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Once the proud capital of Islamic Spain, Cordoba attracts visitors from all over the world with the vaulting, multicolored arches of the Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba. But this UNESCO World Heritage Site-City offers more than just the mosque — Cordoba is home to world-famous Spanish patios, bustling tapas bars, and the impressive Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos.
In the daytime, visitors can wander through the charming, flower-lined streets of the historic old town or sip on some refreshing salmorejo cordobes while soaking in some Andalusian sun. In the evening, the city comes alive with an energetic nightlife, and passionate flamenco music and dancing.
How to Get There
Like most cities in the region, Cordoba is easily reachable by train from any of Spain’s major cities. International visitors can fly to the Seville Airport and catch a 40-minute train ride to Cordoba. Those coming from Madrid will reach Cordoba by train in less than two hours, while those traveling from Barcelona will reach the city in less than 5 hours by train.
The train station is located in the northern section of the central district and is about 25 minutes away from the historic centre on foot. Visitors can also take a taxi, which is cheap in Cordoba.
Getting Around
Cordoba is a small, compact city and the vast majority of the city’s points of interest are located in the city’s historic centre, which means that it’s quite easy to walk from attraction to the other in a matter of minutes. To explore areas outside of the historic centre, visitors can make use of the city’s public buses, which run from 6:00 to 23:30 daily. Past 23:30, travelers can flag down a taxi. Fares and rates are displayed inside the car.
Top Things to Do
If there’s one place in the city that every traveler should visit, it is the Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba, This 10th-century architectural gem is the symbol of Cordoba’s golden age, when the city was Spain’s capital of science and culture under the watchful eye of Emir Abd-ar-Rahman. It is home to the famous 850 consecutive, two-tone arches.
Other top tourist spots in Cordoba include the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos, which was the seat of the Castilian Royal Court after the Reconquista. The royal compound boasts an expansive and verdant garden chock-full of trees, flowers, and fountains.
The city of Cordoba is also famous for flower-laden patios, which can be found throughout the city. The most famous patios are located in Barrio San Basilio. Here, windows, patios, and white-washed walls overflow with colorful flowers. The Jewish Quarter, on the other hand, is home to Callejas de las Flores or “the little street of flowers,” a cozy alleyway that is lined with fragrant flowers and beautiful plants all-year-round. Meanwhile, the Palacio de Viana has access to a network of the city’s most luxurious and well-landscaped patios from some of the city’s historical elite.
Game of Thrones fans can walk along the banks of the Guadalquivir River to find the Roman Bridge, which was one of the filming locations for the show’s fifth season. They can also view its 16 arches from the Calahorra Tower in the bridge’s southern entrance.
What to Eat
Cordoba is the birthplace of some of Spain’s lushest dishes, such as salmorejo, a cold and thick tomato soup topped with bits of cured Spanish ham and hard-boiled eggs and fine olive oil—a perfectly refreshing summer dish. The salmorejo at El Rincon de Carmen is as classic as they come, while La Salmoreteca in Mercado Victoria is famous for its various modern takes on the dish.
Those looking for hearty fare should sample the rabo de toro, bull’s tail stewed in a rich, red wine sauce until tender. The dish traces its origins back to the late 19th century when the victorious bullfighter would distribute the undesirable odds and ends of the losing bull to the less fortunate residents of the city, who would have to get creative with their newly received ingredients. Now, rabo de toro can be found all over the city, from posh restaurants to neighborhood bars. El Caballo Rojo and La Siesta are consistently ranked as the top spots for this famous stew.
Nightlife
Like all other Spaniards, Cordobeses love sipping on some fine wine and ice-cold beer while sitting in a bar’s terrace and munching on some local tapas, including berenjena con miel or fried eggplants with honey and pinchos morunos or Moorish pork skewers. These dishes can be found in any Spanish bar in the city.
Cordoba has its fair share of that famous Spanish nightlife. Many restaurants and bars in the historic centre offers a free flamenco show with dinner, which is the perfect way to begin a night out. After dinner, most night owls with a hankering for a more classic vibe head to Plaza de la Corredera, which is filled to the brim with bars. Young locals can often be found on the modern side of the city, in Paseo de Córdoba or Avenida del Brillante, for both bar and nightclub hopping.
Where to Stay
As a World Heritage Site and one of Spain’s most popular tourist destinations, Cordoba has a wide variety of accommodation for all types of travelers. The best-located and often most luxurious hotels in Cordoba can be found in the Jewish Quarter. Hotels in this neighborhood are just a stone’s throw away from both the Mezquita and the Royal Palace, as well as from historic tapas bars and restaurants.
Tourist apartments with easy access to shops and nightlife can be found in the Modern Centre, while more budget-friendly accommodations such as backpacker hostels and boutique apartments can be found in Vial Norte, on the modern side of the city.
