Viewpoints Route
The best panoramic views of Loja and its surroundings. From elevated points you'll see the Genil valley, Sierra de Loja and the historic city skyline.
1.5-2 hours
Moderate
The route, step by step
Mirador Arqueológico de la Alcazaba, in the historic quarter.
Ermita del Calvario (Calvario Hermitage), on the slope of Monte Hacho.
Route between elevated spots, with climbs and descents along the way.
This isn't a monuments route, it's a views route: each stop offers a different reading of Loja and the valley. It also includes the city's quirkiest viewpoint, the one linked to cinema.
Viewpoints are, by definition, up high: the route accumulates climbs, and the stretch towards the Ermita del Calvario, on the slope of Monte Hacho, is the most demanding due to its altitude.
Sunset offers the best light for photographs. Don't forget your camera.
Tips to do it right- •Sunset is the best time for valley views, but plan your return with enough daylight.
- •Save a photo of Loja in «Duck Soup» on your phone: comparing it from the Mirador de Sylvania is what makes this route special.
- •The Ermita del Calvario is in ruins and undergoing restoration: don't enter damaged structures or cross fences.
Stops:
Mirador Arqueológico de la Alcazaba
Set in a defensive tower of the old wall belt of the Medina Lawsa: the panorama is seen from the position of the former watchmen.
From the historic quarter the route continues towards the viewpoint with a cinema history.
Mirador de Sylvania
The viewpoint famous for letting you compare the real panorama of Loja with the film still from «Duck Soup» (1933), the Marx Brothers film in which the city stands in for the fictional country of Sylvania.
The route then climbs towards the slope of Monte Hacho.
Ermita del Calvario
On the southern slope of Monte Hacho, at almost a thousand metres of altitude, a testament to Loja's popular religiosity. It survives only as ruins: in 2024 the Town Council and the Junta de Andalucía moved forward with its restoration project.