The best traffic-free bike rides around Villaviciosa De Córdoba

This small road is located very close to the city of Córdoba, right in the Sierra Morena. The asphalt winds through a beautiful holm oak forest, making it ideal for cycling. Proof of this is the fact that La Vuelta usually passes through here.

One of the most legendary climbs in the Sierra de Córdoba, well-known for both hiking and mountain biking. It's a tough, consistent climb, very popular with local cyclists and races like the Andalucía Bike Race and the Guzmán el Bueno (the latter often runs it in the opposite direction). The Cuesta del Reventón ascends towards the Ermitas de Córdoba, a classic panoramic viewpoint. It's a wide, rocky path with a steep incline, frequently used by cyclists and hikers. Approximate length: between 2.7 km (classic route) and 4.7 km depending on the mountain bike variant. Elevation gain: between 155 m and 486 m, depending on the route.

Circular route from Turruñuelos Park, Córdoba, passing through: - Torrehoria Viewpoint (19.5 km) - Torre del Beato (23.1 km) - Torre de las Siete Esquinas (24.5 km) - Bridge over the canal (29.5 km) The route begins along the Guadalmellato Canal, ascends through La Canchuela, Llanos de los Mesoneros, passes the El Cruce gas station, enters the "Fangor" forest, Torrehoria, Camino del Nuo Bajo, Torre del Beato, Torre de las Siete Esquinas, and from there descends to reach the start of the Trassierra Trail. Except for the descent from Siete Esquinas, the route, exceptionally beautiful given the recent rainfall in the mountains with runoff everywhere, follows paths without technical difficulty, making it even more appealing. It's a challenging distance but offers stunning views of the surrounding area and the city and its environs from the highest points.

In the era of Islamic domination, Córdoba had a defensive belt made up of watchtowers with the capacity to communicate with each other by means of smoke during the day and light signals at night. One of the most impressive is the so-called Torre del Beato, in the Sierra Morena. Near the Cortijo de la Soledad we find a path that goes unnoticed by those who don't know its location. If we follow it, after walking for a few minutes we are overwhelmed by the imposing sight of a 9-meter-high tower preserved as if time had stood still. It is an almost square tower built with rubble stones plastered with lime and sand mortar and reinforced with well-carved ashlars at its outer vertices. Its crowning of Syrian battlements is surprising, allowing us to relate it to other buildings from the emirate period, such as the Great Mosque of Córdoba. Inside, the tower is divided into two floors, in addition to the roof terrace crowned by the battlements. The first room is covered by a brick vault, with access to the second floor via a staircase attached to the wall. From the top, sheltered between battlements (some of which lie scattered on the ground, already surrendered to the passage of time), the lookouts could make out nearby towers such as the Palomas or the Siete Esquinas and keep an eye on the routes taken by the minerals extracted from the very bowels of the mountain. This treasure still has the capacity to surprise many hikers, the curious, cyclists and people seeking the peace of nature among the many paths that criss-cross the Sierra Morena. (Source: https://eventourcordoba.es/blog/la-torre-del-beato/)

Located on the Caño Escaravita estate, just beyond the outlying neighborhood of Santa María de Trassierra. We found it in the western Sierra peri-urban district, next to the crossroads leading to the Ermitas and the Mirador de las Niñas, about fifteen kilometers from Córdoba. This is a zoomorphic water fountain on a pedestal from the Caliphate period, dating back to the 10th century. The sculpture represents a small elephant. Made of gray limestone from the Sierra Morena, it served as a support for the spout. The fountain is made up of three components: a water collection basin, a masonry pillar attached to it on its north side (which leads to a masonry irrigation ditch), and a rectangular pool located to the west of the canal. https://amedinacordoba.com/fuente-del-elefante/

A waterfall known as the "first spring of the Bejarano," whose water flow has always been active. There are few remains of an ancient structure from which the water flows: the aquifer catchment. The Romans knew how to harness this important spring, unique in these mountains, due to the large amount of water it provides every season (estimated at 20,000 to 35,000 m3/day). (Source: https://www.conocetusfuentes.com/ficha_detalle.php?id_fuente=10057)

A closed gate prevents you from continuing along this route.

This path is forbidden to any unauthorized person, I am in front and very bothered after only 5km of cycling....