South of the capital, La Campiña, or the countryside, consists of rolling hills of olive groves and vineyards, pretty towns and villages and ruined Moorish castles. The famous Montilla-Moriles grape growing region is at the heart of La Campiña, the Montilla wine that is produced here is drunk all over the world. Wandering round the historical towns of the area, you'll find a wealth of baroque architecture and medieval churches and convents and fantastic views across the surrounding countryside and agricultural land which are never far away.

Lucena
This prosperous town next to La Subbética Natural Park was once described by the writer, Gerald Brenan, as one of the poorest Spanish towns he had come across. Today, there are numerous furniture factories and small businesses that have contributed to Lucena's commercial success which has made it one of the wealthiest places in Andalucía. Surrounded by countryside consisting of olive groves and vineyards, much of old Lucena has been pulled down to make way for new apartments, smart boutiques and modern bars. There are still some excellent baroque buildings in the town however, including the parish church of San Mateo where the chapel of Sagrario has an elaborate baroque interior, with exquisite plasterwork and a magnificent encrusted marble entrance. Hurtado Izquierdo, a well known baroque architect, was born in the town. During the middle ages, the Jewish community in Lucena was prosperous and the old Jewish quarter can still be seen. Other monuments include the 1!7th century church of San Agustin with a unique oval layout and domed tower, and the Church and Hospital of San Juan de Dios, with a marble entrance and Baroque altarpiece. Near to the San Mateo church are some restored castle ruins, the Castillo del Moral. This was where Boabdil, who was the last Moorish ruler of Spain, was held in 1483 when captured by Isabella. Near to Lucena is a hermitage known as Sanctuario de Nuestra Señora de Araceli with a fine baroque chapel. The hermitage is built on top of a rocky pinnacle and commands excellent views of the surrounding area. At one of Lucena's furniture factories you can see the largest chair in the world, which is 6 metres high. Lucena is a town of 40,000 inhabitants and has plenty of shops, supermarkets, bars, restaurants and amenities. It is the main service centre for the surrounding area. It is 70km to Córdoba on the N331 main road.

To the south of La Campiña, close to the border with the Málaga province is the village of Palenciana, with a population of 1500. In 1846, a violent storm raged across this area, destroying everything in its path, with the exception of Palenciana. Today, Palenciana continues to celebrate this miracle with bands, fireworks, flowers and processions in honour of the Virgen de Carmel. Each year, a group of people, called "Los Hermanos Mayores" are bestowed the honour of coordinating the festivities, preparations for which go on throughout the year. The festival takes place in August. There is a hermitage in the hills near to Palencia and also a small reservoir made by dams in the River Genil. The village is 8km from the main N331 road. North east of Palenciana, just off the N331 is the village of Benameji, with 5000 inhabitants and east of here, Encinas Reales, a village of 2300 people located on the Main N331 road to Córdoba. It is 20km from Encina!s to Lucena and 18km east to Rute and the huge Iznájar reservoir.

Montilla
Capital of the wine growing region around this area, Montilla is a town of 23,000 people. It is situated in in gently rolling hills of vineyard upon vineyard and is world renowned for its dry white wines. Montilla also has a colourful history which dates back to Roman times. It was in Montilla that the Battle of Munda took place, when Ceasar conquered the supporters of Pompey. The ruined castle in Montilla is a 15th century structure, which was destroyed in 1508 when the family who built it were disloyal to the Spanish royal family. There is a 16th century convent in the town, the Convent of Santa Clara which nuns continue to live in today. The nuns sell traditional biscuits through a revolving hatch in the convent, which prevents them from being seen by the public. A museum here is dedicated to Garcilaso de la Vega, the son of a Spanish conquistador and an Inca princess who was born in Peru and later came to live in Spain where he was known as "El Inca". The museum is l!ocated in the mansion where he once lived. Other sites of interest include the 16th century Church of Santiago with its baroque door, a history museum and the many wine cellars that are scattered through the town, some of which can be visited. Montilla honours its patron saint, San Francisco Solano with a fiesta at the start of July and in early September, a harvest festival takes place when the first wine of the year is blessed. Montilla is 30km north of Lucena and 40km south of Córdoba. Montilla is on the Córdoba-Málaga railway and there is a train station in the town.

Aguilar de la Frontera
The pretty town of Aguilar has a population of 13,000 and is situated in the heart of the Montilla-Moriles wine growing region. The town contains a monastery church of elaborate baroque design and the renaissance parish church of Santa María del Soterraño. There is an unusual octagonal plaza in the town known as Plaza San José, which is surrounded by notable historic buildings. The Plaza was built in 1813 and is similar to the grand octagonal plaza in the town of Archidona nearby. Other points of interest are the 17th century Descalzas convent with its baroque architecture and superb paintings and plasterwork, a baroque style clock tower, impressive mansion houses and some castle ruins. The castle was situated at the highest point in the village at the Peñon de Moro - the Moor's Rock, although today all that remains are some 14th century walls. Fantastic views can be seen over Aguilar and its surroundings from here. Just south of Aguilar is the Laguna de Zoñar!, a protected water area which is frequented by various migratory birds. Aguilar is 20km north of Lucena and 50km south of Córdoba. Aguilar is on the Córdoba-Málaga railway and there is a train station in the town. 10km south of Aguilar is the village of Monturque with a population of 2000. South west of Monturque, the village of Moriles with a population of 4000 is part of the world famous Montilla-Moriles wine growing region.

Puente Genil
This town of 28,000 people is situated on the Rio Genil near to the border of Córdoba with Seville. The town is known for its "Festival de Cante Grande" - the Flamenco Song Festival which lasts for a week. Puente Genil has plenty of shops and other amenities, it is 24km west of Lucena and 70km south of Córdoba. Puente is on the Córdoba-Málaga railway and there is a train station in the town.

To the north of Montilla, the town of Fernán-Nuñez with a population of 10,000 has an ancient castle and a Ducal Palace with a lovely terraced baroque garden of Hispanic-Arabic design. Fernán is 12km north of Montilla on the main N331 road. The train station at Fernán is about 4km east of the town and trains run from here to Córdoba. Just south of Fernán is Montemayor, a village of 4000 inhabitants with a ruined castle. Montemayor also has a train station about 3km from the village.
Northeast of Montilla is the village of La Rambla, a pretty village which has a tradition of pottery and ceramics. There are many pottery workshops in the village and it is an excellent place for purchasing ceramics. The parish church of Asunción is worth a look and there is an old fortress just outside the village. La Rambla has a population of 7000, there is a shop and a couple of bars in the village but the nearest service centre is Montilla, 8km away. West of La Rambla, 11km away, the village of Santaella (population 6000) is the site of an important livestock fair.

Baena
The beautiful, ancient town of Baena is situated on a ridge with rolling hills of farmed land on one side and the untamed mountains of the Subbética Natural Park on the other. Historically important - the land around Baena has yielded a number of important pre-historic relics, Baena was an important Moorish town, which expanded in the 15th century to become one of the largest in terms of population in Andalucía. There are a number of important monuments in Baena; the Plaza de la Constitución has an attractive arcade on one side where there is a cultural centre and a renowned tapas bar. Up from the square is the Church of Santa María, a 16th century structure whose bell tower was originally the minaret of a mosque. There are some castle ruins above the town; the castle was built by the Moors on top of Roman foundations. There is also a 16th century Mudéjar convent, the Madre de Dios where the nuns sell traditional hand made biscuits. Baena is renowned for its s!uperb quality olive oil that is produced in the town. Just outside Baena there are massive metal tanks which are used to store the oil and there is an archaeological museum in the town documenting ancient oil production. The Semana Santa celebrations which take place in Baena are also famous, for their noise. For three days, teams of hundreds of drummers proceed through the streets and the sound created by more than 2000 drums is legendary. Baena is home to 20,000 people, there are a number of hotels, restaurants bars and amenities. The town is situated on the N432 road, 64km southeast of Córdoba.

To the west of Baena on the road to Córdoba is Espejo, a quiet village with a towered castle and the 16th century church of San Bartolomé. 4000 people live in Castro and there are a couple of shops and bars in the village. Nearby is Castro del Río, another peaceful village of 7000 inhabitants. The town hall of Espejo used to be a prison where the author, Miguel de Cervantes was once incarcerated.