Cordoba Deserves Days (Not Hours)

Cordoba is worth more time than most people give it. At least a night. We stayed three. We loved it. The city is much more than the magnificent must-see mind-blowing Mezquita.

In many guidebooks, Cordoba is noted as an important stop, but not a place to linger. If you’re pressed for time, travelers are advised to visit Cordoba as a day trip: Take the train from Seville, for instance, then spend your morning at the Mezquita, explore the Jewish quarter in the afternoon, stop by some of Cordoba’s famous patios—and head back to home base.

I suppose you can do all that in a day, but WHY? It doesn’t do justice to this wonderful, historic city.

Cordoba was the middle stop on our Andalusian adventure, in between Granada and Seville. Not a pit stop. A real visit. Smaller than the other cities, Cordoba rivals them in historic importance. In the 10th century, it was the second largest city in Europe and a leading center of culture, learning and finance.

Cordoba's Mosque-Cathedral (aka Mezquita, which means mosque in Spanish) is the city’s great marvel. The massive structure was built as the Great Mosque of Cordoba in the 8th century and expanded over the next two hundred years. In the 1300s, Christians conquered Cordoba and repurposed the mosque into a cathedral. In the 1500s, they actually erected a Renaissance cathedral in the center of the structure.

This bizarre combination of a towering cathedral in the middle of an ancient mosque is one of the most fascinating places I have ever been. The Mezquita is awe-inspiring, thought-provoking, humbling—and without question worth several hours of your day.  

Epic Sights, Small Delights

As much as the Mezquita blew our minds, our Airbnb rental, a ten minute walk away, warmed our hearts. Much of the joy of our Cordoba stay came from this little apartment on Juramento Street—a tiny block, off the beaten path—with an awesome deck that ran the full length of the place. 

This deck was a dream—with dozens of potted cacti and succulents, a couple chaise lounge chairs, an outdoor shower—and a killer view across neighboring rooftops. Mornings were lovely up there. In the afternoon, my daughter sunbathed as the temperature neared 90 degrees (in early April). We had dinner on the deck one evening. There were churches in either direction down the street. I loved hearing those bells ring every hour.

Our experience in that apartment—stopping at the little produce market around the corner, spending time together here—was just as meaningful as our visit to the Mezquita. The epic sites are absolute musts, of course, but simply living life in another city a few days is equally important. The extra time built into our Cordoba stay allowed for the unplanned and the unexpected, where the true magic of travel occurs.

My daughter and I rented bikes one afternoon on a whim, for instance. We rode across the Roman bridge to the other side of town—away from the tourist crowds—and got a nice look at local Cordoba life. We cycled down side streets lined with orange trees, made random turns whenever the spirit moved us—no map in hand, just winging it. Back on our side of the bridge, we rode along the river, then stopped at a waterfront cafe for a great lunch, al fresco.

What wonderful memories. Some of the best of this trip. Thankfully we took our time in Cordoba and had time to be spontaneous and surprised.

I wouldn’t have it any other way.