The Mezquita is not the only thing worth seeing in Cordoba. Stay a couple of nights, and you’ll be thoroughly charmed by the historic city.
Cordoba beyond the Mezquita, summarised
- Take in the World Heritage-listed old town at night.
- Discover the flowers on a tour of Cordoba’s patios.
- Taste traditional Andalucian tapas and wines.
- Sample local olive oils.
- Absorb Islamic heritage in the Medina Azahara.
To book Cordoba tours and experiences, head this way.
For more detail, read on.
Staying in Cordoba
The Mezquita is unquestionably the top attraction in Cordoba, Spain. This extraordinary grand mosque turned cathedral is a mesmeric maze of archways, and one of the most impressive buildings on earth.
But it would be a mistake to regard Cordoba as a one trick pony. The city is worth staying in for a couple of nights and exploring properly, rather than tackling as a day trip from Madrid.
Explore Cordoba at night
A nighttime exploration of Córdoba offers a chance to soak in the history without the heat.
In the 10th century, this was the largest city in Europe, and the capital of a widespread, Islamic caliphate.
At the time, it was arguably the most enlightened city in the world, renowned for being a place of scholars and artists. It was also a city where Muslim, Jewish and Christian people lived happily alongside each other.
This becomes abundantly clear on a post-sundown walk around the city, passing through the areas of the World Heritage-listed old town where the adherents of the three religions once lived. The streets are wonderfully maze-like, the buildings faithfully restored, and old synagogues and churches hide down seemingly unpromising alleyways.
There’s a serenity to Córdoba at night that gives added atmospheric grace. The warren of narrow streets peels off into courtyards with bubbling fountains and hanging baskets. It’s a very easy city to fall in love with.
Private night-time walking tours are available, but not necessary. Don’t get too hung up on the facts and figures, amble around at your own pace and just let the admiration take control.
Visit the courtyards and patios
Part of what makes Cordoba so gorgeous to wander around is the tradition of courtyards and patios. You can stumble across some of these by happy accident, but a specialist guided tour will take you to some of the prettiest.
These tours explain the history of the patio culture, and the tradition for decorating them with flowers that has existed since Roman times.
Try tapas and wines
Wandering through Cordoba at night can be made even more enjoyable by tasting tapas dishes and wines along the way.
The tastings range on the Frescas Wine and Tapas Tour range from high-end tapas at a former palace to classic Andalucian dishes at a traditional tavern. Tickets cost from €35.
Taste olives and olive oils
For a more focused food tour, try a specialist olive tour. This starts in Plaza de la Corredera and heads into the food market. Once the stalls have been browsed, the tour heads to a special tasting room to sample three types of locally-grown olives.
The idea is to learn the differences in flavours before moving on to taste olive oils made in the Cordoba region.
These Cordoba olive oil tours cost from €21 per person and run in the mornings.
See the Medina Azahara
The Medina Azahara on the western outskirts of Cordoba was once the centre of Islamic power in the Caliphate. Half city, half fortified palace, this was built under the Umayyad dynasty in the 10th century.
It was sacked and abandoned in the 11th century, but guided tours of the Medina Azahara bring the ruins to life. There’s also an archaeological museum on the edge of the site.
Picking the tour option with the shuttle bus saves you the hassle of getting to the site from the city centre.
More Andalucia travel
Other Andalucia travel stories on Planet Whitley include:
- A guide to Granada for first time visitors.
- How to see the Nasrid Palaces in Granada when Alhambra tickets have sold out.
- Review of Granada’s Spanish Inquisition museum.
- A guide to Almeria for first time visitors.
- Does the Almeria to Granada train make for a viable day trip?
- Why the Museo Picasso in Malaga is worth visiting.
