Viewpoints and Córdoba by night route

A complex of thirteen hermitages run by the Discalced Carmelites since 1957, with a viewpoint presided over by the monument to the Sacred Heart from which you can see the whole of Córdoba and the Guadalquivir plain. It already has its own page in this series, so here only the essentials for organising yourself are needed.

It is the first stop because the clock decides: Las Ermitas are about 15 kilometres from the centre and it is best to go by car or taxi (about 20 to 25 minutes). On foot there is a hiking route of about 9.5 kilometres and 3 hours via the Cuesta del Reventón, with steep stretches, so it does not fit an evening plan. The opening hours also condition the visit: it opens Wednesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 13:30, and only on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays does it reopen in the afternoon, from 16:30 to 18:30. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. For sunset, this route only works from Friday to Sunday.

Back to the centre by car or taxi (another 20-25 minutes) towards the Calahorra Tower.

A tower of Islamic origin on the bank of the Guadalquivir, next to the Roman Bridge, which houses the Living Museum of Al-Andalus and a terrace with views of the Mosque-Cathedral. It has its own page in this series.

It joins the route because in summer (June to September) it opens until 20:30, which allows you to go up to the terrace with the light of sunset or the first lights of the night. The rest of the year it closes earlier (18:00 in winter, 19:00 in spring and autumn), so check the hours for the exact month before going: outside high season this stop loses its night-time element.

To continue to the Paseo de la Ribera you just have to cross the Roman Bridge on foot: about 325 metres, 5 to 7 minutes' walk.

A pedestrian promenade on the other bank of the river, between Plaza de la Cruz del Rastro and Ronda de los Mártires, opposite the Puerta del Puente and the Murallón. It already has its own page in the series.

It is the natural close of the route: at this hour the Roman Bridge, the Calahorra Tower and the Mosque-Cathedral are already lit, and the promenade offers the best overall perspective from the bank. The route ends here, with no further walking stretches.

Counting the car trip to Las Ermitas and back, the full route takes between 3 and 4 hours, of which only about 10-12 minutes are walking; the rest of the travel is by car or taxi. It works best from Friday to Sunday, between spring and summer: those are the days when Las Ermitas open in the afternoon and the season when the Calahorra Tower extends its hours and night falls later. We do not have a guided tour that follows exactly this route, so for now it is a route to do on your own.

Your own car or a taxi for the Las Ermitas stretch: it is not worth attempting it on foot in the time available in an evening. Comfortable footwear, as the area around the viewpoint has uneven ground. Check the Calahorra Tower's hours for the month before leaving home; they change several times a year. Water if done in summer, especially for the Las Ermitas stretch. Phone or camera charged: this is the part of the route designed for photos.

Three viewpoints, three different ways of looking at Córdoba: from the sierra, from a tower and from the riverbank itself. The order matters as much as the stops: starting at Las Ermitas is what lets you see the whole city in daylight and finish with it already lit up.