Where to stay in Córdoba

Córdoba, or sometimes Cordova, is a city in Andalusia, Spain, and the capital of the province of Córdoba. With a population of 324,902 as of 2024, it is the 12th-largest city in Spain and the 3rd-largest in Andalusia.

Very few places in the world can boast of having been the capital of a Roman province (Hispania Ulterior), the capital of an Arab State (Al-Andalus) and a Caliphate. Such splendor is palpable in the intellectual wealth of this city, that has seen the birth of figures like Seneca, Averroes, and Maimonides. Córdoba also has much to offer in terms of art, culture and leisure, thanks to a myriad of cultural events that are organized here throughout the year: Flamenco festivals, concerts, ballet and other activities. These events are complemented by a number of museums and a good nightlife scene.

Getting in

In Southern Spain (Andalusia) you usually get a better price using Blablacar than travelling by train or intercity bus. RENFE, Spain's high-speed rail network, offers a very fast and comfortable train service to Córdoba. From Madrid Atocha trains run hourly, most continuing to Sevilla (45 min), some to Malaga (50 min), Cadiz or Algeciras (for Morocco). Two of the Madrid services originate in Barcelona, taking about five hours via Zaragoza. As the trains are so fast and journey times are short, they only run day-time.

Getting around

Just about everything of interest in Córdoba is within easy walking distance (the one notable exception being the Medina Azahara), and the typical tourist can do with the standard tourist map which can be obtained from the tourist offices (one on the east side of the Mezquita, another between the Alcázar and the city walls, and yet another in the train station, to name a few). The area with by far the most to see is the Old City surrounding the Mezquita.

Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.