Day 10 ·
Córdoba in a day and our last dinner in Seville
Seville · Spain · 3 min read
A day trip to Córdoba with a Spanish-speaking guide: the Mosque-Cathedral, the Jewish Quarter and the Synagogue. Back in Seville, a farewell dinner at Espacio Eslava.
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Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba
A two-hour guided visit with skip-the-line entry. Inside it's cool, with thick walls and no direct sun, so it was our refuge during the hottest part of the day.
Our guide Worth every minute of the trip from Seville. With a guide, the layers of history make sense; without context, it's easy to get lost among the arches without knowing what you're looking at. Read the full guide - 2
Jewish Quarter of Córdoba
An hour walking with the guide through the old Jewish quarter, where Maimonides was born in 1138. Narrow streets and little shade: bring a hat and sunscreen.
Our guide Yes, it's worth it, but get off the main street. Calle Judíos and the Calleja de las Flores fill up with tour groups; ten minutes in the side alleys gives you the neighborhood back. Read the full guide - 3
Córdoba Synagogue
Built in 1315, it's one of three medieval synagogues still standing in Spain; the other two are in Toledo. Look closely at the plasterwork with Hebrew inscriptions.
Our guide Yes, it's worth it, with context. It's one small room: without knowing what you're looking at, it seems like a white box; with a guide or some reading beforehand, it's one of the most moving places in Córdoba. Read the full guide - 4
Roman Bridge
After lunch on our own, we saved the free time the tour gave us for the bridge and the Torre de la Calahorra, seen from outside. The best photo of the bridge is from the side, not in the middle of the selfie crowd.
Our guide Yes, it's worth it: it's free, it takes ten minutes to cross and it gives you the Córdoba postcard. Don't expect Roman stone; almost all of it is Islamic-era rebuilding and modern restoration. Read the full guide - 5
Espacio Eslava
Back in Seville on the tour bus, a farewell dinner in San Lorenzo, a 12-minute walk from the apartment. They don't take reservations: we got there right at 20:00 so we wouldn't have to wait.
Our guide Yes, it's worth it, and a good pick for a last dinner in Seville. The kitchen has restaurant technique at bar prices; the only condition is arriving at 20:00 on the dot. Read the full guide
Our last full day in Seville, though we spent almost all of it in Córdoba. We booked a Spanish-language day trip that included the Mosque-Cathedral, the Jewish Quarter and the Synagogue, with a round-trip bus. By 19:00 we were back for our farewell dinner.
Why we planned it this way
We looked at several Córdoba day trips from Seville and went with this one for three reasons: the Synagogue and the Jewish Quarter were guided, on top of the Mosque; the guide spoke Spanish; and one of the pickup points was a 12-minute walk from the apartment, across the Triana Bridge.
The tour reached the Mosque-Cathedral around 11:00, which is exactly the busiest time: the buses from Seville, Granada and Málaga all arrive then. Skip-the-line entry is what makes it work. On top of that, the Mosque is cool inside, and we put it first so we wouldn’t be out in the sun during the harshest hours. The Jewish Quarter and the Synagogue, on the other hand, are out in the open with little shade, so we went prepared for the heat.
Lunch was on our own. We had a clear plan: salmorejo, flamenquín or rabo de toro, somewhere with air conditioning. After that, the Roman Bridge before getting on the 17:00 bus.
For our last night we picked Espacio Eslava, in San Lorenzo. It opens Tuesday to Saturday and doesn’t take reservations, so Tuesday was the only possible day and we had to be there at 20:00. Before heading out we left our bags almost packed: the next day we were picking up the rental car at 6:00 to drive to Granada by way of Ronda.
What to know before you go
Free cancellation on this tour ended 48 hours before departure. And the order of the visits can change on the day if the guide decides, so don’t make other plans in Córdoba at fixed times.
What we booked and tasted
From Seville: Córdoba and the Mosque-Cathedral with a guide
- Round-trip bus from Seville
- Spanish-speaking guide
- Fast-track entry to the Mosque-Cathedral
- Fast-track entry to the Synagogue
- Guided visit of the Jewish Quarter and the historic center
Besides the Mosque, it included the Synagogue and the Jewish Quarter with a guide, and one of its pickup points was a 12-minute walk from our apartment. No driving or hunting for parking in Córdoba.
See the tourGetYourGuideLunch on our own in Córdoba
Order Salmorejo cordobés, flamenquín or rabo de toro
Salmorejo comes from Córdoba. The idea was to follow the guide's recommendation, with Taberna Salinas, open since 1879, as a backup. What mattered at two in the afternoon: a place with air conditioning.
Espacio Eslava
Order Ribs with honey, pork cheeks in red wine and the "cigarro para Bécquer" for dessert
One of the best-known tapas bars in Seville, with an open kitchen. It opens Tuesday to Saturday, which is why our last dinner in Seville fell on a Tuesday.
Seville (Calle Rastro) Córdoba
We crossed the Triana Bridge on foot at 8:20 to be at the pickup point by 8:45. The bus leaves on time.
Córdoba Seville
Back at the same pickup point around 19:00. Bring a light sweater: the air conditioning on the bus tends to be strong.
What we learned
Tips
- Call the company the day before to confirm your pickup time. The booking itself asks you to.
- In May, Córdoba is usually 2 to 4 degrees hotter than Seville: 33 to 35 °C at midday. Bring a hat, sunscreen and a liter of water per person.
- At the Mosque you need your shoulders and knees covered and your cap off. The restrooms are in the Patio de los Naranjos, before you go in.
Do
- Get to the pickup point 15 minutes early: the bus leaves at 9:00 sharp.
- Order salmorejo in Córdoba, where the dish was born.
- Start packing before dinner if you have an early start the next day. We were leaving for Granada at 5:30.
Don’t
- Don't buy leather in the shops on the main street of the Jewish Quarter, and don't eat where the menu has pictures.
- Don't accept rosemary or palm readings at the doors of the Mosque.
- Don't show up late to Espacio Eslava: after 20:15 the wait starts, 20 to 30 minutes.