Mezquita before 09:30, the Alcázar on a Thursday
Everything below except Medina Azahara is inside the walls, within a twenty-minute walk of Paseo de la Victoria. Leave the car where it is.
1. Enter the Mezquita free before 09:30
The Mezquita-Catedral is free Monday to Saturday 08:30–09:30, entry closing at 09:20. Otherwise it's €15 from 1 April 2026. I'd take the free hour and skip the queue.
2. Climb the bell tower for €4
The bell tower costs €4, priced separately from the main visit. I'd do it for the view over the Patio de los Naranjos.
3. Visit the Alcázar on a Thursday afternoon
The Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos is €7, and free on non-holiday Thursdays during the last two hours. That's the best value in the city.
4. Add the caliphal baths for 50 cents
The Baños del Alcázar Califal are €3 alone, but the joint ticket with the Alcázar is €7.50.
5. Drive to Medina Azahara
Medina Azahara was founded by Abd al-Rahman III in 936. It's free for EU citizens, €1.50 for others, and shut on Mondays. This is where the car earns its keep.
6. Cross the Roman bridge
The Puente Romano is the view on the city's coat of arms. Walk it at either end of the day; it's free.
Salmorejo, flamenquín and a 1924 taberna
1. Order salmorejo first
Salmorejo is Córdoba's great cold soup, the one dish two food guides both put first.
2. Share a flamenquín
It's meat rolled and fried, probably the city's most famous dish. One between two is plenty.
3. Eat rabo de toro in a taberna
Oxtail stew is on most menus. Taberna Regina, founded in 1904, also does berenjenas con miel, fried aubergine with honey.
4. Drink Montilla-Moriles
The province's fortified wines are some of the oldest in Andalusia, and nearly every bar pours them. I'd skip the Rioja.
5. Book Salinas or Casa Pepe
Taberna Salinas dates from 1924 and keeps eleven casks of its own. Casa Pepe de la Judería has a terrace looking onto the Mezquita's orange-tree gardens.
Córdoba's May: crosses, patios, then the Feria
1. Plan Semana Santa for late March
Easter Sunday 2027 falls on 28 March, so Holy Week runs from 21 March. Processions close old-town streets; I'd park on the edge and walk.
2. Wait for the May 2027 dates
The council's Junta de Gobierno sets them each autumn; 2027 wasn't out when I checked. In 2026 it ran Crosses 29 April–3 May, the Patios contest 4–17 May and the Feria 23–30 May.
3. Use the Alcázar's free days
The 2026 ordinance makes the Alcázar free on 17 December and 28 February, Andalusia Day.
What's on
| When | What |
|---|---|
| 17 December 2026 | Free entry to the Alcázar and municipal monuments (ordinance 411) |
| 28 February 2027 | Andalusia Day: free entry to the Alcázar and municipal monuments |
| 21–28 March 2027 | Semana Santa (Easter Sunday is 28 March); processions close old-town streets |
| Late April–May 2027, dates not yet published | Battle of the Flowers, May Crosses, Patios contest and the Feria. In 2026: 26 April, 29 April–3 May, 4–17 May and 23–30 May |