The Ermitas of Córdoba, a viewpoint and sanctuary in the Sierra

The hermit tradition in Córdoba goes back to the first centuries of Christianity. According to local tradition, it was the Cordoban bishop Hosius who brought this form of religious life from the East after the Council of Nicaea, which would make Córdoba one of the cradles of hermit life in Spain.

The formal organisation of the hermits came much later. In 1613, Bishop Fray Diego de Mardones brought together the hermits scattered across the sierra in the Congregation of Saint Paul the First Hermit and Saint Anthony the Abbot, with a constitution of 22 articles and a first Senior Brother, Francisco de Santa Ana.

The current site dates from 1703, when Brother Francisco de Jesús asked Córdoba City Council for the summit of the Cerro de la Cárcel to move all the hermits there, until then spread across the slopes of the sierra. Over the following six years the church, the thirteen hermitages and the enclosure wall were built, known since then as the Desert of Nuestra Señora de Belén.

The congregation remained active for 254 years, with the sole interruption of Mendizábal's disentailment between 1836 and 1845, until it died out in 1957 for lack of vocations. The last hermits joined the Order of Discalced Carmelites, which has run the site ever since.

The site can be covered in little more than an hour and combines nature, religious art and some of the best views of the city. This is what not to miss on your visit.

It is the best-known viewpoint in the complex and the one that makes Las Ermitas famous even among those who have never been up. From here you look out over the Guadalquivir plain, the Mosque-Cathedral and much of the historic centre, with the Sierras Subbéticas in the background and, on very clear days, Sierra Nevada on the horizon.

They were built between 1703 and 1709, spread across the hillside as independent cells for each hermit, with the church at the centre of the complex. Since 1957 they have been run by the Discalced Carmelites, the order joined by the last hermits of the original congregation.

At the end of the Camino de los Cipreses, the landscaped access route to the site, stands this brick cross erected in memory of Federico Martel de Bernuy, Count of Torres-Cabrera and historic protector of the place. Beneath the slab there is a small niche with a skull and an inscription inviting reflection on death: "As you see yourself, I saw myself; as you see me, you will see yourself".

It has presided over the Balcón del Mundo since 1929, when it was inaugurated on 24 October, a local holiday as Saint Raphael's Day, by the Sevillian sculptor Lorenzo Coullaut Valera. Its history is more eventful than it seems: that first statue was destroyed by lightning in 1969, and the second was decapitated by another bolt in 1972, shortly before its inauguration.

The statue that crowns the viewpoint today, the third, was not inaugurated until 4 July 1986. It is lit at night and can be seen from much of the city, making it a landmark on the Cordoban skyline.

Las Ermitas are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. On Wednesdays and Thursdays they open only in the morning, from 10:00 to 13:30, while from Friday to Sunday and on public holidays they add an afternoon slot, from 16:30 to 18:30.

The entry price is 2 euros. Visits are managed by the Amigos de las Ermitas association, which also organises free guided visits to the site on specific dates.

By car is the most direct option: it is 15 kilometres from the centre along the Carretera de las Ermitas, a narrow mountain road with sharp bends and poor signage in some stretches, so it is best to drive slowly if you do not know the area.

By city bus, AUCORSA line 13 (Terminal de Colón - Glorieta Alba) has a stop called Carretera de las Ermitas, although the route does not reach the door of the site: from that stop there is a final uphill stretch to do on foot. For those who prefer not to depend on the bus, there is also an approved footpath up from the El Brillante district, designed for people in good physical shape.

The best time to go up to Las Ermitas is sunset. The low light makes the Balcón del Mundo the viewpoint with the best views of the Guadalquivir plain and the Mosque-Cathedral in the whole province, just as the statue of the Sacred Heart lights up above the city.

As the trip up to the sierra takes half an afternoon, many visitors prefer to combine it with a guided route through the historic centre in the morning, leaving the sierra and its viewpoint as the end of the day in Córdoba.

If you want to explore the historic centre with a guide before or after going up to Las Ermitas, the option that fits best is the Free Tour of Córdoba: free with a voluntary tip of 10 to 15 euros per person, it lasts about 2 hours and covers the key points of the city, including the Mosque-Cathedral area.

Book your place on the free tour of Córdoba and make the most of the morning in the centre before going up to watch the sunset from the Balcón del Mundo.