Sightseeing and/or Lunch stops for drive between Granada and Cordoba?

I’m always game to visit off the beaten path locations. That Ruta is new to me. It seems to pass by or through a lot of villages. Look them up to see if there is anything in them of interest to you. Then you can decide. The link contains 4 different itineraries if you only want to visit a few locations.

Here is a hybrid route that has some interesting stops: Granada-Moclin-Alcala del Real-Priego de Cordoba-Zuheros-Baena-Espejo-Cordoba. Google Maps gives me a drive time of ~3.5 hours, so adding 25% of that plus a couple of hours for stops and lunch in Priego de Cordoba gets me to just under 7 hours, which fits rather nicely into our available time (depart Granada between 8 and 9 AM, arrive Cordoba no later than our 4 PM rental car return deadline).

Not sure the forum will allow me to post a map link, but here goes: https://maps.app.goo.gl/GdNp8FTrLMwChncd9

The Ubeda option has about the same drive time, but all the free time would be in Ubeda, ie, lunch and sightseeing. Ubeda was in and out of our itinerary until the end, and it is at least as compelling a destination as the Ruta de Califata destinations, albeit more Italian Renaissance than Morrish.

Hmmm-we also have a transfer drive day between Ronda and Granada, and it appears we could cover most of the above route with a detour north from Antequera to Lucerna, then either north through Zuheros or east through Sierra Subbeticas park and Priego de Cordoba. Like this: https://maps.app.goo.gl/RrXsTYbmT5BvebQE9

I've been to both Ubeda (multiple nights there) and Priego de Cordoba (day trip from Granada). They're both worth a visit. There's more to see in Ubeda, plus it is known for ceramics. (Shops probably take a long mid-day closing, though.) With the limited time you have available and the amount of driving you'll be doing, I might favor Priego de Cordoba in this situation.

The other question is: How much time do you have in Cordoba? It might be better to use those hours there.

With the two transfer days, we can see Priego de Cordoba enroute from Ronda to Granada, then Ubeda or Baeza on the transfer day from Granada to Cordoba. Your point about Cordoba is well taken-we are spending three nights in Cordoba, so we will have two full days for sightseeing, but I'm sure we could find interesting things to do with an extra afternoon.

Lots of interesting options here!