A day trip to Córdoba

Córdoba is another city in the Andalusia region of Spain. Like all of the cities in the Andalusia region, the city was once a major Islamic centre with many influences still present today. The main attraction in Córdoba, La Mezquita, was once a mosque dating from 784AD, which was turned into a Catholic church in 1236.

1. La Mezquita, 2. Calleja de las Flores, 3. Roman Bridge of Córdoba, 4. Archway into Córdoba,

Córdoba is also famous for its Patio Festival: an annual festival that sees the town residents open their inner courtyards to judge whose flower patio is the most beautiful. The contest is held the first two weeks of May with judging and prizes awarded at the end of the month.

I visited Spain at the end of June, and the flowers were still visible, but not as vibrant as I had seen in photos from May. If you’re a flower lover I definitely recommend planning your trip around this time to see the flowers in full bloom. I know I will come back one year to properly see the Patio Festival, as I love flowers.

Along with the patios, some streets through the old town are lined with wall-hung pot plants that are beautiful to see. The prettiest street I came across was Calleja de las Flores. To get my favourite shot, I walked up to the end of the street then looked back through, with the church poking through the two walls of the street.

5. Church in Córdoba, 6. Courtyard house with flower pots, 7. La Mezquita, 8. Church,

Another tip I have regarding Córdoba, and the Andalusia region in general, is that by the middle of June the weather was already unbearable. I visited on a 42ºC day and it just limited the amount of things I could or wanted to do, which was a shame because the city was beautiful!

In order to try and combat this, my parents and I went on the Hop On Hop Off bus, which I have never done before because we normally just walk around the cities, take walking tours or a necessary bus or train. However, considering the heat this made a huge difference to the day. The package included an audio guide on the bus, a smaller bus through the old town, a free 1 hour walking tour, and the bus picked you up and dropped you off from the train station which we took to and from Seville. This cost 18€ per person. If you were visiting during a cooler time of year, I wouldn’t say it was necessary as the city was quite small, so you could easily walk it in a day. However, due to my own circumstances, I definitely recommend the bus.

9. Intricate details around town, 10. One of many courtyards in the city, 11. Pretty house,

There are many other things to do here, and you could easily stay over night and spend two days here. I just did not have the physical energy to run around and do them all. But here is a list of “must-dos” I haven’t yet spoken about when planning your trip for Córdoba:

• Visit the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos
• Walk the Roman bridge of Córdoba
• Step back in time in the Palacio de Viana
• Reminisce over the remains of the Roman Temple

12. Remains of the Roman Temple, 13. La Mezquita

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