Hiking trails in Cordoba: Enter the natural heart of Andalusia.

If you are a lover of routes in the countryside and hiking you are in the right place. Cordoba, not only presents great routes that border the province, but also offers routes that are integrated within the capital itself. You will be able to connect with nature in all its splendor, in a quiet and relaxed way.

You should also know that the capital of Cordoba has a very abundant flora and fauna lovers will be able to enjoy intimate moments in the heart of nature.

Here are some hiking trails that you can find both in the city of Cordoba and in the province.

You won’t be able to refuse them!

We assure you that the moment you set foot on the routes that we are going to offer you, you will be filled with the desire to discover a little more of the nature that this city has to offer.

If you want to enjoy fresh air, you are in the right place!

Hiking Routes in Córdoba Capital

Los Villares de Córdoba Periurban Park Route 

This famous “park” is cataloged as a “natural space” and is located in the province of Cordoba where there are large pine and oak forests.

This natural enclave has been used for years as a place for leisure and recreation since it is very close to the city.

You can find a recreational area of 60 hectares prepared to receive a large number of people. It has parking for vehicles, tables, chairs, kitchens, benches, etc.

Once in the park you can take several hiking trails that are perfectly indicated and with exceptional signage.

There are four main outdoor routes, which you can do or combine as you wish:

• Countryside trail
• Viewpoint
• Path of the Umbría
• Path of tranquility (for people who are looking for a place to disconnect from their daily life and enjoy a moment of peace and calm).

This park is located in the Sierra de Córdoba (Sierra Morena), about 8 km from the capital.

Its exact address is Carretera Vecinal Córdoba – Obejo km.7.5 (CO-3408) – Córdoba 14012.

Ideally, you should get there by car, as it is easy to find parking without any problem. Once there you will be able to start the route in a leisurely and comfortable way.

For more information you can contact directly with the phone number provided below: +34 957 000 929

After these routes, you can make a stop to rest or taste some delicious dishes in the bar-restaurant of the villares that offer a fairly extensive menu with very original dishes such as flamenquín of cheeks, wild boar, oxtail, potatoes with egg and ham or some meats; or you can make a barbecue with friends or family, because as we mentioned above the recreation area is equipped with stone barbecues, chairs, tables, etc..

This park has many advantages for people with reduced mobility since it tries to adapt to the needs of each person.

We recommend specialized footwear for hiking routes and appropriate clothing.

Route of the Rockroses

Another of the most interesting routes that we can offer you is the one around the “Embalse La Encantada“, located in the area of the Jaras de Córdoba and with a very good location.

This area enjoys a very good light and very pleasant temperatures that will allow you to make the route in a very comfortable way.

In addition, on this route you will be able to enjoy the abundant vegetation that is located in this place, as well as the fauna and flora of the place.

Another advantage that this route has and that will help you to decide for it is the wonderful reservoir that is located in this area and that has been kept in perfect condition for years.

This place will conquer you for the calm and tranquility that it will transmit.

You can enjoy a very pleasant route in full contact with nature and appreciate the multitude of native species such as fig, sarsaparilla, myrtle, etc..

As for the animal species, you will be able to see birds such as the cormorant, the grey heron or the kingfisher.

This route is located from Cordoba at a distance of 16 km with an approximate duration of 34 minutes, therefore, the most ideal way to get there would be by car.

Once there, to start the route you can park the car in a good place as there is plenty of parking and you will not have any problem. Do not forget where you leave it and how to return to the place of origin of the route.

It has a distance of 14 km, which is approximately five hours on foot. It has a medium-low difficulty, which means that you will have no problem to do it.

This route is perfect for couples or with friends, this way you can connect with nature and with the people who accompany you. We recommend hiking shoes and comfortable clothing!

Hiking route in Trasierra: by the Fuente del Elefante, Arroyo del Bejarano and del Molino in the Baños de Popea. 

This route is one of the most special in the city of Córdoba. Among other things because of its proximity to the capital.

It is one of the most beautiful and accessible routes of the Sierra Morena Cordoba. In addition, it has a lot of vegetation such as elms, alders, hazel or ash trees, as well as wildlife that inhabits every corner of this wonderful trail.

You will be able to know a small part hidden among the bushes, surrounded by the nature that you need to have a space of calm and tranquility.

In addition, you should know that the backbone of this trip to the interior of Cordoba will be the water. Do you want to know why?

• Through water you will have the opportunity to know part of the history of Cordoba as you will be able to see the “Aqueduct of Valdepuentes”, Roman roads and old mills in the surroundings of the “Arroyos del Molino and Bejarano”.
• The water will help you get closer to the best preserved riparian forests of the Sierra Morena Cordobesa.

This trail has good signage and usually has no loss.

Its difficulty is moderate, so you will be able to advance and get into it with total comfort.

The duration of this route is approximately 5 hours and 10 minutes, although you can always adapt it to your circumstances.

On this route you will pass through places that you will not forget and you will see some mythical elements of the route such as La Fuente del Elefante or Caño de Escarabita.

It is worth mentioning that before reaching the Elephant Fountain you will pass through a deserted plain where you will be able to see the cattle grazing and observe the black stonechats.

Hiking Routes in the Province of Cordoba 

If you want to follow the old railroad tracks that lead to a village where time has stopped, walk freely in pastures where deer roam freely, make a stop along the way to visit a real medieval fortress, etc..

We will tell you how to see and appreciate some of the wonders that you can enjoy on the best hiking trails in Cordoba.

Route of the Arroyo de Guadalora, in the Sierra de Hornachuelos

The first advantage we will tell you is that this route is located in a natural park in the Sierra de Hornachuelos.

The Arroyo de Guadalora is one of the best examples of Mediterranean forest in the province of Cordoba. Near the wonderful groves of Guadalora, the forest of oaks and cork oaks will flood you with the calm you need to make this route.

You will be able to enjoy very interesting animal species; both mammals and birds. Among them are species such as deer, griffon vultures or the Iberian Imperial Eagle.

This route has a correct and easy to understand signage for all people, which will allow you a fairly easy access.

It has a lot of signage that will help you to know much of this Sierra.  It is an area with numerous streams and reservoirs where you can make several hiking trails, enjoying a wonderful landscape bathed by water.

The level of difficulty is moderate and you can take approximately 4 hours and 54 minutes to complete the route with its corresponding stops and at a moderate pace.

To do this route you must ask for permission at the visitor center of the Huerta del Rey, and to prevent fires, this route can not be done in summer.

The visitor center is open from 09:00 in the morning and you can ask for permission the same day you are going to do the route.

If you need more information we provide a phone number to resolve any questions regarding the route or any other inconvenience. 957579656.

Route through the Zóñar Lagoon, in the Natural Reserve of Las Lagunas del Sur de Córdoba.

In the south of the province of Cordoba is the Natural Reserve of the Lagunas del Sur, where its impressive wetlands bathed by lagoons full of beauty, history and legends stand out.

An oasis of peace located in nature, where you can connect with yourself and find the calm you need.

This route is located in the Zóñar Lagoon, in the specific term of Aguilar de la Frontera.

The start of this route will be made from the Visitor Center on the service road next to the A-304 km 5-6 from Aguilar to Puente Genil.

You will enjoy panels prepared to indicate the necessary information before starting this route and you will be provided with enough information about the lagoons that form this magnificent enclave.

This lagoon is considered the only lake in Andalusia according to limnological criteria.

In addition, this one maintains its permanent water throughout the year, so you will not miss it in its maximum splendor!

The species that live in this area are the purple heron, the red duck, the coot, the marsh harrier or the royal duck.

This trail has a low difficulty so it is very suitable for children and transmit them all the knowledge that this place gives you in relation to nature.

The route through the Laguna de Zóñar is well known among ornithology lovers: many migratory birds are hosted here, including the endangered white-headed duck.

It is recommended to visit it in the autumn or spring months as the temperatures will be suitable for this trip to the heart of nature, as well as we advise you to use suitable footwear to handle this place and appropriate clothing.

Route along the Yeguas River, in Cardeña and Montoro.

Thanks to the autumn rains in the months of September and October, this landscape becomes a sonorous place where you can listen to the bellowing of the deer.

In this place in addition to the route that offers you, you can enjoy a soundtrack produced by the bellowing of the male deer in heat.

In this emblematic route you can discover the path of the woods that leads to the Yeguas River. You will see the abandoned bridge of Valdelagrana that over the years has not lost any of its charm.

You will enjoy the mythical species of the Mediterranean forest as the elusive, the famous Iberian lynx, the imperial eagle and the emblematic golden eagle. Some people claim to have sighted Iberian wolves of Andalusia that still survive and inhabit this place.

To get to this famous hiking route we recommend you to get to the charming village of Cardeña and you must access through the Camino de los Madereros. If you follow this road for 6 km you will see a sign that prohibits the use of motor vehicles. This will be the exact point where you will start your longed route.

We recommend you to call by phone to the number: 957 33 65 03 since you must make sure that you can do it without any problem and you can let us know that you are going to start to do it.

This route that we propose is circular and has an approximate duration of 4 hours and 39 minutes, covering 13.81 kilometers, is the most beautiful to walk and enjoy it with tranquility.

At the beginning of this route, you will see the area of the pasture located in the middle of a well-preserved Mediterranean forest of Chaparros and cork oaks.

At the height of the first farmhouse, just to the right you can access the path that is located in front.

The trail crosses several farmhouses where you will have to make sure that the fences are closed so that the cattle do not escape.

After this brief information we have provided will be as simple as following the signs that are indicated along the route. You can’t miss it!

La Maquinilla Greenway

First of all, and before we start to give you some essential information to know in more depth this route you should know that the curious name of the Maquinilla responds to the railway past of the area, which has left a host of relics and curious routes on the edge of the old railroad.

This route that we present below has a length of eight kilometers and connects the towns of Belmez and Peñarroya-Pueblonuevo by means of the Maquinilla, the old mining railroad.

The profile of this route is practically flat so you will find it very comfortable to do it and you can even do it by bicycle.

This route is characterized by the diversity of landscapes that you will find in it: urban, agricultural, mining and industrial landscapes.

This route begins on the road to Córdoba where the wells of Belmez, Aurora and San Antonio are located.

The landscape that you will see on this route is very varied and diverse, finding fields of cereal in its full splendor, olive groves, oak groves and pastures, always bordered by mountains that delimit the Guadiato Valley.

In this area you can see a wide variety of birds such as flocks of cranes, kestrels, storks, Bonelli’s eagles or even vultures circling over our beers.

If you would like more information about this route, please contact us:

Phone number: + 34 637544156 / 957560089

E-mail: caniamaque32@gmail.com

Route of Cerro Abuchite, in the Subbetic Mountain Range

The unique route along the Bailon River is perfect for autumn. Along this route you will find the Sierra de Cabra that will take you to the depression of the Guadalquivir. The wild nature that surrounds these places is worth seeing.

The beginning of the route starts from the west end of the town, at the height of the municipal swimming pool. From there we will follow the route of the CP-131 road, unpaved, linking Luque with Carcabuey.

This famous route will allow you to know the northern part of the Cordovan subbetica. It will allow you to visit corners that perhaps you did not imagine and to know a part that feels forgotten and lost.

This hiking route starts from the town of Luque, and corresponds to a circular route full of contrasts in all directions.

During the tour you can cross the Massif of the Sierra de Cabra, which is accompanied by the Bailon River from its source to the depression of the Guadalquivir, located north of Zuheros. You will enjoy landscapes with an enormous beauty produced by water and the passage of time, approximately for 170 million years the water has been shaping the rocks that you will find on your way and that today form the famous mountains that you will see. It enjoys wonderful species of fauna and flora that will bring you closer to the heart of the route.

You will be able to see species such as griffon vultures, and abundant vegetation. You should know that its level of difficulty is moderate so you should be well informed of the advantages and disadvantages of this route.

It usually lasts approximately 5 hours and 20 minutes.

To start the trip you should make sure of the weather in the days prior to the realization of the route and the day you will do it to feel comfortable and calm.

Route of Almodóvar del Río, the reservoir of La Breña.

We close the list of the best hiking routes in Cordoba with the Route from Almodovar del Rio to the Breña reservoir. This is an interesting option for the whole family: it does not present difficulties for the little ones.  In addition to enjoying an unforgettable walk through nature, you can make a cultural stop at the Castle of Almodóvar del Río, an authentic fortress worth visiting.

The Breña reservoir is located in the municipality of Almodóvar del Río, specifically in the final stretch of the Guadiato River.

You can access by the A-431 road that connects the cities of Cordoba and Seville. The reservoir of 823 Hm3, is the second largest in Andalusia.

This route that we are proposing is one of the most requested in the vicinity of Cordoba for its wonderful landscape bathed by water. You will be surprised by the way in which nature mimics the swamp, as the fish swim to the rhythm of the wind.

You will find a Center of Activities in the Nature that corresponds to a building next to the marsh. Here you can ask for all the information you need to start the route and they can advise you on the peculiarities of this.

The reservoir itself has a bar-restaurant where they offer magnificent dishes and in high season they also include menus for visitors. This place is ideal to rest after the walk along the wonderful path.

If you would like more information about the route offered in this enclave, we leave you some contacts, which we believe may be useful:

• E-mail: ayuntamiento@almodovardelrio.es
• Telephone: 957 713 602 / 957 713 604

Before making the route make sure that the weather is favorable so that you can enjoy this route without any problem, since in summer the temperatures are usually quite high.

Don’t forget comfortable shoes and clothes suitable for hiking!

If you wish, you can consult some guided tours or free tours that are proposed by the city of Cordoba.