Cordoba happens to be one of my favorite places in Spain to visit. It is a beautiful city with heaps of historic architecture and plenty to see. It is what I think most people envision Spain to look like if they haven’t been there — the whitewashed buildings, the clay tile roofs and the olive trees dotting the landscape.
Cordoba is most famous for it’s Mezquita–an enormous 10th century Arabic mosque that dominates the town, and which took nearly two hundred years to build. If studying architecture is your thing, then you will be fairly excited over this structure. As domination of Spain changed hands, the building was altered to reflect the culture of the rulers at the time. So, you will see an amazing variety of design that somehow does manage to meld together.
The Guadalquivir River runs through the city and a fantastic stone Roman bridge with many arches is quite a centerpiece. I suggest grabbing a hotel on the opposite side of the Guadalquivir from the mosque, as then you can have an amazing view of both. There’s nothing like waking up to that sight in the morning with your cup of cafe con leche. I highly recommend the Hesperia Cordoba hotel as it is right on the banks of the river, and the view of the bridge in the evenings is something to behold. Plus, the city is quite walkable from this location and you won’t need a rental car. Be warned that parking and traveling by car in Cordoba is quite a pain, so walking is definitely the way to go. I detail the subject of auto rentals in another post here on TFS that may convince you to stay on foot.
You can have an interesting bite to eat in Cordoba as well. Many menus will sport grilled sardinas (sardines) and gambas (shrimp) with the heads on. It may not sound pretty if you’re not used to it, but I can assure you that they will be the juiciest you’ve had–as when you remove the heads, all the liquids escape and leave you with too dry seafood. You don’t eat the head, you simply pull it off. So don’t be squeamish and give it a shot. Pulpo (octopus) that is boiled and then topped with a sprinkling of olive oil and paprika is my hands down favorite whenever I get to Spain. A chick pea stew is also delicious, and for the real adventurer is a tasty morcilla (pig’s blood sausage). It all may sound a little weird, but please do give some of these a try. I can assure you that they taste better than they look.
The shopping in Cordoba is wonderful, and you can walk the narrow roads that are lined with all sorts of little stores. Here’s your chance to buy some inexpensive Lladro or Nao porcelain figurines to bring back home, as they are quite pricey here in the US. You will also find jewelry, art and even an abanico–a paper and wood fan that is hand-painted and makes a great memory of your trip that you can display when you get home. Bold colored Spanish pottery is also dirt cheap. The array of stuff to purchase is endless.
Quick sites to check out are an ancient synogague in the Jewish quarter which is now a museum, the 13 acre botanical garden, and a tiny zoo that houses animals that are specific to southern Spain and Africa. I suggest a leisurely three days in Cordoba if you can swing it, as there is truly much to do and see.
The winding narrow streets, amazing wood doorways of the homes lining the roads and the surprise of seeing a beautiful tiled fountain hanging on a wall make Cordoba a place to take marvelous photographs. You can literally take a snapshot at every turn, and friendly Spaniards will not hesitate to snap a picture of you and your family if asked. It doesn’t hurt that even here, it is quite easy to find natives that are eager to practice their English.
So, if your plan is to visit the Spain that fits your imagination with lots to do, get yourself to Cordoba for a few days.