What to Do, Eat and Where to Stay - A Cordoba City Overview

Cordoba City Overview

Once accessible by ship on the River Guadalquiver from the Atlantic Ocean, Cordoba city was founded by Phoenicians, it prospered under the Romans, and rivalled Baghdad and Cairo as the centre of Moorish art and learning.

River Guadalquivir and Mezquita

Unesco Sites in Cordoba

This rich and vibrant history leaves so many legacies it's no wonder that Cordoba has four Unesco listings. The Jewish Quarter in the historical city, The Mezquita/Cathedral a stunning enormous mosque with Catholic cathedral inside, the Medina Azahara, a Muslim city now an archaeological site and museum and last the Flower Festival declared world heritage because it is 'deemed particularly notable.'

Medina Azahara

What to Visit in Cordoba

Adding to the must visit Unesco sites these are some of my favourites:

Visit the fortress of the Christian Kings with its fabulous stables built in 1570 – Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos.

Take in a horse show with Andalusian horses if you can, visit the Royal Stables if you can´t fit in a show.

The Palacio de Viana is a very interesting museum set in a house of gentry with twelve pretty and unique patios and differing architectural styles.

The enormous rectangular Plaza de la Corredera, built in the style of the plazas in Castille with arched porticos. It is the only one like it in Andalusia and has been used for bull fights, public addresses and in the times of the French invasion public executions too. Now filled with cafés, the odd bric-a-brac shop and a wonderful indoor food market it's a great place for a beer or coffee stop and to watch the world go by.

Alcazar de los Reyes

What to Eat in Cordoba

There are lots of bars and restaurants to choose from, some with Flamenco Show while dining, others out of the streets. Right next to the cathedral, if you are a Tortilla lover, the tiny Bar Santos known throughout Spain for its huge Tortillas weighing up to 4 kilos and made with 30 eggs and 5 kilos of potatoes.

My favourite Spanish dish is said to have come from Cordoba and can certainly be found on almost every menu throughout the city – Salmorejo. Like a richer, older cousin of Gazpacho it's a tomato and garlic based dip, usually topped with grated hard-boiled egg and diced jamon.

Tortilla, Bar Santos, Cordoba

Where to Stay in Cordoba

With no end of accommodation on offer the best ones near the historical centre and Mezquita are Las Casas de la Juderia, a gorgeous hotel consisting of five ancient houses melded together via patios and passages.

Balcon de Cordoba with just ten rooms and suites, a delightful entrance patio with orange trees and a balcony with views of the Mezquita tower and city skyline where you can dine in the warmer months.

Hotel Viento 10 a small, chic modern/ancient mix with old Moorish arches and lots of white contemporary straight-lines and light-giving glass.