One of my favourite aspects of spending winters on the Costa del Sol in Spain is that there is an almost endless number of interesting places to visit. All within reasonable travel time. This was something we discovered largely by accident the very first winter we came here. Friends wanted to go to the south of Portugal, and I assumed this was at least a day or a day and a half travel. It turned out to be a four-hour drive away.
This first photo is a screenshot of a section in an article that I wrote and posted in 2019. It shows the driving distance from the city of Fuengirola to all these interesting places. I chose Fuengirola as the starting point because that is where we were staying there at the time. It is centrally located on the Costa del Sol as well.
The Costa Del Sol is located in the autonomous region of Andalusia, the most southerly area in Spain. The name Andalusia is derived from the original name for all of Spain during the years of Moorish rule, Al-Andalus.
The region is rich in history and culture. Many cultural practices that are generally seen as distinctively Spanish are entirely or primarily Andalusian in origin. Most famous amongst these is Flamenco.
Andalusia was the last area of Spain to be taken from the ruling Moors during the Reconquista. In fact, Granada, the last city held by the Moors, fell in 1492 the same year that Columbus was departing from western parts of Andalusia for the Americas.
Some of Spain’s most beautiful and interesting cities and towns are located here, including, Granada, Seville, Malaga, Jerez, Ronda, Cadiz, and Córdoba. Most are still steeped in Moorish history, artifacts, and architecture. Roman history and architectural features are richly scattered throughout the area as well. All of which makes most parts of Andalusia interesting places to visit. We love it.
This week we finally got to visit one of those amazing cities that we had previously visited, namely, Córdoba.
“Photo Carousel” – Once again I am using a “Carousel” format to present the photos in the best possible manner. If you click on the first photo (top-left) in a grouping, the whole thing pops up allowing you to click through the collection of images in a large format. This time I am making the photos appear on the page in a larger size to see what effect that has on the user experience.
Getting There
It would have been easy enough to rent a car to get to Córdoba but we really do prefer to travel by public transit whenever possible. On this trip, that meant taking the bus from Nerja to Malaga, and then the highspeed train up to Córdoba.
The local buses are quite inexpensive here, even the intercity ones. The train trip seemed expensive compared to what we paid to get down here from Madrid. Once we got on the train we realized why. We were travelling around Andalusia Day, a local holiday and day of celebration.
Hotel “El Eurostars Conquistador”
After looking at a number of local options we ended up selecting the Eurostars Conquistador Hotel for our stay. It is incredibly well located within the central historic section of town. I would have to say that the hotel presented as being much nicer than what I thought it did in the website pictures.
When you step out the hotel’s front door onto the street, you are staring at the Mezquita Catedral de Córdoba, the principal object of our travel desires on this trip. So, we were ideally situated for our needs.
Eatin’ and Walkin’
After checking in, we decided to have a quick bite and then walk the short distance from our hotel to see the Roman Bridge across the River Guadalquivir. We had tickets to visit the Mezquita Catedral de Córdoba on the second day of our visit, so we had lots of time to check out other historical sites.
You will see in the photo of my travel companions sitting on a patio, awaiting the arrival of their lunch orders, that they are bundled up. It was cool in Córdoba while we were there. In fact, when we arrived a weather advisory was in effect locally because for the first time in a long, long time, temperatures overnight would dip down to minus one… The horror… The horror… The horror. 🙂
In general, the weather experienced on the Costa del Sol is very different from the rest of the country – typically, mild and sunny in the winter. A lot of that has to do with the fact that it is wedged between a mountain range and the Mediterranean. As some friends who have been coming to Nerja for years, said “we don’t go to the other side of the mountains in winter”. If you visit towns like Granada, Córdoba, or Seville in January and February you will need to layer up.
Sites seen in this little photo-op include, the Puerta del Puente “Gate of the Bridge” and the Roman Bridge of Córdoba. The Puerta del Puente is a Renaissance gate, built in the 16th century. It is located on the site of the original Roman gates.
Most of the present Roman Bridge structure dates from Arab reconstruction in the 8th century. A second bridge across the river was added in the 1950s. This allowed a more recent closing and upgrade to the Roman bridge to take place. It is exclusively a pedestrian bridge now.
We also went for a ride on the Hop-On Hop-Off bus, as we frequently do in towns that are new to us. This was the very first time that ride was disappointing. In most cities, it gives you a great overview of the location of interesting sites around town, and 24 hours of transport to visit them. In Córdoba, there are not enough interesting sites outside of the historical district to take it worth the cost. So, take a pass on this one.
Mezquita Catedral de Córdoba/ Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba
On day two we headed over to visit the mosque/cathedral not long after breakfast. It’s best to buy tickets online in advance of your arrival. The ones we purchased had us being admitted at 10:30 AM. We wanted to get there early given that it was Andalusia Day, expecting that there would likely be lots of visitors.
This is a particularly interesting and moving site to visit. First of all, it is one of the greatest mosques ever constructed in Islamic history. Construction of the mosque began in 785–786 and finished a year later in 786–787. It is amazing that it has survived until now.
Many of the great historic Islamic sites still in existence are in Andalusia. You must go to Grenada and see the Alhambra, perhaps the Islamic world’s greatest historical site outside of the middle east.
After the Reconquista of Córdoba, in 1236, the Mezquita was converted to a Catholic place of worship. Much later in the 16th century a cathedral was constructed right in the middle of it.
The whole structure is now treated as one enormous Catholic place of worship. But other than the cathedral portion, it still feels very much like a mosque… and a magnificent one at that. You can read about the history of this incredible structure on Wikipedia if you are interested in more information.
The mosque was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. This designation was later expanded to include the Historic Centre of Cordoba. You can read more about the dedication here at the UNESCO website. With four World Heritage Sites, Córdoba has more than any other place in the world.
This photo from Wikipedia provides a great overview of the entire structure. It offers a sense of how large the original mosque was before the addition of the cathedral. The mosque was enlarged many times under different rulers. In the 10th century, Córdoba was the second largest city in Europe, so is it easy to imagine this enormous edifice filled with worshipers.
I took many pictures of the interiors of the mosque and the cathedral. I’ve decided to split those into three collections of photos for you to enjoy. First up, the mosque, because that’s what you encounter as soon as you walk into the building.
The Mosque
The Cathedral
The cathedral’s cruciform architectural structure was begun in 1523 and finished in 1607. Officially known as the Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción (Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption) it is the principal cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Córdoba. It serves as the city’s cathedral, and Mass is performed there daily.
The Courtyard and Minaret/Bell Tower
The original courtyard, or “Sahn” was where Muslim worshippers would have performed ritual ablutions in fountains or other water features before prayer. The courtyard is now known as the Patio de los Naranjos or “Courtyard of the Orange Trees”.
Modifications to the mosque’s former minaret were completed in 1617, allowing it to become the bell tower that is still in use. You can see an image of what the original minaret probably looked like in Wikipedia’s page about the Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba.
Synagogue
I suppose, to complete the whole collector set of the three monotheism’s historic religious sites in Córdoba we set out for the synagogue in the old Jewish (Judería) quarter. It was either that or it was the small percentage of Jewish blood coursing through my veins that drew me there.
But first, we were enchanted enough by the production of candy apples and grapes in a “Sabor a España” storefront window that we stopped for treats. 🙂 Energy to spur us onwards.
Córdoba Synagogue was built in 1315. Because it is so small, its original purpose, users or “owners” are not known. It has been speculated that it may have been built by either a trade guild or a wealthy individual. Like many post-Reconquista constructions its design is rooted in the Mudejar tradition. Mudejar style is Islamic design principles applied by craftsmen, often for Christian clients.
Like the mosque, it is unusual that it has survived this long. It is known that after the expulsion of the Jews in 1492… those fun-loving conquerors were busy, busy folks… the building was used to house sufferers of rabies or hydrophobia. And served further purposes after that.
We had to wait a bit to get in, but the wait was worth it. Let the slideshow begin.
If you are interested in more information about the Córdoba Synagogue, you can check out the Wikipedia page by following this link.
Lunch and a Lovely Surprise!
After a gruelling morning of being tourists and learning more about the history of this amazing city, it as time for lunch. It was very busy around most of the major tourist sites, so I suggested that we head down to the long line of restaurants overlooking the river.
The restaurant selection process was a long drawn-out one which considered the ramifications of sitting in too much sun, too little sun, too much shade, too little shade, and issues like breeze aversion, the view, aesthetics, menu choices, the tides, cycles of the moon, etc., etc.
FINALLY, a choice was made, and we sat down and eventually got around to ordering. The kind waiters in Spain always first ask customers what “Bebidas” (drinks) everyone would like… much required at this point.
Food was ordered, and diners began to receive their meals as they came off the stove. After everyone had finished eating, someone finally noticed that I had not been served yet.
This caused much consternation and worry about the level of service amongst our group. I on the other hand was not in the least bit worried because I had a back-up plan in the event that they had completely forgotten about me. My plan was to go to Burger King and get some junk food, which I only ever rarely do when we are travelling.
As expected, the Love-goddess was not happy with my back-up plan. She wants me to only eat healthy food and exercise excessively so that I might have an extra six months or year of life. Which means, her plan was to have me live in abject misery for the next week, month, year, decade… however, long it takes for me to check out. Enjoying my life is secondary to me being relatively healthy when I croak. Needless to say, I am not entirely enthralled with her proposed plan either. 🙂
The Love-goddess is an individual who is not overly endowed with patience. Even though I was content with the situation, she took it upon herself to pounce on the waiter as soon as he strolled by the table several minutes later and directed him to have my lunch dispatched post haste. As he turned his back on her and prepared to scurry back into the restaurant, another server arrived with my special lunch. No Burger King for me. 🙁
A picture of what I ordered, Rabo de Toro (Braised Bull Tail), is in the following photo collage, but it is not a good one. Photos of food often make great pictures. You can zoom right in on them, they tend to be colorful, and they probably stimulate appetites… all kinds of good reasons. As you will see, mine is half eaten and not terribly enticing. It has a special place in this collection though – because its very late delivery caused us to be around when something delightful happened.
Córdoba‘s Andalusia Day Parade passed by right where we were sitting! WOOT, WOOT!.
And it was awesome. The parade consisted of a small army of men and women on horseback dressed in traditional riding gear. This was followed by a procession of horse drawn carriages. Videos of both can be seen below.
Parade Videos
Photos provide a window into many situations, but there is nothing quite like a little film footage to immerse you in the experience. Enjoy these two that I managed to take while still trying to enjoy the moment.
And to tie this all together, a final photo I took as we headed out to dinner on our second night in town. I looked up and right there in front of me was the conjunction of Venus and Jupiter hanging in the night sky. All framed up very nicely.
