Your Guide to the Patios Festival of Córdoba: A Floral Fiesta

Los Patios de Córdoba

Going to Spain on holiday but don’t know the language? Wanting to know just enough Spanish to use on your holiday without having to learn the grammar and tons of pointless vocabulary and phrases? (‘La niña come manzanas‘ on DuoLingo, anyone?)

Download my simple, colourful and helpful guide to holiday Spanish which will give you exactly the word and brief phrases you will need for chatting with the locals in Spain here!

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(Every May)

Forming a main part of the famous mayo cordobés, the patios festival is one of the top two tourist pulls to this city along with the Mezquita.

In fact, hotels and Air B&Bs book up for the whole week, months in advance so you have to get in there and book quickly! Prices skyrocket too. A good way of seeing the patios festival without being stung on extortionate accommodation prices would be to stay somewhere else such as Seville or Málaga (both only an hour and a half drive away) and travel to Córdoba for the day to see the patios.

Los Patios de Córdoba is a UNESCO Intangible World Heritage festival and is emblematic of this floral city. One thing I associate with Córdoba immediately whenever I think of it is flowers and plants, from the wild jasmine that crawls the street walls, to orange trees that line the roadsides, to the blue plant pots stuck mounted on walls all around, usually illed with geraniums. There is even an alley called La Calleja de las Flores which is lined with said blue plant pots, leading to a view of the Mezquita.

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The Mezquita of Córdoba: A Symbol of Islamic Architecture and Spanish History

“The Mezquita epitomises this influence in the city, serving as a constant palpable reminder of its days as a mega powerful Caliphate when Córdoba was known in Arabic as Qurtuba, in the region of al-Andalus.”

Going to Spain on holiday but don’t know the language? Wanting to know just enough Spanish to use on your holiday without having to learn the grammar and tons of pointless vocabulary and phrases? (‘La niña come manzanas‘ on DuoLingo, anyone?)

Download my simple, colourful and helpful guide to holiday Spanish which will give you exactly the word and brief phrases you will need for chatting with the locals in Spain here!

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There are plenty of articles and blog posts on the internet about the Mezquita already.

I can’t provide new information on it as such as it has all been said before, however I am hoping to tell you here just why it is so amazing and unique and the effect it has with every visit or just simply passing by it.

No trip to Córdoba would be complete without a trip to the Mezquita!

There is no way I can write a blog on Andalucía, being a former resident of Córdoba, and not write about this monumental, awe-inspiring site…

Continue reading “The Mezquita of Córdoba: A Symbol of Islamic Architecture and Spanish History”

Exploring La Ribera and the Roman Bridge in Córdoba, Spain

Going to Spain on holiday but don’t know the language? Wanting to know just enough Spanish to use on your holiday without having to learn the grammar and tons of pointless vocabulary and phrases? (‘La niña come manzanas‘ on DuoLingo, anyone?)

Download my simple, colourful and helpful guide to holiday Spanish which will give you exactly the word and brief phrases you will need for chatting with the locals in Spain here!

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La Ribera means riverbank, similar to riviera in French.

When you search Córdoba, Spain, on Google, the Guadalquivir riverside and its famous UNESCO Roman bridge and Mezquita dominate most of the images and for good reason too.

It is the heart of Córdoba and is a spectacularly beautiful site which never gets old or boring to me. It looks pleasant on photos but no justice is done compared to actually being there and taking it in with your own eyes. The sound of the river streaming past with bats swirling overhead and the sunset behind the Mezquita makes for a truly stunning setting.

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Yoga Retreat with Lumiere Zen Garden Yoga in the Sierra de Córdoba

Going to Spain on holiday but don’t know the language? Wanting to know just enough Spanish to use on your holiday without having to learn the grammar and tons of pointless vocabulary and phrases? (‘La niña come manzanas‘ on DuoLingo, anyone?)

Download my simple, colourful and helpful guide to holiday Spanish which will give you exactly the word and brief phrases you will need for chatting with the locals in Spain here!

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The Sierra Morena, the hills of Córdoba, offer another perspective to the visitor or resident. It is a rough, brushy and seemingly uninhabitable zone which I am still yet to fully acquaint myself with but there is actually  a lot more to it than meets the eye.

Most locals tend to visit the Sierra for bike-riding or for the beloved Spanish tradition of the perol (cooking a big pan of rice to be shared with the family or a large group of friends) and I have experienced the joy of this several times myself.

So when I saw that my yoga teacher Ángela (Lumiere Zen Garden) was organising a weekend retreat in the Sierra de Córdoba, I messaged her immediately and booked myself on.

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Exploring La Judería: Córdoba’s Old Town Jewish Neighbourhood

Going to Spain on holiday but don’t know the language? Wanting to know just enough Spanish to use on your holiday without having to learn the grammar and tons of pointless vocabulary and phrases? (‘La niña come manzanas‘ on DuoLingo, anyone?)

Download my simple, colourful and helpful guide to holiday Spanish which will give you exactly the word and brief phrases you will need for chatting with the locals in Spain here!

1

Córdoba isn’t one of the most famous cities in Andalucía and is often unfairly overlooked.

However, UNESCO hasn’t overlooked Córdoba as its centre is recognised as a World Heritage Site, along with the recently awarded Medina Azahara, 20 minutes out of the city.

UNESCO recognises Córdoba’s Historic Centre as its Mezquita, Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos, Roman Bridge and Calahorra Tower and the streets all around the district of the Mezquita.

This area is known as La Judería which means the Jewish Quarter.

Continue reading “Exploring La Judería: Córdoba’s Old Town Jewish Neighbourhood”