About Córdoba
Córdoba was the largest city in Western Europe a thousand years ago, and the Mezquita-Catedral still carries that scale: 856 columns of red and white arches with a Renaissance cathedral built inside them. The Judería's whitewashed lanes lead to the Roman bridge and the Calahorra tower, and every May the city opens its private patios for the Festival de los Patios, a UNESCO-listed competition of geraniums and courtyards. It sits 190 km north-west of Málaga airport.
Top attractions
Mezquita-Catedral and its forest of arches
The Judería and Calleja de las Flores
Roman bridge and Calahorra tower at dusk
Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos gardens
Medina Azahara, the ruined caliphal city 8 km west
Travel tips
- The Mezquita is free to enter early on weekday mornings, before the ticketed hours begin.
- May is patio season and hotel prices double — book everything, including transfers, well ahead.
- Summer in Córdoba is the hottest in Spain; visit Medina Azahara first thing.
