Córdoba travel guide

Little of the wealth from the New World found its way to Córdoba and, with a particularly severe inquisition ruling the roost, the departure of Jews and Muslims left the traditional silversmithing and leatherworking industries almost derelict. The population dropped rapidly and Córdoba played little part in Habsburg or Bourbon Spain, apart from producing one of the most notable writers of the literary Golden Age in Spain, Luis de Góngora (1561-1627). The city was occupied by the French during the Peninsular War, and suffered terrible atrocities under the Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War. The cordobeses proved to have long memories and became the first city in Spain to elect a Communist local council after the return to democracy.

Like most of Andalucía, Córdoba gets extremely hot in summer, so the best time to visit is spring or autumn. In May there is the bonus of the Festival of the Patios and Córdoba’s major fiesta. Prices rise slightly at this time.

Internet

Ch@t, C Claudio Marcelo 17, €1.80/hr; Hostal El Pilar del Potro, C Lucano 12, T957-492966, €2/hr.

Laundry

Solymar, Av Doctor Fleming 8, T957-298929.

Medical services

Hospital General, Av Menéndez Pidal to the south of town, T957-297122. For non-emergencies, go to Centro de Salud Colón, Plaza Colón 28, T957-497011.

Post office
C José Cruz Conde 15, Mon-Fri 0800- 2100, Sat 0900-1400.

Taxis (€6) and local buses link the train and bus stations with the old centre, where most of the monuments and accommodation are located, or it’s a 15- to 20-minute walk. Once in this area, walking is by far the best option to get around, indeed the only practical one. Horse carriages parked next to the Mezquita will trot you around town for a negotiable fee (the official fee is €45 for an hour).

Córdoba’s airport currently has no commercial flights servicing it; the nearest international and domestic airports are Sevilla and Málaga, both within two hours’ drive. The lack of air traffic is made up for by the AVE fast train that connects the city with Málaga (one hour), Sevilla (45 minutes) and Madrid (one hour 45 minutes). This docks at the modern train station 1 km west of the old town; there are also less rapid connections to other destinations. Next door is the bus station, which links Córdoba to the rest of Andalucía and most major Spanish centres. If arriving by car, park as soon as you can; negotiating the narrow old-town streets is tricky, and most corners bear the paintmarks of wounded vehicles. There are many supervised parking areas, and many accommodation options offer car spaces for €10-20 per day; you may also be lucky and find a nook in the old town to nose into.

Tourist information

The booths at Plaza Tendillas and opposite the Alcázar can provide you with the This.Is:Córdoba multilingual audio guide to the city, which has detailed information on sights around town including Medina Azahara. It costs €15, but you get it for 48 hours. There’s about 4½ hours of commentary on it. It comes with two headphones, so a couple can listen simultaneously.

Córdoba

For information on intercity buses, T957- 404040; for trains T957-400202; for local bus information, get a route map from the tourist office or T957-764676.

Bus

Local

The adjacent bus and train stations on Plaza de las Tres Culturas west of town are connected by city buses to the centre. No 3 is the most useful, taking you to the western edge of the Judería and Plaza Tendillas, while No 5 takes you through Plaza Colón and the modern centre. Otherwise it’s a walk of 15-20 mins to the heart of the old town.

Long distance

Within the province, there are regular buses to Priego de Córdoba (13 a day, less at weekends, 1 hr 15 mins, €6.50), Zuheros (5 a day, 2 on Sun, 1 hr), Montilla (1 hr) and Almodóvar del Río (10 daily, 2-4 at weekends, 30 mins). Belalcázar and Bélmez have 2-4 buses daily.

Sevilla is served hourly (1 hr 45 mins, €10.28), as is Granada (2 hrs 45 mins, €12.43), while there are 4 daily to Málaga (€12.60, 3 hrs). Jaén has 8 buses a day (5 at weekends, 1 hr 30 mins, €7.30). A couple of buses daily go to Cádiz and Algeciras, and 1 to Almería.

Further afield, Madrid is served 5 times a day (5 hrs,€14.55), and there’s a daily bus to Barcelona at 1815.

Taxi

There are several cab ranks around the edge of the old town; or T957-764444.

Trains

The high-speed AVE train links Córdoba with Sevilla (45 mins, €28.10), Madrid Atocha (1hr 45 mins, €55-61), and Málaga (1 hr, €35-40), with departures more than hourly during the day. It’s worth booking these in advance. There’s an a/c lounge available with free food and drinks if you have booked in preferente class, which costs 50% more. The Avant trains to Sevilla and Málaga are almost as quick but about half the price. Slower trains to Sevilla take 1 hr 20 mins (from €8.20).

Other trains head to Barcelona and Cádiz.. For most other Andalucían destinations the bus is cheaper and quicker.