We hired a private guide to take us through this amazing palace, used by the "Catholic Kings" aka…read moreFerdinand and Isabella, for planning the final stages of the Reconquest to drive the Moors (Muslims) out of Spain after 700 years. The palace is a mixture of Christian and moorish styles and contains many beautiful sites including the gardens, spa, throne room, and castle walls. They are also adding more archeological items including ancient Roman mosaics and other artifacts to the building. We spent a little more than an hour touring with our guide but you could easily spend hours here roaming around marveling at the amazing architecture. A must visit location.

Castle of the Christian monarchs was a castle and a fortress, but you can see that while still…read moreoutside the tall thick walls. Our visit was during Covid summer of 2021, right when the Spain was opening, so we didn't get to see the inside, but outside was beautiful, clean..and pretty empty. If I ever return to Cordoba, I would love to visit Alcazar de Los Reyes Christianos.

I bought our tickets the night before and got the first available time slot which was right at…read moreopening. We also queued up on the left side of the entrance for online ticket holders. We were the first ones in the door and for a short time able to take photos without anyone else around us. Honestly even after spending more than an hour exploring we never experienced any crowds that weekday in January. Overall impression was blown away with the way in which the mosque was integrated into a Catholic Church. Much of the moorish features (especially the very recognizable red and white arches everywhere) and the Mihrab were retained. Beautiful. A variety of western styles (Gothic or Renaissance) were used to build out the church choir, chapel, etc. The minaret, now bell tower, was a separate admission but we decided to skip the climb. I recall there was a limited number of tickets at each time slot so buy it in advance if you want to climb up. Definitely one of the highlights while visiting Cordoba.

Beautiful UNESCO World Heritage site. The mosque was built fist and then a cathedral was built…read moreinside of it. The only place in the world where a mosque and a cathedral are coexisting with architecture of both open to any visitor. In the 13th century, under Ferdinand III, the Saint, Cordoba's Great Mosque was turned into a cathedral and new defensive structures, particularly the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos and the Torre Fortaleza de la Calahorra, were erected. There's a ticket fee to get in, but from Monday-Saturdays, you can get in for FREE between 8:30a-9:20am. A great way to see this marvel for free.

The place where this square is located today is believed to have once occupied part of the Roman…read moreCircus. Archaeological interventions have rescued, from this period, some fabulous mosaics, exhibited in the Alcázar of the Christian Monarchs. It was formerly used as a bullring, and still preserves an alley called Toril today....Toril comes from the Spanish root Toro, which means bull. Besides the historical nature of the Plaza, today you can enjoy a wide range of cafes and cocktail bars, a lively market and some cute shops.

The sheer number of culinary options available in Córdoba's own plaza mayor is enough to have you…read morecome by, sit down at a table of your choosing and enjoy an afternoon or evening with friends over beers and various tapas. Aside from the obvious beauty of Corredera, the broad expanse of space that can be filled with locals starting from the early evenings up until midnight and beyond (you know how Spaniards work their schedule) is telling of this area's popularity. When in Córdoba, make sure to come here; it's likely you'll pass by the Roman Temple's remains, encounter some neat bars touting themes from jazz to casual, and feel like rewarding yourself for making it to a historically rich, gorgeous city like Córdoba with some touristy sangria. Hey, let's be real: Sangria is rarely consumed by the average Spaniard! It's more of a tourist/foreigner beverage, sorry to break it to you. But I'm sure the Spaniards are proud of their sangria - but nowhere near how proud they are of their more fundamental delicacies, like jamón. Make sure to take opportunities to sample as many different tapas as possible; Spanish cuisine has much more to offer than what first meets the eye.

the puerta del puente translates to the "gate of the bridge." this renaissance-era gate stands at…read morethe foot of the roman bridge in cordoba. it has a square passageway for visitors to walk through, with dual columns on either side of the central walkway. this magnificent landmark bears historical significance as it united to the city to the roman bridge. included in our bus and walking tours, we felt that this was a great place to take photos that would allow us to remember our visit to cordoba for years to come.

If you love wandering, exploring, and feeling like you are in another world, then Palacio Viana…read morewill make a great visit. Their courtyards, each different, are like venturing through different secret gardens. Some have pools, orange trees, fountains... Get lost in each one. Smell the flowers, appreciate the architecture, walk through the garden mazes. Its endless beauty.

We walked across the Puente Romano to visit the tower and museum inside. While the Roman bridge…read morewas the oldest from the 1st century BC, the tower was built in the 1300s to defend it and the city. The museum inside was intended to show life and culture of Al-Andalus time period. Admission included an audio guide that would start automatically when nearby the marked exhibits. However, the quality and caliber of these exhibits were dated and didn't keep us engaged through all of the 8 rooms. The best feature of the tower was the views from the top looking back across the bridge to the Mezquita and the rest of Cordoba. We got lucky as it was the only sunny day when we climbed up so views were quite nice and clear. Overall save your Euros and just visit the Torre from the outside. If you want an elevated view of Cordoba then the climb up the tower in the Mezquita would be a pricier but likelier better alternative.

Go all the way to the roof and enjoy the view. A worthwhile visit…read more Numerous interesting and detailed dioramas. Very educational. Check out the door the WC. €6 for 2

Always nice to see a 2,000 year-old temple smack dab in the middle of modern streets, restaurants…read moreand so forth. The temple is surrounded by a high metal fence, so you can't actually enter the space, but we enjoyed contemplating it and taking some photos from the sidewalk. On the bright side, the fence does protect the temple from getting covered in trash or graffiti. And allows the cats who make it their home to roam there in peace.

It's sort of nice to walk out onto the bridge and then look back at the city of Cordoba…read more Also sort of nice to look out onto the (silted-up) river that has become more like a marsh now and try to imagine what it must have been like in ancient times when there was still a navigable river here. But as Rick Steves says in his book, the most recent renovation to the bridge (the pedestrian part up top) looks cheap. And the foundations may be ancient (1st century C.E.) but the arches are actually 16th Century (ergo not that Roman). There is a little observation deck toward the middle of the bridge where you can step out of the stream of pedestrian traffic to take some photos. Unfortunately, it reeks of piss.

this bridge sits smack center in the city of cordoba and allows pedestrians to walk across the…read moreguadalquivir river. having done some reading about this bridge, i discovered that it is quite possibly one of the oldest bridges in espana (and possibly europe?) as it was built by the romans (hence called the roman bridge) in the first century b.c...approximately 2100 years ago! what a feeling it was to cross this piece of history! twenty-one centuries is a long time for a bridge to stay erect, and sturdy enough to carry the hundreds of thousands of visitors each day, so naturally, i was not surprised to read that it has undergone restoration and renovation many times over the years. in the present day, it is a magnificent piece of architecture to admire, and we ensured that we took many photos from afar so that we could capture the fullness of its grandeur. this bridge connects the calahorra tower (southern entrance) and the puerta del puente (northern entrance), so you can easily spend an hour or two visiting these three historic sites. and unlike bridges in my hometown (the san francisco bay area), crossing this bridge is free of charge!

this statue is a tribute to the archangel rafael, the guardian of the city of cordoba. a replica…read moreof san rafael stands high atop this slender monument, overlooking the entire city. although you cannot actually enter this monument, it sits in a medium-sized plaza where you can walk around, admire the statue, take photos, or sit and have a snack. there is a small fountain adjacent to this statue, and together, they make for a nice photo backdrop. there is no admission fee to visit this landmark and it is conveniently located near both the mezquita and the royal alcazar.