- Montilla-Moriles — the wine district. The pale dry wine is made in the same family as sherry but is not sherry; it is bottled here, not in Jerez.
- Torre del Moral — the keep of Lucena castle, where Boabdil was held after the battle of Lucena in 1483.
- Sima de Cabra — a vertical cave in the hills above Cabra. Guided caving, not a show cave like Zuheros.
Western Subbetica — Montilla, Lucena and Cabra
This side of the Sierras Subbeticas is the wine and market towns on the Cordoba approach: Montilla, Lucena and Cabra. From the Costa del Sol you come up the A-45 past Antequera. Bodegas, a castle that held Boabdil, and the springs above Cabra are the point of the day. The cliff villages and the reservoir sit on the other two routes.
Walks, food and the split of the park are on the overview. Zuheros and Priego are the northeast route. Iznajar and Rute are the water route. Montilla-Moriles wine has its own note on the wines page.
*Bodegas in Montilla keep morning hours more often than late afternoon. The Sima de Cabra is a booked caving trip, not a walk from the town square.
Words you will meet
Montilla
Montilla is the wine town. A scrap of wall and a cistern are what remain of the castle. Inside that ground stands the fourteenth-century hermitage of San Sebastian, the oldest church left. Santiago is the main parish. Santa Clara is the convent people still point to. San Francisco Solano holds a painting of the Virgen del Populo. San Juan de Dios, San Agustin, Santa Rosa and Santa Ana fill out a short walk if a bodega visit has not already used the morning. Taste here; do not treat the town as a list of façades you tick from the car.
Lucena
The N-331 runs on to Lucena, the larger town. In the Muslim period it had a Jewish quarter as well as an Arab one. The castle is the monument: the Torre del Moral is where Boabdil was imprisoned after 1483. San Mateo stands on Plaza Nueva. The sanctuary of the Virgen de Araceli sits above the town and is the viewpoint. Lucena is also a furniture and brass-working place; the workshops are in the streets, not in the castle. The keep is the same tower described on the inland castles page; you do not need both visits.
Cabra
Cabra closes the line. The castle of the Counts of Cabra stands on older, including Roman, ground. The Casa de la Cultura holds the archaeological museum, with pieces that start in prehistory — the Cueva de los Mosquitos is the local cave name for those finds. La Asuncion and Los Angeles are the churches in the centre. The pleasant ground around town is water: Fuente del Rio, Fuente de las Piedras, and the head of the River Cabra. The Sima de Cabra is in the hills, for people with a caving booking. It is not the bat cave at Zuheros.
How to follow this route from Malaga
Lucena is the hinge: about two hours from Malaga Airport on the A-45. Montilla sits closer to Cordoba. Cabra is a short hop from Lucena toward the park. A hire car links the three. A private transfer can drop you in Lucena; the bodegas and Cabra’s springs still need a car or a taxi.
Car hire: the flexible option
From Malaga Airport take the A-45 toward Antequera and Lucena. Montilla is north toward Cordoba. Cabra is east toward the park. Leave Iznajar and Zuheros for another day.
Hire a car at Malaga Airport
Taxi or private transfer
From Malaga Airport or your Costa del Sol hotel to Lucena or Montilla. Stay overnight if you want a bodega morning and Cabra in the afternoon. A same-day return only works for one town.
Book a transfer*No credit-card details or advance payment are needed to request a quote. Cancellation is free. Book ahead in high season to avoid price rises and to secure the car or group size you need.
Other options
Trains from Malaga reach Antequera and Cordoba. Buses from Cordoba and Lucena serve Montilla and Cabra more often than buses from the Costa. Some coaches run Malaga–Lucena. There is no useful station at a bodega door or at the Sima de Cabra.
From Fuengirola, Torremolinos or Marbella go into Malaga for the long-distance legs, or drive the A-45. Montilla is easier from Cordoba than from the beach if you are using only buses. Araceli sanctuary above Lucena is a short taxi or a stiff walk.
Practical tips
- Book a bodega in Montilla for the morning. Churches can wait until after the tasting.
- Lucena castle and Araceli are enough. You do not need every parish.
- Cabra’s springs are the park edge on this route. The Sima is only if you have a caving slot.
- Do not add Zuheros or Iznajar to this loop from the Costa.
- Montilla wine is dry and fortified in style. It is not a copy of Jerez sherry sold under another name.
Frequently asked questions about the western Subbetica
Is Montilla wine the same as sherry?
No. It is made in a related way and tastes in the same family, but it is a Cordoba wine bottled in Montilla-Moriles, not in Jerez.
Why is Lucena castle famous?
Boabdil, the last Nasrid king of Granada, was held in the Torre del Moral after the battle of Lucena in 1483.
Can I do Montilla, Lucena and Cabra in one day?
Yes by car if the bodega is booked early. Sleep in Lucena if you want Araceli and Cabra without a rush back to the coast.
Is the Sima de Cabra the bat cave?
No. The bat cave is the Cueva de los Murcielagos at Zuheros, on the northeast route. The Sima de Cabra is a vertical pothole for cavers.
How far is Lucena from Malaga?
About two hours by car on the A-45. Coaches exist. Montilla is further toward Cordoba.
