Guide to the Patios Festival of Córdoba

Los Patios de Córdoba

(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

“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.”

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…

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Along La Ribera and the Roman Bridge in Córdoba

 

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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My Experience at Choco- one of Córdoba’s Michelin Star Restaurants

Choco

Calle Compositor Serrano Lucena, 14, 14010

I was very fortunate to receive the wonderful gift of dinner at Choco for my 30th birthday, from my brother and sister.

Choco is one of Córdoba’s current three Michelin star restaurants (quite impressive for a relatively small city of 300,000 people). The head chef and creator is Kisko García, a native Córdobes who was awarded his Michelin star in 2012.

The mission of Choco is to take diners on a culinary tour of Andalucía of the five senses which he researched personally on a detailed tour throughout the region, discovering the herbs, vegetables, fruits, meats and dairy grown, made and used in homes and restaurants across the land.

All products are locally sourced with a vast selection of good wines- I was even surprised to see local Córdobes red wines which I didn’t know were produced here. (This information is taken and translated from his website at www.restaurantechoco.es )

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Yoga Retreat in the Sierra de Córdoba

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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