Stephanie and I traveled to Córdoba by train. It was about 1 hour and 20 minutes from Sevilla Santa Justa to Córdoba Central on Renfe. We got nervous in Seville as the platform for our train was still not posted 30 minutes prior to departure. As this was our first train trip in Spain, worst case scenarios went through our heads. If our train was merely delayed, would we figure it out? What if we got stuck in line during ticket checks and luggage scans? How much advance time do we need to get from the concourse to the platform? If we manage to miss the train, what then?
Finally our train’s platform was posted on the board. With 15 minutes until departure we rushed to platform seven. It took us, conservatively, two minutes to get there. No one was checking tickets on the platform (our train tickets were checked during the ride) and the luggage scanning station was closed (not sure why). Boarding was a breeze. We hopped on, stowed our luggage, found our assigned seats, and enjoyed the ride. Crisis averted.
A short taxi ride in Córdoba took us to our Airbnb in the Fray Albino neighborhood, directly across the river from the old town and outside the tourist zone. We were an easy five minute walk from the Puente Romano, a pedestrian bridge that leads from the Torre de Calahorra directly to La Mezquita. Five minutes the other direction is a nice and good sized grocery store.
Fray Albino is a safe and quiet area – except for one night when a parade was held at about 11:00 PM. Our Airbnb host was apologetic for not letting us know in advance. Apparently the parade was for La Virgen de los Dolores y del Rayo (part of the Festival of the Virgins of Sorrows and Lightning). A local marching band paraded down our street and directly under our second floor balcony twice in an hour. The street was lined with local families. It was quite a surprise – particularly the return parade at about 11:45 PM after we thought the festivities were over – but we enjoyed it.
Córdoba is exceptionally proud of its Muslim, Christian, and Jewish heritage. In addition to La Mezquita-Catedral, no visit to Córdoba is complete without also visiting the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos and the Sinagoga de Córdoba.
Built in the early 1300s, the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos is constructed primarily in the Mudéjar architectural style. Over time it has served as a fortress, royal residence, and prison. A timed entry slot, reserved online, is necessary to visit the Alcázar. The trick is that this requirement is not at all obvious. I completely missed it when researching our trip.
The Alcázar’s website is not great (https://alcazardelosreyescristianos.cordoba.es//?id=3). First click on the link to the Museum Website near the top. That is a start in the right direction towards finding the elusive online reservation system. At the end of that page, click on a link to open a specific pdf document. In the middle of the pdf, in Spanish, is yet another link. This takes you to an entirely different city website for reservations. There you reserve a spot, but do not actually buy a ticket. An email is sent confirming that you reserved a timed entry. That’s it, just an email.
Fortunately I realized this necessity a day or two before we left Seville after reading recent online reviews of the Alcázar. After all was said and done, I think Stephanie and I ended up with a couple of different reservations. Not fully understanding the process, or believing that what I did was correct, I did it a few times to be certain.
Upon arriving at the Alcázar on our first morning in Córdoba, we got in line for entry – or so I thought. Actually we were in a line of phone wielding tourists trying to figure out how to reserve a timed entry on the spot. Outside the Alcázar are several stands with instructions, in Spanish, on how to obtain a timed entry. An employee was directing many surprised, frustrated, and puzzled tourists to these stands. I have no idea why a timed entry is necessary as it was not busy. Perhaps it was more crowded earlier in the summer.
The Alcázar employee was pleasantly surprised that a couple of Americans had timed reservations. After showing our confirmation email, we were allowed to pass through the rope, directed to the ticket window, paid 5€ each, and went inside for the self-guided tour.
Tourist access to the Alcázar’s buildings is limited to a few rooms, and none of the towers. The inside portion of the tour was very short and mildly disappointing. We were definitely left with the feeling of “that’s it?” Just being allowed to go up to the top of one tower would have made the inside portion of the tour so much better, but it was not to be.
The majority of our time was spent outside in the gardens, Jardines del Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos. There are several levels of gardens with different types of trees, plants, and flowers typical of Arab gardens. A large statue of King Ferdinand, Queen Isabella, and Christopher Columbus is prominently displayed. The central focus of the gardens is several large pools and fountains. We visited in mid-September, not long after a week-long heat wave in August. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the plants and flowers looked. I’m sure it would be spectacular in the spring. The beauty of the gardens made up for the earlier disappointment of the building tour.
The Alcázar’s pools and fountains are very popular with the Instagram crowd. A lot of selfies were being taken. One couple spent at least 10 minutes each at several different places around the fountains taking photographs. First photos of her, in many different poses. Then several photos of him. Sitting, standing, front, back, side profile, gesturing, and so on. Then more photos of her trying something different. At first it was comical watching the poses, but the utter lack of awareness of other visitors was stunning. Just take a few photos and move on, please.
Overall we enjoyed our visit to Córdoba’s Alcázar, but it is much smaller and rather plain compared to the Real Alcázar de Sevilla.
The Sinagoga de Córdoba (https://www.turismodecordoba.org/synagogue), built in 1315, is very old, small, and nice to visit for about five minutes. We stopped by after our visit to the Alcázar. Entry is through a plain door on a very narrow cobblestone street. You step into a tiny courtyard, walk though a small entry room, and then are in the prayer hall (comparatively large at 21 x 23 feet). It is thought to have been built as a private synagogue given its size. A stop at the Sinagoga can easily be accomplished when wondering around the old town.
For the last 100 years Córdoba has held a Fiesta de los Patios each May. It’s a courtyard of the year contest for bragging rights. Courtyards are lavishly decorated with pots of flowers, vines, and fountains. It is a very popular festival with the locals and tourists alike. Brochures and maps highlight the winners and their location. Because the courtyards are privately owned, only some are open to tourists after the festival concludes. We did our best to visit a few. I wish we could have seen the patios at festival time.
While walking around town Sunday morning we came across the Museo Arqueológico . This is one of several places identified as a “might go to” if we felt like it. Since the opportunity presented itself, we stopped in for a visit, which was free.
It is a great museum, highlighting Córdoba’s Roman and Islamic history. The items on display are what you would expect, such as statues (typically missing heads and/or limbs), columns, a sarcophagus, tablets, mosaic tiles, as well as everyday items. The display plaques are in Spanish and English, which is a huge help. A reasonable number of items are on display, more quality over quantity. Under the main floor is an ongoing excavation of a Roman theater. Larger statues are on display in an outdoor courtyard. It is definitely worth seeing if you are in Córdoba for a few days (http://www.museosdeandalucia.es/web/museoarqueologicodecordoba).
We spent four full days in Córdoba, which was the right amount of time to see the major tourist sites and the old city center. Our next stop is a week in Granada and the most anticipated visit of our trip, La Alhambra.
If you have not already done so, click on our Travel Blog (top right of the page) for links to other posts about our trip to Spain. Thanks for reading.
Garrett and Stephanie
