22 things to do in Córdoba, Spain: the Andalusian city of flowers

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Here are a few of the best things to do in Córdoba, Spain, which I wanted to share after my recent stay in this beautiful city of flowers. A lot of people only visit Córdoba for the day, coming from other cities in Andalusia, which is a shame because it’s worth staying over and spending some proper time there. I spent over a week in Córdoba and liked having the time to get to know its whitewashed streets, striking architecture and gardens of olive and orange trees.

There’s plenty to do in Córdoba over a long weekend, from strolling its medieval streets, discovering hidden alleyways lined with colourful flowerpots, to entering the breathtaking mosque-cathedral. Even if you do only stay overnight, it’s worth it to see the Roman bridge as dusk falls, when the city starts to sparkle. Córdoba is especially magical in spring. Its gorgeous floral ‘patios’ (courtyard gardens) are at their finest and locals compete in the city’s famous annual flower festival.

If this all sounds up your street, read on for more detail on things to do in Córdoba that I personally recommend…

Things to do in Córdoba, Spain

1. See the breathtaking Mezquita Cathedral de Cordoba

As regular readers will know, I’ve travelled a lot. And I think Córdoba’s mosque-cathedral, the Mezquita, is one of the most incredible buildings I’ve ever seen.

If you’re wondering what a mosque-cathedral is, well, it’s exactly what the name would suggest: a hybrid between the two religious buildings. The columns and colour of the mosque are set around a Renaissance-style cathedral in the middle.

Visitors to Andalusia tend to go to Seville’s Alcazar and Granada’s Alhambra, and the Mezquita gets forgotten. I honestly don’t know why. Going inside for the first time and seeing those striped archways stretching ahead of me is one of the most memorable travel experiences I’ve had. Not to mention walking into the central cathedral with its domed ceiling. Just wow!

The mosque was built in 785 when Córdoba was the capital of Al-Andalus. In 1236, the Christian monarchs took over and decided to install their cathedral inside the mosque. Usually, you’d expect them to have bulldozed it and built on top. Well done to them for not doing that.  

During my week in Córdoba, I worked out that the best time to visit the Mezquita is late afternoon (unless you’re visiting at a really quiet time of year). By about 4.30pm, all the tour groups and day trippers have packed off and it’s much quieter but the light is still good for photos. Visiting at night when it’s all lit up is a real treat too, but do bear in mind that it’s harder to photograph then. Check the official Mezquita website for opening times as these can vary by season. Tickets are 13€ per person at the time of writing.

2. Go into all the beautiful floral ‘patios’

I can’t resist a good garden, and Córdoba is famous for its ‘patios’. These are little courtyard gardens tucked away in people’s homes around the charming San Basilio neighbourhood. You wouldn’t know they were there unless you were looking for them. Keep an eye out for signs outside houses advertising that they have a patio open.

The patios are all absolutely gorgeous, with pots attached to the whitewashed walls and piled up higgledy-piggledy on the lovely cobbled or tiled paths below. It’s magical stepping into them. SO pretty.

If you’re planning a visit in May, you should try to align it with the Fiesta de Los Patios. This annual floral competition falls over the first two weeks of May and people come from all over the world to see the plants at their best. You could also sneakily time a visit for late April, when they still look great but the crowds aren’t as bad. But even if you’re not coming in spring, you’ll love them (and it’ll be a lot quieter). I visited Córdoba in late autumn, so my photos of the patios aren’t as colourful as they could be in spring or summer. But they were still lush and lots of things were still in bloom, plus I had them to myself most of the time. 

You don’t need to pay to enter the patios, but some people (as they are people’s private homes/gardens) do have a donation box so you should stick a few euro in there as you leave.

If you’re really into photography, you could book a private tour to get the patios to yourself. There are some decent two-hour tours of the patios, such as this one for 18€ or this one for 17€. Get Your Guide is what I always use; the ratings are pretty accurate.

3. Stroll through the Jewish Quarter

The winding streets of Córdoba’s Jewish Quarter (La Juderia) are endlessly beguiling and perfect for getting a feel for the city. You can find them just north-east of the Mezquita. Start at the statue of Ben Maimónides (Google Maps location), a local Jewish scholar, and head up Calle de los Judíos.

While exploring the Jewish Quarter, you’ll find plenty of the things to do in Córdoba that I’ve included on this list. But before you get stuck into doing stuff, take the time just to mooch and enjoy the vibes. You can never have enough whitewashed buildings and plant pots.

4. Visit a traditional Arabic tea house, Salon de Té, for a delicious lunch

Given Córdoba’s Moorish history, what could be more fitting than going to a beautiful Arabic tea house?

Salon de Té was one of the best places I ate in Spain, and definitely the best place in Córdoba. They do excellent vegetarian options like chickpea tagine, couscous, hummus, falafel and halva (to name a few). I was dead chuffed to see lots of vegetables (especially their delicious aubergine), seeds and nuts – a rarity in Spain (more on that later). Of course, you can’t come to a tea house and not have Arabic tea (the mint one is spot on) with some dates and baklava. Outstanding stuff.

The tea house is set in the beautiful and atmospheric courtyard of a 13th-century building in the Jewish Quarter. Full of pretty archways, colourful tiling, soft lighting and trailing plants, it’s a perfect setting to escape the heat of the day in.

5. Go back in time at the Moorish house, Casa Andalusi

Other than the wonderful Mezquita, Casa Andalusi is my favourite of all the things to do in Córdoba.

It’s a Moorish house-museum and courtyard garden (patio), tucked away near the synagogue. It transports you to another world. As you go in, you’re met with the gentle sound of running water from the little water feature in the middle of the patio, along with Islamic music playing and birdsong in the background. There are plants trailing down the walls, the air is cooler and visitors seem to know to speak in more hushed tones. It’s a world away from the busy streets with tourists tramping through them just outside.

One room in the museum has an exhibition on paper-making, as Córdoba in Moorish times was a centre of learning so was producing a lot of the stuff. You can see the tools used for making the pulp, all the way through to a printing press. Another room has a collection of old coins, and down in the cellar you’ll find an ancient mosaic. My favourite thing in Casa Andalusi, though, is the tiled water feature shown in my photo above. It’s filled with floating flower heads and the light above it changes colour. A really gorgeous and tranquil spot.

The 4€ entrance fee for the house also covers the neighbouring Alchemy Museum, which has a good view of the city from its rooftop. 

6. See the Roman Bridge (especially at night)

The Roman Bridge over the Guadalquivir River dates back to 1BC, which I think we can all agree is quite old. It’s been reconstructed over the years, and now has some very pretty lights running along it. I’d recommend visiting it as dusk falls, not only for the lovely scene as all the lights come on across the bridge and into the city but because it’s much quieter in the evening. All the tour buses and day trippers have gone by then. The bridge is pedestrianised and you’ll find various buskers and artists flogging their dubious wares along it, but there are fewer at night and the atmosphere is altogether calmer.

Apparently, some scenes from Game of Thrones were shot at the Roman Bridge. I’ve not watched it so this fact was lost on me, but it’s not surprising that something so beautiful has been used for filming.

The best view of the bridge is definitely on the opposite side of the river from the centre of town, and that’s where I took the photo above. Walk across and look back at the city from outside the Torre De Calahorra, which you can also go up for views of the bridge – but I don’t think they’re as good as from the bottom of the tower, TBH. While you’re there, look out for lots of little wading birds poking about in the silt under the arches. I spotted a kingfisher while I was faffing about taking photos, too.

7. Find some of the interesting statues dotted around

I always enjoy a good old photo posing with a statue. Although Córdoba isn’t as good as Zagreb or Bratislava for quirky ones, it does have a few corkers.

My favourite is probably this bronze lass reading the paper outside Zara (Google Maps location). I did a bit of research and found that she’s quite a new one, arriving in 2016 to mark the 75th anniversary of the Diario Córdoba newspaper. Her lap is quite shiny from how many people have sat on her for a photo.

There’s also the aforementioned one of Ben Maimónides (Google Maps location), a local Jewish scholar, and a brilliant one of a woman watering some flower pots on the wall near the patios area, called La Regadora (the watering can) (Google Maps location).

8. Eat some traditional Córdoba food

As regular readers will know, Spanish food is very much not for me (and if you’re not a regular reader, you can read about my six-week Spanish food nightmare in my 2022 roundup). Despite the coast around Andalusia, the cuisine there continues to go heavy on the usual ham/white bread/oil/cheese, so there’s still little I can eat. If you do eat these things, though, you’ll probably like it.

Here are a few veggie things to try in Córdoba:

• Salmorejo – a traditional Córdoba tomato soup. It’s thick, creamy and served cold. Make sure you ask for it without chopped-up bits of ham on top. Sometimes you get a hard-boiled egg, though. Bonus.
• Ajoblanco – another cold soup made with garlic, almonds and bread. This is normally only on the menus in summer.
• Berenjenas con miel – deep-fried aubergine drizzled with molasses (or sometimes honey). It’s available at plenty of tapas bars and is usually the only thing I can eat. Luckily it’s really nice, albeit definitely the least healthy way to approach an aubergine!
• Alcachofas a la Montillana – artichokes cooked in local Montillana wine. This is delicious and not oily: probably my favourite local dish.
• Pastel cordobés – a sweet treat from Córdoba, a puff pastry tart filled with pumpkin/squash jam. 

You can also have the famous Andalusian breakfast. This isn’t a Córdoba-only thing: you can get it anywhere in Andalusia. But it’s one of the few traditional full meals that there’s a vegetarian version of (make sure there’s no ham added). It’s just toast with tomato paste, salt and (usually a bucketful of) olive oil. It’s not really what I want to eat in the morning, but I’d recommend trying it even just once. It is such an iconic Andalusian thing.

9. Enjoy the gardens at the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos

Alcázar de Los Reyes Cristianos, (Palace of the Christian Monarchs) is a 14th-century fort with terraced gardens. Don’t be put off by my underwhelming photo. I managed to visit during a week when the gardeners were planting up all the autumn/winter bedding plants, so it was all dug up and very much in a state of flux. If you’re there at any other time of year, it’s colourful and bursting with flowers. But even when I visited, it was still beautiful with all the ponds and orange trees. A lovely spot to wander through and enjoy the shade.

Inside the palace itself is less impressive than the gardens, TBH. But it’s worth going in to see some mosaics and the views across the city from the watchtowers. I love the view from the other side too, over the inner courtyard full of orange trees. The smell is amazing.

Tickets for the Alcázar cost 5€ and are available at the entrance. If you’re visiting in the busy season and want to skip any potential queue, there’s a guided tour for 18€. That would also be good for anyone interested in hearing about the history of the palace and gardens from a local.

Top tip: If you’re staying overnight in Córdoba, try to go to the Noches Mágicas en el Alcázar. It’s a light and water show in the Alcázar gardens. It’s very atmospheric and lasts an hour. You can buy tickets and find out the times at the entrance in the day.

10. Learn about Córdoba’s Jewish history at Casa de Sefarad

Casa de Sefarad is a small museum about the Jewish history of Córdoba. It’s set in a beautiful old building, very similar to Casa Andalusi (although not quite as magical, if I’m honest), with a patio surrounded by a series of rooms you can go into. They have exhibitions (with Engish translations) about the Spanish Inquisition, famous Córdoba Jews and domestic life (including food, clothes and music). 

Córdoba’s Jewish community was persecuted and eventually evicted during the Christian Monarchs’ period, erasing centuries of Jewish culture in Andalusia. The museum focuses on that lost culture and on the history of Sepharad, the Hebrew name for the Iberian Peninsula. It’s sensitively and interestingly done, and only takes about 30 minutes to walk around. It’s 4.5€ to enter.

11. Walk down pretty Calleja de las Flores – one of the best things to do in Córdoba for photographers

Calleja de las Flores is, without a doubt, the prettiest street in Córdoba. The narrow, archway-filled alleyway is lined with colourful blue flowerpots, overflowing with pelargoniums and dianthus. It perfectly frames a gorgeous view of the Mezquita.

I mean, just look at it. No wonder there’s often a queue of tourists waiting to get The Shot.

12. Eat and drink your way around Mercado Victoria

There aren’t very many European cities that don’t have their own hipster food hall these days. Córdoba’s is the light and airy Mercado Victoria, a nice spot to while away a few hours. It’s only small but there are plenty of different types of food on offer, from sushi to pasta, so it’s not just Spanish/Andalusian cuisine (which obviously makes me very happy!). There’s even a jacket potato stall, which was a new one on me.

The hall has a good atmosphere on a Friday night, when locals head there for drinks and food after work. Definitely get a glass of local sherry.

13. Explore the patios in the Palacio de Viana

Just when you thought you’d finished with patios, here’s the Palacio de Viana. This is a pretty 14th-century stately home with a whopping 12 patios to explore. Unsurprisingly, that’s the largest patio collection in Córdoba and is definitely worth seeing. I visited on a very dark and stormy day so didn’t get any good photos for you, so please take my word for it that the flowers are gorgeous. 

The palace itself is fairly interesting if you want to know about how Andalusian nobility lived. But if you’re more interested in seeing the gardens like I was, then I’d just buy the ticket for those rather than for the palace too. This costs 7€ as opposed to 11€ for the full shebang, and you still get to walk through a few rooms just to get outside anyway.

Check opening times on the official website.

14. Go through the Almodovar Gate

As you enter/leave the Jewish Quarter, you’ll walk through the landmark 14th-century gate, Puerta Almodovar.

From within the walls, it’s just an unexciting archway, but outside it’s quite beautiful. There’s a stretch of the city walls, complete with a former moat (now a pretty floral water feature). On the opposite side of the path, there are some whitewashed terraced houses, all with spectacular potted gardens outside their front doors.

Puerta Almodovar is the only city gate still standing, out of an original nine. Look out for the bronze statue of Córdoba’s local philosopher and playwright, Seneca the Younger. His gory and depressing Roman tragedies were said to have influenced Shakespeare, so he was doing pretty well for himself. The poor chap then met an untimely (you could say tragic) end when he was ordered to kill himself after his enemies said he was involved in a plot to kill Emperor Nero. Cheerful stuff.

15. Find the not-so-secret recipe on Calleja del Salmorejo

When I was researching things to do in Córdoba, I kept finding mentions of looking for the ‘secret alleyway’, Calleja del Salmorejo. Well, having stumbled across it on the first walk I had around the city, even without looking for it, I don’t think it’s exactly hidden. And with the number of mentions of it online, it’s definitely not much of a secret. However, it is an interesting spot and worth keeping an eye out for.

Calleja del Salmorejo (Google Maps link) has the ‘official’ recipe for Salmorejo painted on some tiles on the wall. Salmorejo is, if you remember from the food section I wrote further up this guide, the famous cold tomato soup of Córdoba.

If you want to have a go at doing the soup yourself, the recipe is dead simple. Whoever did the tiles didn’t even introduce it with a long and rambling story about its history and the first time they tried it, so they’re clearly never going to make it as a recipe blogger. Here it is:

• 1kg of tomatoes
• 200g of bread
• 100g of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic
• 10g of salt
• Blend all together and top with a chopped egg… and Iberian ham (or not).

Interestingly, this traditional recipe doesn’t include any vinegar, while most chefs say they do add a tablespoon of that. And it doesn’t mention that the bread should be going off (as in dry, not mouldy). Bon appetite.

16. Treat yourself to some Córdoba souvenirs 

There are quite a few little independent shops where you can buy ceramics, fans, nougat, olive oil, wine and various other bits and bobs that are typical of Córdoba or Andalusia.

Here are a few I like, with their Google Maps locations linked:

• Ostin Macho – for art prints, books, cards, tote bags and all that jazz; my favourite shop in Córdoba by far. This is exactly the kind of shop I can’t walk past without going in, no matter where in the world I am.
• M&M Joyeria – there are a lot of jewellery shops in Córdoba, but most of them are unaffordable for normal people. This one is lovely and has much more delicate, on-trend and affordable jewellery. The earrings are especially chic.
• LUQUE Gastrotienda – for lovely hand-painted ceramics as well as all sorts of foodie treats (their olive oil is the thing to take home).
• Sabor a España – for delicious artisan sweets, including their popular caramel grapes.

17. Squeeze through Calleja Pañuelo

Another interesting alley in Córdoba nearby is Calleja Pañuelo (pañuelo meaning ‘handkerchief’).

This is the narrowest street in the city, said to be the width of a lady’s handkerchief at its narrowest points. I don’t know any ladies who use handkerchiefs, so I’m not sure how wide that should be but it’s rather narrow (apparently bigger than your average Kleenex, though). 

It used to be wider but between Roman and Moorish rule, the city was in chaos and there was no local council to approve any planning permissions. Locals all went wild extending their houses willy-nilly, and Córdoba ended up losing what should be public space. While it must have been an urban planning nightmare, it has made for some nice quirky little features like this.

18. Go to Martina Cake for some sweet treats

Martina Cakes is my favourite late afternoon spot for a cup of tea and a cake in Córdoba. Oh, and a milkshake.

I allow myself one milkshake per year (otherwise I’d be out of control) and my 2022 one was here. It was a solid 10/10 and one of the best I’ve ever had. Their Lotus Biscoff cheesecake is also unbelievable.

As well as brilliant homemade cakes and milkshakes, this café is also one of the few places in the city that does a good cup of tea in a proper mug. It’s also really pretty inside, and all the food is presented well. I kept meaning to go back for breakfast or lunch as their savoury food looked great too (avocado on artisan bread etc). There isn’t really anywhere else like this in Córdoba, and I highly recommend it.

19. Look out for beautiful tiles outside pharmacies

There are pretty tiles all over the city: some of them depicting interesting stuff like the soup recipe, others showing gardeners tending to their patios. There are also beautifully tiled signs for restaurants (Salon de Te has a lovely one).

Some of the most striking, though, are outside a few of the pharmacies. Near the patios area, there are tiles advertising Farmacia Beatriz Ortega Montes, showing a pharmacist using a pestle and mortar on her counter. And just by the Alcazar, look out for the impressive Islamic-style tiles decorating the facade of Farmacia Botica (Google Maps location). That’s the best one.

20. Craft beers at CEPA Craftbeer & Wine

Spain isn’t really known for its craft beer scene. Having travelled the length and breadth of the country over six weeks recently, I did find a few craft beer bars but nowhere near the level of other popular European countries, other than in the capital of Madrid. So I wasn’t expecting Córdoba to have somewhere as impressive as CEPA Craftbeer & Wine.

This lovely little craft beer bar has a great selection of Spanish and European beer. I had the nicest craft beer I tried in Spain here (a sour from Basqueland Brewing, if you’re interested). CEPA even has cans from my all-time favourite brewery, The Garden Brewery in Zagreb. Definitely recommend. Oh and if you’re not drinking, they do craft sodas in interesting flavours too.

21. Find the Roman Temple

Near Palacio de Corredera (where the town hall is), you’ll find Córdoba’s small Roman Temple ruins (Google Maps link). There’s not much to see, but if you’re walking around the city then you may as well go past it and have a look.

At the moment, it’s all fenced off and not restored much, beyond the columns being mounted. Some finds from the site are on display at the Archaeological Museum, but that’s about it. I think they could do a lot more with it, so if anyone knows of any plans to open it to the public, do leave a comment.

Look out for the nearby statue of Claudio Marcelo, the founder of Córdoba.

22. Do some day trips from Córdoba by train

Although many people only do Córdoba as a day trip, there’s no reason you can’t base yourself there and do day trips from it. I often opt to stay somewhere smaller and quieter (and cheaper!) so that I can do the more popular places as day trips.

Here are the three obvious ones that are easily done by train from Córdoba’s railway station:

• Seville – around 50 minutes; the obvious and easiest day trip. Seville is well known for its grand architecture, tiles and oranges.
• Malaga – around 1 hour; and I have a guide to Malaga coming soon. I’ll pop the link in here once it’s done, or you can sign up for email alerts from my homepage. Malaga is a bit of an underrated city break in Spain.
• Granada – 1 hour 45 minutes; this is just on the edge of what’s acceptable for a day trip, IMO. Visitors to Andalusia flock here for the famous Alhambra, an incredibly impressive Moorish palace.

What not to do in Córdoba, Spain

I thought I’d better stop at 22 things to do in Córdoba, or we’ll be here all day. Hopefully it’s been a helpful guide for anyone planning a visit.

I just wanted to slot in three things I wouldn’t recommend at the end. 

• The Caballerizas Reales de Córdoba (Royal Stables) – Unfortunately, this was quite an upsetting and disappointing experience for me. I’m a lifelong equestrian/horse owner and I’m really into dressage and classical riding, so I went to go and see a performance here. It’s meant to be classical like the Spanish Riding School of Vienna or the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art, both of which I LOVE. Sadly, it was the opposite. During the evening performance, one ‘rider’ spurred his poor Andalusian so much that she was bleeding from both flanks. I also went to see the morning training and he was there yanking a horse’s mouth out in the manege…. it was like he’d never used a double bridle before. Some of the other riders were much better, but there were too many riding in extreme hyperflexion (rollkur) and too many tense, swishy horses. Grim.
• Going up the Calahorra Tower – By all means, go into this small museum if you want to. But I didn’t think that the view from up the tower was any better than the view from the end of the bridge. If you’re short on time, this wouldn’t be a must-do for me.
• Only visiting for a day trip – Like I’ve said a few times in this guide, it would be a shame to only see Córdoba when it’s full of other day trippers and tour buses. The city is so atmospheric at night, and there’s definitely enough to see over a few days.

Things to do in Córdoba, Spain – useful information for your trip

Where to stay in Córdoba

Even if you only have one night/day in Córdoba, you’ll want somewhere good to stay. There are plenty of options, many of which I trawled through before my visit recently.

All of these are nice and central. Prices are correct at the time of writing.

• La Cúpula de Gran Capitán – I always stay in apartments when I’m in Spain as I like to do self-catering (and avoid the food issues!); it’s also nice to have your own space and not be tied to breakfast times. This is where I stayed during my November visit for over a week and it was PERFECT. Well-equipped kitchen, great shower, decorated beautifully. It’s about 115€ a night. Look how gorgeous it is in the photos below, too.
• Hospedería Baños Arabes de Córdoba Dos – If you prefer hotels, this lovely spa hotel is only 85€ a night. You get a lovely double room and two hours of free spa access. Bargainous,
• Hotel Boutique Suite Generis – I thought I’d pop this seriously swanky hotel in for anyone looking to treat themselves. If you want to splash out, it’s about 195€ a night. But it looks proper stylish!

How to get around Córdoba

Córdoba is very walkable as it’s small and flat. You only need the train for day trips out of the city, and the railway station to the centre is only a short walk if that’s how you’re arriving. No need for taxis here!

When to go to Córdoba

The obvious answer here is to visit in early May for the wonderful Fiesta de Los Patios, as mentioned earlier. However, do bear in mind that this is when everyone else wants to visit, too. I’d recommend planning a tactical visit for late April, when the patios look great but the crowds haven’t yet descended. I actually visited Córdoba in November, probably one of the worst months for the flowers. But the weather was spot on (about 18 to 20°) and it wasn’t busy at all. Like all of Europe, it’s best to avoid the extreme heat and children in the height of summer (July/August) if you can.

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