Set in the sunny region of Andalusia in southern Spain, Cordoba is an easy day trip from
popular destinations like Seville and Malaga. Home to narrow streets, colourful flowers and historical
landmarks including one of the most famous monuments in the country Cordoba is somewhere
you won't regret adding to your Spain itinerary. In this travel guide I'll share how we spent one
day in Cordoba to help give you ideas for things to see and do on your visit. I'll also include
practical information and handy tips along the way. Once arriving in to Cordoba train station at
around 8 45 AM we took a pleasant stroll through jardines de la agricultura. You can wander through
the nice cooling shade of the tall trees for around 15 minutes until you reach the edge of
the historic Center where you'll be greeted by the almoldovar gate set in the old city walls.
Our first proper stop of the itinerary was La Mezquita Bell Tower where we joined the first
group of the day to climb to the top. Standing at around 54 metres above the city this is the
tallest building in Cordoba. Make your way up three floors each one offering a great view of the city.
Look down across the courtyard filled with orange trees, taking in views of
the magnificent mezquita and gaze across the city rooftops.
I would recommend booking the bell tower in advance as there isn't much room up there
and only a small number of places are available for each time slot. The timed visit was around 20
minutes and because we booked the 9:30 slot we were back outside again just in time for
the 10 a.m Mezquita opening. If you only do one thing on your trip to Cordoba it should be to
go inside the remarkable mosque-cathedral. Walking into La Mezquita is a mesmerizing
experience. Greeted by the earthy smell of incense we walked underneath rows of tall columns linked
by red and white arches that made the spacious interior feel almost endless. The great mosque was
originally built in 785 but was converted to a cathedral after the Christian conquest in 1236.
This UNESCO world heritage site is now a unique monument to both Islam and Christianity and a captivating
example of Islamic architecture. Many people spend around one to two hours at La Mezquita so allow
yourself plenty of time to explore and take it all in. I would say we were there for around 90 minutes.
If you haven't booked your tickets in advance you can buy tickets at the back of the courtyard,
subject to availability of course. As there was one queue to buy tickets and then a separate
queue to enter La Mezquita we just ordered the tickets on my phone while we were waiting in the
entry line rather than queuing twice so there's a little time saver for you. You also have the option
of purchasing a ticket for the special Soul of Cordoba light and sound show if you are visiting
after dark. We were headed back to Seville the same day so unfortunately we weren't able to see this
ourselves however reviews from other visitors who saw the show were overwhelmingly positive.
After exiting La Mezquita we ambled five minutes to the Roman bridge. This historical bridge was
first built in the first century BC although not much is left of the original as it's been restored
and renovated several times. If you start crossing the bridge stop and look back then you'll have a
lovely view of the Renaissance Gates which was built to commemorate a visit from King Philip II.
Another Roman Landmark you could visit during your trip is the Roman Temple. Unfortunately we didn't
manage to squeeze it into our day but I wanted to point it out as it is a possibility for your trip.
At the other side of the bridge is the Calahorra tower which is a fortified gate that was
originally built by the Moors to defend the city. Now it houses a small museum although we didn't
go inside on our trip. We do still think it's worth crossing the bridge to take a closer look at the
tower even if you don't go to the museum. By now we were getting hungry. It was a little on the early
side for lunch in Cordoba but because we'd had an early start to the day we were very ready to eat
and places were starting to open. We had wanted to try a restaurant called El Paseo Iberico but they
seem to be having some problems opening up so we picked a different restaurant at random called
Taberna La Alqueria. Having not really researched this one in advance we weren't sure how good it
would be but fortunately we did enjoy the tapas and it was a really nice place to sit. We had
homemade croquettes, marinated anchovies, artichoke with Iberian ham and salmorejo, which is a cold
creamy tomato soup that as you can see here was topped with egg and cured ham - perfect on a hot day.
After lunch we walked around 15 minutes or so to the Alcazar of the Christian
Monarchs, also known as the Alcazar of Cordoba. This opulent palace was built
in the ruins of a Moorish fort in the 1300s after Cordoba was conquered by the
Christian forces. Today it's another one of Cordoba's UNESCO world heritage sites.
Walk through the fortress and patios, see the absolutely huge and very impressive Roman
mosaics and stroll through the serene palace gardens just outside the main castle walls.
Ponds and fountains are lined by colorful flowers, neatly pruned trees and tall sculptures.
Look out for the drinking fountain in the gardens. If you're visiting Cordoba during
the warmer months then it can get pretty hot so take any opportunity you can to stay hydrated.
Opening times for the Alcazar do depend on the season so make sure you check the
website before you go. We bought tickets at the entrance for five euros a person
and spent at least an hour here so I would say allocate around one to two hours for your visit.
After leaving the Alcazar we explored the streets of the historic city center starting with the very
picturesque neighborhood of San Basilio. Admire the whitewashed buildings, colorful doors and ceramic
pots filled with vibrant flowers. If you visit Cordoba during the first two weeks of May your
visit is likely to coincide with the renowned Patio Festival. During this time dozens of homes
open their flower-filled patios to the public so you can admire the beautiful displays. If like us
you visit the city outside of the festival then there are other options to see some of
cordoba's patios either through a guided tour or by visiting Palacio de Viana, a Renaissance
Palace that is home to 12 patios. We had hoped to go during our trip but realized we weren't going
to have time however I wanted to mention it in case you would like to visit the palace yourself.
From San Basilio we meandered through the Jewish quarter. Slowly wander the narrow
streets set in the traditional Islamic layout of two central intersecting streets surrounded
by a maze of smaller streets and dead ends. Stop by the Plaza Maimonides, the chapel
of San Bartolome and the synagogue which is one of only three synagogues left in Spain.
The mudejar style synagogue is only tiny but it's free to enter so stop by take a look
inside and see the inscriptions preserved on the walls. While exploring the historic
centre many people look for the famous Calleja De Las Flores. What must be hundreds of flowers
hang of the whitewashed walls of this narrow street which leads up to a small pretty plaza.
As this is arguably the prettiest street in Cordoba then every other tourist will be visiting
too. After squishing our way up the tiny street I think in retrospect we would have been better
visiting first thing in the morning on our way to La Mezquita - perhaps it would have been less
crowded. Nevertheless the street is still worth a quick walk up regardless of what time you visit.
After spending a while longer walking the pretty streets and having a mooch around the shops it was
time to catch our train back to Seville. While we did only visit for the day we left wishing we'd
been there for at least two as you can't see all the sights Cordoba has to offer in one day.
If you're visiting for longer than we did or you simply want to switch something that we
suggested out to a different activity than some other popular attractions in Cordoba include the
Royal stables and Andalusian horses of Cordoba, the main squares and several museums including
the archaeological and ethnological Museum of Cordoba, the Julia Romero de Torres Museum, the
Museum of Fine Arts and the Casa de Sefarad where you can learn more about the local Jewish Heritage.
As you can see ideally you do want longer than a day but sometimes the day is all you have so
I hope this video helped give you ideas for your itinerary. The easiest way to travel to
Cordoba is by train and the regular high-speed trains make it an easy day trip from cities like
Seville which like we said is where we traveled from. When you book the train you can choose from
a high-speed train which takes around 45 minutes or the slower regional train which
takes about 1 hour 20 minutes but it is cheaper. if you're looking for other ideas of things to do
on your trip to the beautiful Andalusia region of Spain then we do have a three-day itinerary
for Seville which I will link here. Thanks for watching, I hope this video was helpful