish rule, it sat on the edge of the northwest border of the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada. This location provided the perfect vantage spot to keep a watchful eye on traffic going toward the important city of Granada. In the 15th century, the Moors built a castle on this precarious spot but today, barely any of that castle remains. In its place, Spain’s first king and queen built a church on the pinnacle.
The 16th-century Iglesia de La Villa (Village Church) can be seen from many points in town and commands attention on this prominent spot. Before visiting it directly, we wanted to see it from all angles, so we walked along the hillside on the edge of town. It took us to a few lookouts, each providing a different view. At each, we thought we had found the best view. That is, until we walked to the next viewpoint.
The most popular one has a National Geographic picture frame and is touted as being one of the best viewpoints in Spain.
After exploring it from far away, we wanted to get a closer look. The walk to the church is a steep climb. As we walked, we passed several white-washed homes built into the side of the pinnacle. We thought it would be a bizarre place to live.
The church was closed when we visited, so we couldn’t get inside. It was worthwhile to climb up to it though, because there are lovely views offered from its front door. From the top of this pinnacle, we looked down upon the massive Church of the Incarnation (Iglesia La Encarnación). It’s so big that it is best seen from above. When you’re in front of it, you can barely see the whole thing.
It is the only round church in Spain and inside the nave is a large round room with very few adornments. It is said to have excellent acoustics.
Not many tourists visit this town, but we think it is worth it to see the church on a rocky pinnacle.
How to get to Montefrío
Located less than 60 km from Granada, Montefrio makes a great day trip. If you have a car, most of the drive is on a two-lane provincial highway, but it is in good condition. There are also buses that run directly between the two. If you’re based in Málaga or Córdoba, you could also visit on a day trip. They are a little further away, around 100 km, but you could manage it on a day trip.
You don’t need a car to get around Montefrio, and plan to park outside of the historic centre.
Priego de Córdoba
For a small town seemingly in the middle of nowhere, Priego de Córdoba had a tumultuous past. It was settled by the Romans, several Moorish Empires and then by Christian rulers, including a military Christian order. Each time it exchanged hands, the battles caused a lot of destruction. Its cliffside location and medieval quarter have given it a rightful place on Spain’s list of Pueblo Blancos.
The Moors built a castle in the centre of town to help defend this little treasure, unfortunately, it was closed when we visited. The castle is closed on Mondays.
At one point Priego de Córdoba was famous for silk making and it became very prosperous. That wealth can be seen in some of its old buildings and churches. When that industry collapsed however, the town’s finances did too.
The oldest neighbourhood, Old Quarter (Barrio de la Villa), is a continuous display of one quaint street after another. Its whitewashed homes are well taken care of and are decorated with flowerpots and small balconies.
As we admired the narrow lanes, we wondered how the streets were kept so clean. Just then, we saw a miniature garbage truck working its way down the cobblestone.
Most of the lanes in the Old Quarter lead to their most treasured feature, The Aldarve. It’s a natural balcony on the edge of town and provides gorgeous vistas of the olive groves that cover the surrounding hills.
How to get to Priego de Córdoba
Despite its name, Priego de Córdoba is located only 80 km from Granada and over 100 km from Córdoba. You can reach it most of the way on freeways, but there will also be travel on double lane highways. Priego de Córdoba is only 30 km from Montefrío so you could see both on the same day.
You can find more Pueblo Blancos in our post A Guide to Spain’s Pueblo Blancos.
Alhama de Granada
At first we were disappointed by Alhama de Granada because its castle looks more like a ruined stone shack than a castle. But once we gave the rest of the historic town a chance, we found a few gems.
The historic town is located on the steep banks of the Tajos de Alhama, a canyon created by the Alhama River. Natural thermal baths in the area attracted the Romans who established a settlement. The Moors arrived next and named it Al-hama, meaning The Bath. As a result, there are a few remains of Roman and Arab baths along the edge of the gorge, but they are in complete ruins.
Today, you can find quite a few resort health spas who take advantage of the natural mineral waters.
An earthquake brought down most of the buildings in town, so today there aren’t many historical buildings left, but we found a few. One of them was the headquarters of the local Spanish Inquisition.
How to get to Alhama de Granada
Alhama de Granada is located midway between Granada and Málaga. The drive is on double lane highways, but we found they weren’t too busy and the drive was enjoyable. Antequera is only 80 km away, so if you’re going to Antequera, you could make a quick visit to Alhama de Granada. It is also only 48 km from Montefrío so you could see them on the same day.
Montefrío is in the centre of this map. Priego de Córdoba and Alhama de Granada are very close to it, but are no listed on this map.
To read more of our adventures in Spain, click here.
Coming Next – Alcazaba of Almeria
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