BETWEEN PUERTA DE ALMODÓVAR AND THE JEWISH QUARTER
Map: Restaurants in Central Córdoba
JUST EAST OF THE MEZQUITA ZONE
Straddling a sharp bend of the Guadalquivir River, Córdoba has a glorious Roman and Moorish past, once serving as a regional capital for both empires. It’s home to Europe’s best Islamic sight after Granada’s Alhambra: the Mezquita, a splendid and remarkably well-preserved mosque that dates from A.D. 784. When you step inside the mosque, which is magical in its grandeur, you can imagine Córdoba as the center of a thriving and sophisticated culture. During the Dark Ages, when much of Europe was barbaric and illiterate, Córdoba was a haven of enlightened thought—famous for religious tolerance, artistic expression, and dedication to philosophy and the sciences. To this day, you’ll still hear the Muslim call to prayer in Córdoba.
Beyond the magnificent Mezquita, the city of Córdoba has two sides: the touristy maze of old town streets immediately surrounding the giant main attraction (lined with trinket shops, hotels, and restaurants); and the workaday but interesting modern city (centered on Plaza de las Tendillas). In between are the side lanes of the Jewish Quarter, humming with history. Just a quick walk takes you from a commercialized vibe into real-life Córdoba.
Ideally, Córdoba is worth two nights and a day. Don’t rush the magnificent Mezquita, but also consider sticking around to experience the city’s other pleasures: wander the evocative Jewish Quarter, enjoy the tapas scene, and explore the modern part of town.
However, if you’re tight on time, it’s possible to do Córdoba more quickly—especially since it’s conveniently located on the AVE bullet-train line (and because, frankly, Córdoba has fewer major sights than the other two big Andalusian cities, Sevilla and Granada). To see Córdoba as an efficient stopover between Madrid and Sevilla (or as a side-trip from Sevilla—frequent trains, 45-minute trip), focus on the Mezquita: taxi from the station, spend one hour there, explore the old town for an hour or two...and then get on your way.
Córdoba’s big draw is the mosque-turned-cathedral called the Mezquita (meth-KEE-tah). Most of the town’s major sights are nearby, including the Alcázar, a former royal castle. And though the town seems to ignore its marshy Guadalquivir River (a prime bird-watching area), the riverbank sports a Renaissance triumphal arch next to a stout “Roman Bridge.” The bridge leads to the town’s old fortified gate (which houses a museum on Moorish culture, the Museum of Al-Andalus Life). The Mezquita is buried in the characteristic medieval town. Around that stretches the Jewish Quarter, then the modern city—with some striking Art Deco buildings at Plaza de las Tendillas and more modern architecture lining Avenida del Gran Capitán.
Córdoba has helpful TIs at the train station and Plaza de las Tendillas (both open daily 9:00-14:00 & 17:00-18:30, slightly longer hours in summer, tel. 902-201-774, www.turismodecordoba.org). Another TI, near the Mezquita, is run separately and covers both Córdoba and the Andalucía region (Mon-Fri 9:00-19:30, Sat-Sun 9:30-15:00, free WCs in basement along with a few ruins and a reproduction of how the Moorish city of “Qurtuba” looked 1,000 years ago, Plaza del Triunfo, tel. 957-355-179).
A ticket for Córdoba’s hop-on, hop-off bus is good for a “panoramic” circuit that stops mostly in places you won’t want to see; an “intimate” route that stops at the Alcázar, Mezquita, Plaza de las Tendillas, and Palacio de Viana (and elsewhere); and two one-hour walking tours—one through the Jewish Quarter and San Basilio neighborhood and one into the central shopping area around Plaza de las Tendillas (confirm tour times when purchasing ticket). This could be worth the money for an ambitious day-tripper coming in by train or bus, as the station is also a stop and the tour includes an excursion to far-flung Madinat Al-Zahra, the ruins of a Moorish palace (€17; purchase at orange City Expert booth in train station or from vendor by Triumphal Arch; buses depart about every 30 minutes from 9:30-21:00, more tours in May, shorter hours off-season; www.city-sightseeing.com).
By Train or Bus: Córdoba’s train station is located on Avenida de América. Built in 1991 to accommodate the high-speed AVE train line, the modern glass-and-steel station has ATMs, restaurants, a variety of shops, a TI booth (mixed in with the shops), an information counter, and a small lounge for first-class AVE passengers. Taxis and local buses are just outside, to the left as you come up the escalators from the platforms.
The bus station is across the street from the train station (on Avenida Vía Augusta, to the north). There’s no luggage storage at the train station, but the bus station has lockers (look for consigna sign and buy token at machine, security guards can help you find the lockers). All car rental agencies are located here.
To get to the old town, hop a taxi (€7 to the Mezquita) or catch bus #3 (stop is at back corner of train station near archaeological ruins of Palatium Maximiani, buy €1.30 ticket on board, ask driver for “mezquita,” get off at Calle San Fernando, and take Calle del Portillo, following the twists and turns—and occasional signs—to the Mezquita).
It’s about a 25-minute walk from either station to the old town. To walk from the train station to the Mezquita, turn left onto Avenida de América, then right through the pleasantly manicured Jardines de la Victoria park. Near the end of the park, on the left, you’ll see a section of the old city walls. The Puerta de Almodóvar gate and a statue of Seneca mark the start of Calle de Cairuán (sometimes signposted as Kairuán)—follow this street downhill, with the wall still on your left, until you reach Plaza Campo de los Santos Mártires. Then head left, past the Alcázar, down Calle Amador de los Rios, which leads directly to the Mezquita and the river.
By Car: The easiest way to enter the city center from Madrid or Sevilla on A-4/E-5 is to follow signs for Córdoba sur and Plaza de Andalucía, following palm-tree-lined A-431 (a.k.a. Avenida del Corregidor). Unless your hotel offers parking, avoid driving near the Mezquita. Instead, head for public parking: half a mile after crossing the Guadalquivir River, veer right onto Paseo de la Victoria, then look for a blue parking sign on the left (just before Calle Concepción) and a ramp down to an underground lot. To reach the bus and train stations (with car rental agencies), continue north on Paseo de la Victoria.
Closed Days: The synagogue, Alcázar, Madinat Al-Zahra, and Palacio de Viana are closed on Monday. The Mezquita is open daily.
Festivals: May is busy with festivals. During the first half of the month, Córdoba hosts the Concurso Popular de Patios Cordobeses—a patio contest (see sidebar on here).
Laundry: Solymar Tintoreria has self-service machines (Mon-Fri 9:00-13:00 & 17:00-20:30, closed Sat afternoon and all day Sun, Calle Maestro Priego López 2, tel. 957-233-818).
Supermarket: Día has a large branch in the modern part of town, near Plaza de las Tendillas (Mon-Sat 9:00-21:30, closed Sun, Sevilla 6).
Local Guides: Isabel Martínez Richter is a charming archaeologist who loves to make the city come to life for curious Americans (weekday €135/3 hours, €30 more on weekends and holidays, mobile 669-369-645, isabmr@gmail.com). Ángel Lucena is a good teacher and a joy to be with (€100/3 hours, mobile 607-898-079, lucenaangel@hotmail.com).
▲▲▲Mezquita
Triumphal Arch and Plague Monument
▲Museum of Al-Andalus Life and Calahorra Tower (Museo Vivo de Al-Andalus)
Artisan Market (Zoco Municipal)
Statues of Seneca, Maimonides, and Averroes
Alcázar (Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos)
Baths of the Caliphate Alcázar (Baños del Alcázar Califal)
Madinat Al-Zahra (Medina Azahara)
This massive former mosque—now with a 16th-century church rising up from the middle—was once the center of Western Islam and the heart of a cultural capital that rivaled Baghdad and Constantinople. A wonder of the medieval world, it’s remarkably well-preserved, giving today’s visitors a chance to soak up the ambience of Islamic Córdoba in its 10th-century prime.
Cost: €10, ticket kiosk and machines inside the Patio de los Naranjos, Mon-Sat free entry 8:30-9:30 (because they don’t want to charge a fee to attend the 9:30 Mass; no access to altar, choir, or treasury during free entry period), detailed but dry audioguide-€3.50.
Hours: March-Oct Mon-Sat 8:30-19:00, Sun 8:30-11:30 & 15:00-19:00; in winter closes daily at 18:00; Christian altar accessible only after 11:00 unless you attend Mass; usually less crowded after 15:00. During religious holidays, particularly Holy Week, the Mezquita may close to sightseers at some times of day—check the online events calendar before you go. You can also enjoy the Mezquita on a sound-and-light tour on most summer evenings (described on here).
Information: Tel. 957-470-512, www.catedraldecordoba.es.
Bell Tower Climb: €2, limited to 20 people every half-hour, daily 9:30-18:30, until 17:30 in winter. Reserve a time for your climb when you buy your ticket. Inside you’ll see a few remnants of the original minaret that became the base structure for the bell tower, and as you climb, you’ll have progressively better views of the mosque-cathedral and the city itself.
Planning Your Time: Usually one hour is enough to visit the interior of the Mezquita. If you plan to climb the bell tower, save it for last.
Self-Guided Tour: Before entering the patio, take in the exterior of the Mezquita. The mosque’s massive footprint is clear when you survey its sprawling walls from outside. At 600 feet by 400 feet, it dominates the higgledy-piggledy medieval town that surrounds it.
1 Patio de los Naranjos: The Mezquita’s big, welcoming courtyard is free to enter. When this was a mosque, the Muslim faithful would gather in this courtyard to perform ablution—ritual washing before prayer, as directed by Muslim law. The courtyard walls display many of the former mosque’s carved and painted ceiling panels and beams, which date from the 10th century.
2 Bell Tower/Minaret: Gaze up through the trees for views of the bell tower (c. 1600), built over the remains of the original Muslim minaret. For four centuries, five times a day, a singing cleric (the muezzin) would ride a donkey up the ramp of the minaret, then call to all Muslims in earshot that it was time to face Mecca and pray.
• Buy your ticket (and, if you wish, rent an audioguide at a separate kiosk to the right). Enter the building during regular hours by passing through the keyhole gate at the far-right corner (pick up an English map-brochure as you enter). During the free entry period, enter through the Puerta de las Palmas.
3 Entrance: Walking into the former mosque from the patio, you pass from an orchard of orange trees into a forest of delicate columns (erected here in the eighth century). The more than 800 red-and-blue columns are topped with double arches—a round Romanesque arch above a Visigothic horseshoe arch—made from alternating red brick and white stone. The columns and capitals (built of marble, granite, and alabaster) were recycled from ancient Roman ruins and conquered Visigothic churches. (Golden Age Arabs excelled at absorbing both the technology and the building materials of the peoples they conquered—no surprise, considering the culture’s nomadic roots; centuries of tentmaking didn’t lend much stoneworking expertise.) The columns seem to recede to infinity, as if reflecting the immensity and complexity of Allah’s creation.
Although it’s a vast room, the low ceilings and dense columns create an intimate and worshipful atmosphere. The original mosque was brighter, before Christians renovated the place for their use and closed in the arched entrances from the patio and street. The giant cathedral sits in the center of the mosque. For now, pretend it doesn’t exist. We’ll visit it after exploring the mosque.
• From either entrance, count five columns into the building and look for two small walls. Between them, find a glass floor covering a section of mosaic floor below. Look in.
4 Visigothic Mosaic: The mosque stands on the site of the early-Christian Church of San Vicente, built during the Visigothic period (sixth century). Peering down, you can see a mosaic that remains from that original church. This is important to Catholic locals, as it proves there was a church here before the mosque—thereby giving credence to those who see the modern-day church on this spot as a return to the site’s original purpose, rather than a violation of the mosque.
• Continue ahead to the wall opposite the entrance, where you’ll find more...
5 Visigothic Ruins: On display in the corner are rare bits of carved stone from that same sixth-century church. (Most other stonework here had been scrubbed of its Christian symbolism by Muslims seeking to reuse them for the mosque.) Prince Abd Al-Rahman bought the church from his Christian subjects before leveling it to build his mosque. From here, pan to the right to take in the sheer vastness of the mosque. (A hidden WC and drinking fountain are in the corner.)
• Walk to your left until you come to the mosque’s focal point, the...
6 Mihrab: The mosque equivalent of a church’s high altar, this was the focus of the mosque and remains a highlight of the Mezquita today. Picture the original mosque at prayer time, with a dirt floor covered by a patchwork of big carpets...more than 20,000 people could pray at once here. Imagine the multitude kneeling in prayer, facing the mihrab, rocking forward to touch their heads to the ground, and saying, “Allahu Akbar, la ilaha illa Allah, Muhammad rasul Allah”—“Allah is great, there is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet.”
The mihrab, a feature in all mosques, is a decorated niche—in this case, more like a small room with a golden-arch entrance. During a service, the imam (prayer leader) would stand here to read scripture and give sermons. He spoke loudly into the niche, his back to the assembled crowd, and the architecture worked to amplify his voice so all could hear. Built in the mid-10th century by Al-Hakam II, the exquisite room reflects the wealth of Córdoba in its prime. Three thousand pounds of shimmering multicolored glass-and-enamel cubes panel the walls and domes in mosaics designed by Byzantine craftsmen, depicting flowers and quotes from the Quran. Gape up. Overhead rises a colorful, starry dome with skylights and interlocking lobe-shaped arches.
• Now turn around so that you’re facing away from the mihrab. Ahead of you, and a bit to the left, is a roped-off open area. Gaze into the first chapel built within the mosque after the Christian Reconquista.
7 Villaviciosa Chapel: In 1236, Saint-King Ferdinand III conquered the city and turned the mosque into a church. The higher ceiling allowed for clerestory windows and more light, which were key to making it feel more church-like. Still, the locals continued to call it “la Mezquita,” and left the structure virtually unchanged (70 percent of the original mosque structure survives to this day). Sixteen columns were removed and replaced by Gothic arches to make this first chapel. It feels as if the church architects appreciated the opportunity to incorporate the sublime architecture of the preexisting mosque into their church. Notice how the floor was once almost entirely covered with the tombs of nobles and big shots eager to make this their final resting place.
• Immediately to your right (as you face the main entrance of the Mezquita), you’ll see the...
8 Royal Chapel: The chapel—designed for the tombs of two Christian kings of Castile, Fernando IV and Alfonso XI—is completely closed off. Peek through the windows here or wander to the right side for the best views. While it was never open to the public, the tall, well-preserved Mudejar walls and dome are easily visible. Notice the elaborate stucco and tile work. The lavish Arabic-style decor dates from the 1370s, done by Muslim artisans after the Reconquista of the city. The floor is above your head to accommodate tombs buried beneath it. The fact that a Christian king chose to be buried in a tomb so clearly Moorish in design indicates the mutual respect between the cultures (before the Inquisition changed all that). The remains of both Castilian kings were moved to another Córdoba church in the 1700s, so it remains a mystery why this chapel is still closed to visitors.
• Return to the mihrab, then go through the big, pink marble door to your immediate left, which leads into the Baroque...
9 Treasury (Tesoro): The treasury is filled with display cases of religious artifacts and the enormous monstrance that is paraded through the streets of Córdoba each Corpus Christi, 60 days after Easter (notice the handles).
The monstrance was an attempt by 16th-century Christians to create something exquisite enough to merit being the holder of the Holy Communion wafer. As they believed the wafer actually was the body of Christ, this trumped any relics. The monstrance is designed to direct your gaze to heaven. While the bottom is silver-plated 18th-century Baroque, the top is late Gothic—solid silver with gold plating courtesy of 16th-century conquistadors. Gaze up at an equally spectacular ceiling.
The big canvas nearest the entrance shows Saint-King Ferdinand III, who conquered Córdoba in 1236, accepting the keys to the city’s fortified gate from the vanquished Muslims. The victory ended a six-month siege and resulted in a negotiated settlement: The losers’ lives were spared, providing they evacuated. Most went to Granada, which remained Muslim for another 250 years. The same day, the Spaniards celebrated Mass in a makeshift chapel right here in the great mosque.
The black-and-white marble tomb at the entrance opposite Ferdinand III belongs to Fray Pedro de Salazar y Toledo. After studies in Salamanca, Salazar had the honor of being the main preacher to two Spanish kings, Philip IV and Charles II. In 1686, he was named cardinal by Pope Innocent XI, but his local claim to fame is as founder of one of the first public hospitals in Córdoba, in use today as the School of Philosophy for the local university.
Among the other Catholic treasures, don’t miss the ivory crucifix (next room, body carved from one tusk, arms carefully fitted on) from 1665. Get close to study Jesus’ mouth—it’s incredibly realistic. The artist? No one knows.
• Just outside the treasury exit, a glass case holds casts that show many...
10 Stonemason Marks: These casts bear the marks and signatures left by those who cut them to build the original Visigothic church and later, the mosque. Try to locate the actual ones on nearby columns. (I went five for six.) This part of the mosque has the best light for photography, thanks to skylights put in by 18th-century Christians.
The mosque grew over several centuries under a series of rulers. Remarkably, each ruler kept to the original vision—rows and rows of multicolored columns topped by double arches. Then came the Christians.
11 Chapel of the Conversion of St. Paul: Sharing a back wall with the Royal Chapel, the church ceded this space for the burial of Pedro Muñiz de Godoy—Grand Master of the Order of Santiago who fought several battles for Castile against the Portuguese in the 1300s. Godoy’s descendants recently spent a fortune to painstakingly clean and restore the chapel, which drips with gold and 17th-century sculpture. The chapel is likely by the same architect as the choir you are about to see.
• Find the towering church in the center of the mosque and step in.
12 Altar: Rising up in the middle of the forest of columns is the bright and newly restored cathedral, oriented in the Christian tradition, with its altar at the east end. Gazing up at the rich, golden decoration, it’s easy to forget that you were in a former mosque just seconds ago. While the mosque is about 30 feet high, the cathedral’s space soars 130 feet up. Look at the glorious ceiling.
In 1523 Córdoba’s bishop proposed building this grand church in the Mezquita’s center. The town council opposed it, but Charles V (called Charles I in Spain) ordered it done. If that seems like a travesty to you, consider what some locals will point out: Though it would have been quicker and less expensive for the Christian builders to destroy the mosque entirely, they respected its beauty and built their church into it instead.
As you take in the styles of these two great places of worship, ponder how they reflect the differences between Catholic and Islamic aesthetics and psychology: horizontal versus vertical, intimate versus powerful, fear-inspiring versus loving, dark versus bright, simple versus elaborate, feeling close to God versus feeling small before God.
The basic structure is late Gothic, with fancy Isabelline-style columns. The nave’s towering Renaissance arches and dome emphasize the triumph of Christianity over Islam in Córdoba. The twin pulpits feature a marble bull, eagle, angel, and lion—symbols of the four evangelists. The modern cátedra (the seat of the bishop) is made of Carrara marble.
While churches and mosques normally both face east (to Jerusalem or Mecca), this space holds worship areas aimed 90 degrees from each other, since the mihrab faces south. Perhaps it’s because from here you have to go south (via Gibraltar) to get to Mecca. Or maybe it’s because this mosque was designed by the Umayyad branch of Islam, whose ancestral home was Damascus—from where Mecca lies to the south.
• Facing the high altar is a big, finely decorated wooden enclosure.
13 Choir: The Baroque-era choir stalls were added much later—made in 1750 of New World mahogany. While cluttering up a previously open Gothic space, the choir is considered one of the masterpieces of 18th-century Andalusian Baroque. Each of the 109 stalls (108 plus the throne of the bishop) features a scene from the Bible: Mary’s life on one side facing Jesus’ life on the other. The lower chairs feature carved reliefs of the 49 martyrs of Córdoba (from Roman, Visigothic, and Moorish times), each with a palm frond symbolizing martyrdom and the scene of their death in the background.
The medieval church strayed from the inclusiveness taught by Jesus: choirs (which were standard throughout Spain) were for clerics (canons, priests, and the bishop). The pews in the nave were for nobles. And the peasants listened in from outside. (Lay people didn’t understand what they were hearing anyway, as Mass was held in Latin until the 1960s.) Those days are long over. Today, a public Mass is said—in Spanish—right here most mornings (Mon-Sat at 9:30, Sun at 12:00 and 13:30).
• Before leaving, walk to the back of the altar to admire the 14 Gothic vaulting mingled with Moorish arches—a combination found nowhere else in the world.
These sights are all within a few minutes’ walk of the Mezquita.
Just downhill from the Mezquita is the Guadalquivir River, which flows on to Sevilla and eventually out to the Atlantic. While silted up today, it was once navigable from here. The town now seems to turn its back on the Guadalquivir, but the arch next to the Roman Bridge (with its ancient foundation surviving) and the fortified gate on the far bank (now housing a museum, described later) evoke a day when the river was key to the city’s existence.
The unfinished Renaissance arch was designed to give King Philip II a royal welcome, but he arrived before its completion—so the job was canceled. (“Very Andalusian,” according to a local friend.) The adjacent monument with the single column is an 18th-century plague monument dedicated to St. Raphael (he was in charge of protecting the region’s population from its main scourges: plague, hunger, and floods).
The ancient bridge sits on its first-century-A.D. foundations and retains its 16th-century arches. It was the first bridge built over this river and established Córdoba as a strategic place. As European bridges go, it’s a poor stepchild (its pedestrian walkway was unimaginatively redone in 2009), but Cordovans still stroll here nightly. Walk across the bridge for a fine view of the city—especially the huge mosque with its cathedral busting through the center. You’ll be steps away from the museum described next.
This museum fills the fortified gate (built in the 14th century to protect the Christian city) at the far side of the Roman Bridge. Its worthy mission—to explain the thriving Muslim Moorish culture of 9th- to 12th-century Córdoba and Al-Andalus—is undermined by its obligatory but clumsy audioguide system. You’ll don a headset and wander through simple displays as the gauzy commentary lets you sit at the feet of the great poets and poke into Moorish living rooms. The scale models of the Alhambra and the Mezquita are fun, as are the dollhouse tableaus showing life in the market, mosque, university, and baths. It’s worth the climb up to the rooftop terrace for the best panoramic view of Córdoba.
Cost and Hours: €4.50, includes one-hour audio tour, daily May-Sept 10:00-14:00 & 16:30-20:30, Oct-April 10:00-18:00, Torre de la Calahorra, tel. 957-293-929, http://www.torrecalahorra.es.
Córdoba’s Jewish Quarter dates from the late Middle Ages, after Muslim rule and during the Christian era. Now little remains. For a sense of the neighborhood in its thriving heyday, first visit the Casa de Sefarad, then the synagogue located a few steps away. For a pretty picture, find Calleja de las Flores (a.k.a. “Blossom Lane”). This narrow flower-bedecked street frames the cathedral’s bell tower as it hovers in the distance (the view is a favorite for local guidebook covers).
Set inside a restored 14th-century home directly across from the synagogue, this interpretive museum brings to life Córdoba’s rich Jewish past. Exhibits in the rooms around a central patio recount Spanish Jewish history, focusing on themes such as domestic life, Jewish celebrations and holidays, and Sephardic musical traditions. Upstairs is an interpretive exhibit about the synagogue, along with rooms dedicated to the philosopher Maimonides and the Inquisition. Along with running this small museum, the Casa de Sefarad is a cultural center for Sephardic Jewish heritage (Sephardic Jews are those from Spain or Portugal). They teach courses, offer a library, and promote an appreciation of Córdoba’s Jewish past.
Cost and Hours: €4, daily 10:00-19:00, opens and closes one hour later in winter, 30-minute guided tours in English by request if guide is available, across from synagogue at corner of Calle de los Judíos and Calle Averroes, tel. 957-421-404, www.casadesefarad.es.
Concerts: The Casa de Sefarad hosts occasional concerts—acoustic, Sephardic, Andalusian, and flamenco—on its patio (€15, usually at 19:00, confirm schedule).
This small yet beautifully preserved synagogue was built between 1314 and 1315, and was in use right up until the final expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492.
Cost and Hours: Free, mid-June-mid-Sept Tue-Sun 9:00-15:00; mid-Sept-mid-June Tue-Sat 9:00-20:30, Sun until 15:00; closed Mon year-round, Calle de los Judíos 20, tel. 957-202-928.
Visiting the Synagogue: The synagogue was built by Mudejar craftsmen during a period of religious tolerance after the Christian Reconquista of Córdoba (1236). During Muslim times, Córdoba’s sizable Jewish community was welcomed in the city, though its members paid substantial taxes—money that enlarged the Mezquita and generated goodwill. That goodwill came in handy when Córdoba’s era of prosperity and mutual respect ended with the arrival of the intolerant Almohad Berbers. Christians and Jews were repressed, and brilliant minds—such as the philosopher Maimonides, whose statue sits nearby—fled for their own safety.
Its relatively small dimensions lead historians to believe this was a private or family synagogue. It’s one of only three medieval synagogues that still stand in Spain (and the only one in Andalucía). That it survived at all is due to its having been successively converted into a church (look for the cross painted into a niche), a hospital, and a shoemakers’ guild. The building’s original purpose was only rediscovered in the late 19th century.
Rich Mudejar decorations of intertwined flowers and arabesques plaster the walls. The inscriptions in the main room are nearly all from the Bible’s Book of Psalms (in Hebrew, with translations posted on each wall). On the east wall (the symbolic direction of Jerusalem), find the niche for the Ark, which held the scrolls of the Torah (the Jewish scriptures). The upstairs gallery was reserved for women.
This charming series of courtyards off Calle de los Judíos was the first craft market in Spain. More than a dozen studios cluster around the pretty patios, where artists work in leather, glass, textiles, mosaics, and pottery. Their products—tiles, notecards, jewelry, leather bracelets, and bags—are sold in the associated retail shop.
Cost and Hours: Free to enter, daily 10:00-20:00, Calle de los Judíos s/n, tel. 957-204-033, www.artesaniadecordoba.com.
Built upon the foundation of Córdoba’s Roman walls, these fortifications date mostly from the 12th century. While the city stretched beyond the walls in Moorish times, these fortifications protected its political, religious, and commercial center. Of the seven original gates, the Puerta de Almodóvar (near the synagogue) is best-preserved today. Along this wall, you’ll find statues honoring Córdoba’s great thinkers.
Among Córdoba’s deepest-thinking homeboys were a Roman philosopher forced to commit suicide, and a Jew and a Muslim who were both driven out during the wave of intolerance after the fall of the Umayyad caliphate. (Seneca is right outside the Puerta de Almodóvar; Maimonides is 30 yards downhill from the synagogue; Averroes is outside the old wall, where Cairuán and Doctor Fleming streets meet.)
Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger (c. 3 B.C.-A.D. 65) was born into a wealthy Cordovan family, but was drawn to Rome early in life. He received schooling in Stoicism and made a name for himself in oration, writing, law, and politics. Exiled to Corsica by Emperor Claudius, a remarkable reversal brought him into the role of trusted advisor to Emperor Nero, but eventually Nero accused Seneca of plotting against him and demanded Seneca kill himself. In true Stoic fashion, Seneca complied with this request in A.D. 65, leaving behind a written legacy that includes nine plays, hundreds of essays, and numerous philosophical works that influenced the likes of Calvin, Montaigne, and Rousseau.
Moses Maimonides (1135-1204), “the Jewish Aquinas,” was born in Córdoba and raised on both Jewish scripture and the philosophy of Aristotle. Like many tolerant Cordovans, he saw no conflict between the two. An influential Talmudic scholar, astronomer, and medical doctor, Maimonides left his biggest mark as the author of The Guide for the Perplexed, in which he asserted that secular knowledge and religious faith could go hand-in-hand (thereby inspiring the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas). In 1148, Córdoba was transformed when the fundamentalist Almohads assumed power, and young Maimonides and his family were driven out. Today tourists, Jewish scholars, and fans of Aquinas rub the statue’s foot in the hope that some of Maimonides’ genius and wisdom will rub off on them.
The story of Averroes (1126-1198) is a near match of Maimonides’, except that Averroes was a Muslim lawyer, not a Jewish physician. He became the medieval world’s number-one authority on Aristotle, also influencing Aquinas. Averroes’ biting tract The Incoherence of the Incoherence attacked narrow-mindedness, asserting that secular philosophy (for the elite) and religious faith (for the masses) both led to truth. The Almohads banished him from the city and burned his books, ending four centuries of Cordovan enlightenment.
This museum, in a beautiful old palatial home of brick arcades and patios, examines Córdoba’s bullfighting tradition. Displays explore the landscape where bulls are bred and raised, and pay tribute to great bullfighters of the past (and their remarkably tiny waistlines) and to the tempo and aesthetics of the bullfight. It’s high-tech, spacious, and merits a visit if you’re interested in learning about an important local tradition. But if you’ve already seen the bullfight museums in Ronda or Sevilla, give this one a pass.
Cost and Hours: €4; open Sept-June Tue-Fri 8:30-20:45, Sat until 16:30, Sun until 14:30; July-Aug Tue-Sat 8:30-15:00; Sun until 14:30; closed Mon year-round; Plaza de Maimonides s/n, tel. 957-201-056, www.museotaurinodecordoba.es.
Tourists line up to visit Córdoba’s overrated fortress, the “Castle of the Christian Monarchs,” which sits strategically next to the Guadalquivir River. (I think they confuse it with the much more worthy Alcázar in Sevilla.) Upon entering, look to the right to see a big, beautiful garden rich with flowers and fountains. To the left is a modern-feeling, unimpressive fort. While it was built along the Roman walls in Visigothic times, constant reuse and recycling has left it sparse and barren (with the exception of a few interesting Roman mosaics on the walls). Crowds squeeze up and down the congested spiral staircases of “Las Torres” for meager views. Ferdinand and Isabel donated the castle to the Inquisition in 1482, and it became central in the church’s effort to discover “false converts to Christianity”—mostly Jews who had decided not to flee Spain in 1492.
Cost and Hours: €4.50, open mid-Sept-mid-June Tue-Fri 8:30-20:45, Sat until 16:30, Sun until 14:30; shorter hours in summer; closed Mon year-round; tel. 957-204-333. On Fridays and Saturdays, you’re likely to see people celebrating civil weddings here.
The scant but evocative remains of these 10th-century royal baths are all that’s left from the caliph’s palace complex. They date from a time when the city had hundreds of baths to serve a population of several hundred thousand. The exhibit teaches about Arabic baths in general and the caliph’s in particular. A 10-minute video (normally in Spanish, English on request) tells the story well.
Cost and Hours: €2.50, open same hours as Alcázar, on Plaza Campo de los Santos Mártires, just outside the wall—near the Alcázar.
While most tourists leave Córdoba having seen only the Mezquita and the cute medieval quarter that surrounds it, the modern city offers a good peek at urban Andalucía. Perhaps the best way to sample this is to browse Plaza de las Tendillas and the surrounding streets. The square, with an Art Deco charm, acts like there is no tourism in Córdoba. On the hour, a clock here chimes the chords of flamenco guitarist Juan Serrano—a Cordovan classic since 1961.
Characteristic cafés and shops abound. For example, Café La Gloria provides an earthy Art Nouveau experience. Located just down the street from Plaza de las Tendillas, it has an unassuming entrance, but a sumptuous interior. Carved floral designs wind around the bar, mixing with feria posters and bullfighting memories. Pop in for a quick beer or coffee with the locals (Mon-Sat 9:00-24:00, closed Sun, quiet after lunch crowd clears out, Calle Claudio Marcelo 15, tel. 957-477-780).
A city rich in mystical monuments and colorful patios, Córdoba has produced several fine artists during its long history. Well-to-do Julio Romero de Torres began painting at the age of 10 in 1884, under the tutelage of his father who was also a painter and director of the city’s fine-arts museum. Early works resembled those of fellow Impressionists like Joaquín Sorolla, but in the 1920s Julio developed a distinct style—the dreamy-eyed, melancholic gaze of the women he loved to paint. After he died in 1930, his family donated many works to the city government and this museum opened one year later. Stroll through six small rooms and discover the spirit of Córdoba through this captivating artist’s eyes.
Cost and Hours: €4.50, mid-June-mid-Sept Tue-Sat 8:30-15:00, Sun until 14:30; off-season Tue-Fri 8:30-20:45, Sat until 16:30, Sun until 14:30; closed Mon year-round; Plaza del Potro 1, tel. 957-470-356, www.museojulioromero.cordoba.es.
Decidedly off the beaten path, this former palatial estate is a 25-minute walk northeast from the cluster of sights near the Mezquita. The complex’s many renovations over its 500-year history are a case study in changing tastes. A guided tour whisks you through each room of an exuberant 16th-century estate, while an English handout trudges through the dates and origin of each important piece. But the house is best enjoyed by ignoring the guide and gasping at the massive collection of—for lack of a better word—stuff. Decorative-art fans will have a field day. If your interests run more to flowers, skip the house and buy a “patio” ticket: 12 connecting garden patios, each with a different theme, sprawl around and throughout the residence. It’s no Alhambra, but if you won’t see the gardens in Granada, these are a wee taste of the Andalusian style.
Cost and Hours: House—€8, patios only—€5; Sept-June Tue-Sat 10:00-19:00, Sun until 15:00; July-Aug Tue-Sun 9:00-15:00; closed Mon year-round, last entry one hour before closing; Plaza Don Gome 2, tel. 957-496-741.
Five miles northwest of Córdoba, these ruins of a once-fabulous palace of the caliph were completely forgotten until excavations began in the early 20th century. Extensively planned, with an orderly design, Madinat Al-Zahra was meant to symbolize and project a new discipline on an increasingly unstable Moorish empire in Spain. It failed. Only 75 years later, the city was looted and destroyed.
Cost and Hours: €1.50; mid-April-mid-June Tue-Sat 9:00-20:30, mid-June-mid-Sept until 17:00, mid-Sept-mid-April until 18:00; Sun 10:00-17:00 and closed Mon year-round; tel. 957-104-933, www.museosdeandalucia.es.
Getting There: Madinat Al-Zahra is located on a back road five miles from Córdoba. By car, head to Avenida de Medina Azahara (one block south of the train station), following signs for A-431; the site is well-signed from the highway. The TI runs a shuttle bus that leaves several times a day and returns 2.5 hours later (€9, buy ticket at any TI; runs year-round Tue-Sat at 10:15, 11:00, and 15:00 plus extra Sat bus at 13:45, Sun at 10:15, 11:00, and 11:45; confirm current bus schedule at TI, informative English booklet). Catch the shuttle on Paseo de la Victoria at either of two stops shared with the Bus Turístico route; see map on here.
Visiting Madinat Al-Zahra: Check at the TI before committing to a trip, as the most interesting sections of the site may be closed for restoration. Built in A.D. 929 as a power center to replace Córdoba, Madinat Al-Zahra was both a palace and an entirely new capital city—the “City of the Flower”—covering nearly half a square mile (only about 10 percent has been uncovered).
The site is underwhelming—a jigsaw puzzle waiting to be reassembled by patient archaeologists. Upper terrace excavations have uncovered stables and servants’ quarters. Farther downhill, the house of a high-ranking official has been partially reconstructed. At the lowest level, you’ll come to the remains of the mosque—placed at a diagonal, facing true east. The highlight of the visit is an elaborate reconstruction of the caliph’s throne room, capturing a moody world of horseshoe arches and delicate stucco. Legendary accounts say the palace featured waterfall walls, lions in cages, and—in the center of the throne room—a basin filled with mercury, reflecting the colorful walls. The effect likely humbled anyone fortunate enough to see the caliph.
In Córdoba, patios are taken very seriously, as shown by the fiercely fought contest, the Concurso Popular de Patios Cordobeses, which takes place the first half of every May to pick the city’s most picturesque. Patios, a common feature of houses throughout Andalucía, have a long history here. The Romans used them to cool off, and the Moors added lush, decorative touches. The patio functioned as a quiet outdoor living room, an oasis from the heat. Inside elaborate ironwork gates, roses, geraniums, and jasmine spill down whitewashed walls, while fountains play and caged birds sing. Some patios are owned by individuals, some are communal courtyards for several homes, and some grace public buildings like museums or convents.
Today homeowners take pride in these miniparadises, and have no problem sharing them with tourists. Keep an eye out for square metal signs that indicate historic homes. As you wander Córdoba’s back streets, pop your head into any wooden door that’s open. The proud owners (who keep inner gates locked) enjoy showing off their picture-perfect patios.
A concentration of patio-contest award-winners runs along Calle de San Basilio and Calle Martín Roa, just across from the Alcázar gardens. Seven of these winners have banded together to open their patios to the public for a small entry fee (€7; Mon and Wed-Sat 10:00-14:00 & 17:00-20:00, Sun 10:00-14:00, patios closed Tue; get tickets at office on Calle de San Basilio 14, tel. 654-530-377). Many other nearby patios are free to visit.
This equestrian show at the royal stables (just beyond the Alcázar) combines an artful demonstration of different riding styles with flamenco dance (€15; 1-hour shows Wed, Fri, and Sat at 21:00; Sun at 12:00; no shows Mon-Tue or Thu; outside in summer, inside in winter, tel. 957-497-843, www.cordobaecuestre.com). During the day, you can tour the stables for free (Mon-Sat 10:00-13:30 & 16:00-19:30, Sun 10:00-11:00, Caballerizas Reales 1).
While flamenco is better in nearby Sevilla, you can see it in Córdoba, too. Tablao Flamenco Cardenal is the city’s most popular and awarded show, with 120 seats in a beautifully decorated private patio. They also offer a preshow dinner with typical dishes from Córdoba (€23, includes one drink, dinner—€11 extra, 1.5-hour shows Mon-Thu at 20:15, Fri-Sat at 21:00, no shows Sun, confirm schedule online, Buen Pastor 2—see map on here, mobile 691-217-922, www.tablaocardenal.es).
To experience “the soul of Córdoba”—or at least the Mezquita by night—you can take this pricey one-hour audio tour, joining about 80 people to be shepherded around the complex listening via headset to an obviously Christian-produced sound-and-light show (€18, March-Oct Mon-Sat, off-season Fri-Sat only, 1-2 shows a night, hours vary according to sunset; book at Mezquita or online; www.catedraldecordoba.es).
My price ratings are for high season; most of these places are cheaper outside peak times. For locations, see the map on here.
These are all within a five-minute stroll of the Mezquita.
$$$$ Balcón de Córdoba is an elegant little boutique hotel buried in the old town, just steps away from the Mezquita. With 10 stylish rooms, charming public spaces, plenty of attention to detail, and a magnificent rooftop terrace, it’s a lot of luxury for the price. It feels both new and steeped in tradition. The restaurant serves wonderful cuisine, enhanced by evening views of the Mezquita from the terrace (includes breakfast, air-con, pay parking, restaurant open daily 12:30-15:00 & 19:30-22:00, Calle Encarnación 8, tel. 957-498-478, www.balcondecordoba.com, reservas@balcondecordoba.com).
$$$ La Llave de la Judería is a nine-room jewel box of an inn, featuring plush furniture, tasteful traditional decor, and attentive service. Quiet and romantic, it’s tucked in the old quarter just far enough away from the tourist storm, yet still handy for sightseeing (website shows each room, includes generous breakfast, air-con, midway between Puerta de Almodóvar and the Mezquita at Calle Romero 38, tel. 957-294-808, www.lallavedelajuderia.es, info@lallavedelajuderia.es). Managers Rocío and Alberto make you feel right at home.
$$ El Patio de la Costurera offers a uniquely Cordovan experience: sleeping in one of the city’s prize-winning patios. Araceli and her sister rent four homey and colorful apartments, each with a kitchenette. While some noise might come from patio visitors during the day, the neighborhood is quiet at night and close to several recommended restaurants (air-con, Calle de San Basilio 40, tel. 654-530-377, www.elpatiodelacosturera.com).
$$ Hotel Mezquita, just across from the Mezquita, rents 32 modern and comfortable rooms. The grand entrance lobby elegantly recycles an upper-class mansion (air-con, elevator, Plaza Santa Catalina 1, tel. 957-475-585, www.hotelmezquita.com, recepcion@hotelmezquita.com).
$ Hotel Albucasis, at the edge of the tourist zone, features 15 basic, clean rooms, all of which face quiet interior patios. The friendly, accommodating staff and cozy setting make you feel right at home (air-con, elevator, pay parking but free off-season, Buen Pastor 11, tel. 957-478-625, www.hotelalbucasi.com, hotelalbucasis@hotmail.com).
$ Hotel González, with many of its 29 basic rooms facing a cool and peaceful patio, is spartan but very sleepable. It’s clean and well-run, with a good location and price. Streetside rooms come with a bit of noise at night (air-con, elevator, Calle de los Manríquez 3, tel. 957-479-819, www.hotelgonzalez.com, recepcion@hotelgonzalez.com).
¢ Al-Katre Backpacker is a fun hostel run in a homey way by three energetic girlfriends. Its rooms gather around a cool courtyard (Calle Martínez Rucker 14, tel. 957-487-539, www.alkatre.com, alkatre@alkatre.com).
While still within easy walking distance of the Mezquita, these places are outside of the main tourist zone—not buried in all that tangled medieval cuteness.
$$ Hotel Córdoba Centro sits at a good crossroads between the historic center around the Mezquita and the modern part of the city. Most of its 27 simple but comfortable rooms are interior, assuring a solid night’s sleep, while nine rooms face the pedestrian street and coffee shop below. Good deals can be found on their website with advance booking (air-con, elevator, Jesús y María 8, tel. 957-497-850, www.hotel-cordobacentro.es).
$ Hotel Califa, a modern 65-room business-class hotel belonging to the NH chain, sits on a quiet street a block off busy Paseo Victoria, on the edge of the jumbled old quarter. Still close enough to the sights, its slick modern rooms can be a great value if you get a deal (air-con, elevator, pay parking, Lope de Hoces 14, tel. 957-299-400, www.nh-hotels.com, nhcalifa@nh-hotels.com).
$ Hotel Boston, with 39 rooms, is a decent budget bet if you want a reliable, basic hotel away from the touristy Mezquita zone. It’s a taste of workaday Córdoba (air-con, elevator, Calle Málaga 2, just off Plaza de las Tendillas, tel. 957-474-176, www.hotel-boston.com, info@hotel-boston.com).
¢ Funky Córdoba Hostel rents beds in a great neighborhood (air-con, terrace, right by Plaza del Potro bus stop—take #3 from station—at Calle Lucano 12, tel. 957-492-966, www.funkycordoba.com, funkycordoba@funkyhostels.es).
Córdoba has a reputation among Spaniards as a great dining town, with options ranging from obvious touristy bars in the old center to enticing, locals-only hangouts a few blocks away. Specialties include salmorejo, Córdoba’s version of gazpacho. It’s creamier, with more bread and olive oil and generally served with pieces of ham and hard-boiled egg on top. Look for winners of the city’s yearly oxtail stew (rabo de toro) contest and find your favorite. Most places serve white wines from the nearby Montilla-Moriles region; these finos are slightly less dry but more aromatic than the sherry produced in Jerez de la Frontera. Ask for a fino fresquito (chilled) and you’ll fit right in.
Touristy options abound near the Mezquita. By walking a couple of blocks north or east of the Mezquita, you’ll find plenty of cheap, accessible little places offering a better value.
$$ Bodegas Mezquita is one of the touristy places, but it’s easy and handy—a good bet for a bright, air-conditioned place near the mosque. They have a good menú del día, or you can order from their menu of tapas, half-raciones, and raciones (daily 12:30-23:30, one block above the Mezquita patio at Calle Céspedes 12, tel. 957-490-004). They have one other location near the Mezquita, at Calle Corregidor Luis de la Cerda 73.
$ Bar Santos, facing the Mezquita, supplies the giant tortilla de patatas (potato omelette) that you see locals happily munching on the steps of the mosque. All of their “fast” food is served to-go in disposable containers. A hearty tortilla and a beer make for a very cheap meal; add a salmorejo and it feels complete (daily 10:00-24:00, Calle Magistral González Francés 3, tel. 957-484-975).
This delightful little quarter outside the town wall, just a couple of minutes’ walk west of the Mezquita and behind the royal stables, is famous for its patios. It’s traffic-free, quaint as can be, and feels perfectly Cordovan without the crush of tourists around the Mezquita. Things start late here—don’t go before 21:00.
$$ La Posada del Caballo Andaluz is a fresh, modern restaurant with tables delightfully scattered around a courtyard (no bar area). Enjoy tasty traditional Cordovan cuisine at great prices while sitting amid flowers and under the stars (daily 12:30-16:30 & 20:00-23:30, Calle de San Basilio 16, tel. 957-290-374).
$$ Mesón San Basilio, just across the street, is the longtime neighborhood favorite, with no tourists and no pretense. Although there’s no outside seating, it still offers a certain patio ambience, with a view of the kitchen action and lots of fish and meat dishes (classic fixed-priced meal, lunch special weekdays, Mon-Sat 13:00-16:00 & 20:00-24:00, closed Sun, Calle de San Basilio 19, tel. 957-297-007).
$ Bodega San Basilio, around the corner, is rougher, serving rustic tapas and good meals to workaday crowds. The bullfight decor gives the place a crusty character—and you won’t find a word of English here (closed Tue, on the corner of Calle de Enmedio and small street leading to Calle de San Basilio at #29, tel. 957-297-832).
The evocative Puerta de Almodóvar gate connects a park-like scene outside the wall with the delightfully jumbled Jewish Quarter just inside it, where cafés and restaurants take advantage of the neighborhood’s pools, shady trees, and dramatic face of the wall. The first two recommendations are immediately inside the gate; the others are on or near Calle de los Judíos, which runs south from there.
$$ Taberna Restaurante Casa Rubio serves reliably good traditional dishes with smart, prompt service and several zones to choose from: a few sidewalk tables, with classic people-watching; inside, with a timeless interior; or on the rooftop, with dressy white tablecloths and a view of the old wall (daily 13:00-16:00 & 19:30-23:30, easy English menu, Puerta de Almodóvar 5, tel. 957-420-853).
$$ Taberna Casa Salinas is a more basic place with a fine reputation for quality food at a good price (run by the same people who run the highly recommended Taberna Salinas in the modern city, Mon-Sat 12:30-16:00 & 20:00-23:00, closed Sun, near gate at Puerta de Almodóvar 2, tel. 957-290-846).
$$$ Restaurante El Choto is a bright, formal, and dressy steak house buried deep in the Jewish Quarter. With a small leafy patio, it’s touristy yet intimate, serving well-presented international dishes with an emphasis on grilled meat. The favorite is kid goat with garlic—choto al ajillo (closed Sun evening year-round and all day Mon in summer, Calle Almanzor 10, tel. 957-760-115).
$$$ El Churrasco Restaurante is a charmingly old-fashioned place, where longtime patrons are greeted by name. The specialty is grilled meat and seafood, cooked simply and deliciously over oak-charcoal braziers in the open kitchen, but it’s a fun place for tapas, too (daily 13:00-16:00 & 20:30-23:30, Calle Romero 16, tel. 957-290-819).
$$ Casa Mazal, run by the nearby Casa de Sefarad Jewish cultural center, serves updated, modern Jewish cuisine. Small dining rooms sprawl around the charming medieval courtyard of a former house. With a seasonal menu that includes several vegetarian options, it offers a welcome dose of variety from the typical Spanish standards (daily 12:30-17:00 & 20:00-24:00, Calle Tomás Conde 3, tel. 957-941-888).
$ Bodega Guzmán could hardly care less about attracting tourists. This rough, dark holdover from a long-gone age proudly displays the heads of brave-but-unlucky bulls, while serving cold, very basic tapas to locals who burst into song when they feel the flamenco groove. Notice how everyone seems to be on a first-name basis with the waiters. It may feel like a drinks-only place, but they do serve rustic tapas and raciones (ask for the list in English). Choose a table or belly up to the bar and try a glass of local white wine, either dry (blanco seco) or sweet (blanco dulce). If it’s grape juice you want, ask for mosto (closed Thu, Calle de los Judíos 7, tel. 957-290-960).
$$$ Bodegas Campos, my favorite place in town, is a historic and venerable house of eating, attracting so many locals it comes with its own garage. It’s worth the 10-minute walk from the tourist zone. They have a stuffy and expensive formal restaurant upstairs, but I’d eat in the more relaxed and affordable tavern on the ground floor. The service is great, portions are large, and the menu is inviting. Experiment—you can’t go wrong. House specialties are bull-tail stew (rabo de toro—rich, tasty, and a good splurge) and anything with pisto, the local ratatouille-like vegetable stew. Don’t leave without exploring the sprawling complex, which fills 14 old houses that have been connected to create a network of dining rooms and patios, small and large. The place is a virtual town history museum: look for the wine barrels signed by celebrities and VIPs, the old refectory from a convent, and a huge collection of classic, original feria posters and great photos (Mon-Sat 13:30-16:30 & 20:30-23:00, Sun 12:00-17:00 only; Calle de Lineros 32; tel. 957-497-500, www.bodegascampos.com).
$$ Macsura Gastrotaberna serves beautifully presented international dishes for anyone who might need a break from jamón—think Asian-Spanish fusion. Choose between bright and white inside seating or watch the locals go by on a triangular patio outside (Mon-Fri 11:30-16:30 & 19:00-24:00, Sat-Sun 11:30-24:00, Calle Cardenal González, tel. 957-486-004).
These places are worth the 10- to 15-minute walk from the main tourist zone—walking here, you feel a world apart from the touristy scene. Combine a meal here with a paseo through the Plaza de las Tendillas area to get a good look at modern Córdoba. If Taberna Salinas is full, as is likely, there are plenty of characteristic bars nearby in the lanes around Plaza de la Corredera.
$$ Taberna Salinas seems like a movie set designed to give you the classic Córdoba scene. Though all the seating is indoors, it’s still pleasantly patio-esque and popular with locals for its traditional cuisine and exuberant bustle. The seating fills a big courtyard and sprawls through several smaller, semiprivate rooms. The fun menu features a slew of enticing raciones (spinach with chickpeas is a house specialty). Study what locals are eating before ordering. There’s no drink menu—just beer, fino, or inexpensive wine. If there’s a line (as there often is later in the evening), leave your name and throw yourself into the adjacent tapas-bar mosh pit for a drink (Mon-Sat 12:30-16:00 & 20:00-23:30, closed Sun and Aug; from Plaza de las Tendillas walk 3 blocks to the Roman temple, then go 1 more block and turn right to Tundidores 3; tel. 957-480-135).
$$ Taberna San Miguel is nicknamed “Casa el Pisto” for its famous vegetable stew (pisto). Well-respected, it’s packed with locals who appreciate regional cuisine, a good value, and a place with a long Cordovan history. There’s great seating in its charming interior or on the lively square (tapas at bar only, closed Sun and Aug, 2 blocks north of Plaza de las Tendillas at Plaza San Miguel 1, tel. 957-478-328).
From Córdoba by Train: Córdoba is on the slick AVE train line (reservations required), making it an easy stopover between Madrid (almost hourly, 2 hours) and Sevilla (45 minutes). The Avant train connects Córdoba to Sevilla just as fast for nearly half the price (12/day, 45 minutes; rail pass reservations also about half-price). The slow media distancia train to Sevilla takes about twice as long, but doesn’t require a reservation and is even cheaper (7/day, 1.5 hours).
Other trains go to Barcelona (2/day direct, 5 hours, many more with transfer in Madrid), Granada (6/day but with bus transfer in Antequera; bus is more frequent, cheaper, and nearly as fast), Ronda (2/day direct on Altaria, 2 hours), Jerez (to transfer to Arcos; 8/day, 2.5 hours), Málaga (fast and cheap Avant train, 6/day, 1 hour; fast and expensive AVE train, 10/day, 1 hour), and Algeciras (2/day direct, 3 hours, more with transfer, 4 hours). Train info: toll tel. 902-320-320, www.renfe.com.
By Bus to: Granada (6/day directo, 3 hours; 2/day ruta, 4 hours), Sevilla (7/day, 2 hours), Madrid (6/day, 5 hours), Málaga (4/day, 3 hours directo), Barcelona (2/day, 14 hours). The efficient staff at the information desk prints bus schedules for you—or you can check all schedules at www.estacionautobusescordoba.es. Bus info: tel. 957-404-040.