Things to see in Spain

Mallorca’s Southeast Coast – Home to Some of Its (and the World’s) Most Beautiful Beaches

After enjoying the Palma area and exploring the north/west coast of Mallorca, we moved on to our 2nd stop, Cala d’Or, a great location to explore the leeward side of Mallorca. The southeast coast is dotted with beautiful coves and beaches (I think there are over 100), many of which require a bit of a hike to get to, while others are easily accessible by car.

Alua Soul Hotel – Cala d’Or

We stayed at the Alua Soul Hotel in Cala d’Or, and we were not disappointed. The hotel property surrounds a small cove (Cala Egos, to which the public also has access) and is in a perfect location for exploring this beautiful part of Mallorca.

*Cala Egos – this is the view from our room at the Alua Soul Hotel – I think I could have stayed here forever!*

*Cala d’Or has lots of shops and restaurants, this particular shopping/restaurant area was very close to our hotel.*

Cala d’Or is a major boat harbor and tourist hub (although it did not feel all that crowded – the hotels and condos are spread out and tucked behind the various hills and coves). If you get tired of the beach, there are lots of other things to do here, such as renting ATV’s, going on fishing or sailing expeditions and many other activities to keep you and your family or friends entertained!

Mondragó Park

Near Cala d’Or is Mondrago Park (Parc natural de Mondragó). This nature park has lots of parking (fee required), wide beaches, snack vendors and restrooms. The beaches and shallow water are great for families. There are two beach areas connected by a trail (just a 5 minute walk between the two beaches). Speaking of families, let me point out that these are “European” beaches, which means you will likely encounter some topless sunbathers, as with most beaches in Mallorca (or any Mediterranean island for that matter). However, the protocol is that everyone covers up at the snack bars, going to/from the restroom, beach, etc.

*If you’re after a little more solitude, this little cove is also in *Mondragó Park*.*

Cala des Moro

This is perhaps the most famous (and beautiful?) beach and cove on Mallorca. Arrive early (like by 8 or 9 am) to enjoy a quieter beach experience and to find parking. You walk south from the parking area off the main road through a small residential neighborhood and just keep working your way to the coastline. It’s about a 20 minute walk/hike from the parking area to the beach – be prepared for a steep descent/ascent into/out of the cove. Just follow the crowd. At the top of the cove, there was an enterprising drink/snack vendor. I will say this is one of the most scenic beaches I’ve ever seen. The water is warm and the color is about the prettiest turquoise shade possible.

Other Beautiful Beaches

Further up the coast from Cala d’Or, the coves & beaches just keep on coming….here are two other examples that are near Porto Cristo, 28 km (17 miles) north of Cala d’Or and easily accessible by car (parking is next to the beach in both cases). Porto Cristo is the home of Cuevas del Drach (Drach Caves) which I will share more about in my next post!

Cala Anguila

Cala Mendia

No matter where you choose to stay while in Mallorca, be sure to visit the south/east coast of this beautiful island.

Beyond Palma – Touring North/Western Mallorca – Part 2

North/Western Mallorca (island of Spain) has some really lovely and historic towns as well as amazing scenery. In continuing our visit to this part of the island, here are a few other gems in addition to those listed in my Part 1 post. For an overview of our Mallorca (and Menorca) visit my post here.

Valldemossa

Valldemossa is the quintessential European mountain village. In visiting this town, you wouldn’t know that you are just a few kilometers away from some of the most beautiful and touristy beaches in the world. As we drove into town I stopped to take a photo of the village, and I could hear bells tinkling as sheep quietly grazed in the hillsides, oblivious to their surroundings.

In addition to its scenic location, Valldemossa is famous for one of its most illustrious short-term residents, Frédéric Chopin, one of the preeminent composers and pianists of the 19th century, who was from Poland. He and his girlfriend (known by her pen name of George Sand) lived in Valldemossa during the winter of 1838 – 1839. George (her real name: Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil) was a French novelist and quite a respected and well-known author in her lifetime.

*A bust of Chopin, a portrait of George Sand and their living quarters museum at the Charterhouse in Valldemossa.*

They came to Mallorca with hopes to improve Chopin’s health, but the accommodations and cold winter weather did not help. The palace-monastery (Royal Charterhouse of Valldemossa) where they lived is the main sight in this little village. A tour of the Charterhouse includes dormitory rooms dedicated to Chopin’s stay and his works as well as George Sand’s.

A display of works by George Sand, compositions by Chopin, and the famous French Pleyel piano, which Chopin used to compose his Preludes during the latter part of his visit to Mallorca. There is some controversy about whether this is the actual piano, which has a story all of its own.

Royal Charterhouse of Valldemossa

This 13th century Palace was donated to the Carthusian Order of the Catholic Church in 1399. The Carthusian monks inhabited the Monastery until 1835 when the facilities were sold into a private estate and the small dormitory rooms then became available for rent. Chopin and Sand were not married, and after this was discovered they sought seclusion from the disapproving public in Palma and rented a room at the Charterhouse in Valldemossa, a very remote village at the time.

*Exterior views of the Charterhouse (former royal palace and monastery).*

In addition to the cells and displays dedicated to Chopin and Sand, you also have an opportunity to tour some of the features of the monastery and elegant rooms of the palace.

*The monastery’s pharmacy and monk’s cell displays.*

*Rooms in the Palace portion of the Charterhouse.*

And at certain times of the day, a short (15 minute) beautiful recital is given of Chopin’s music. We were fortunate that the recital timing coincided with our visit perfectly. You can then tour the gardens of the Charterhouse.

Recital of Chopin’s music at the Charterhouse in Valldemossa, Mallorca.

This was a really interesting stop, we enjoyed our visit.

Sóller & Porto Sóller

Just 24 km (15 miles) north of Valldemossa is the pretty town of Sóller. Like Andraxt, there are two parts to Sóller. The inland town and port are both attractive and popular tourist spots, especially for hikers and cyclists and for those seeking some beach time. Sóller became wealthy in the 19th century due to its citrus groves and fruit exports to France. Today beautiful small hotels and apartments surround the peaceful harbor and beach.

*Left, a tram transports you 3 km from the inland town to the port. Views of scenic Porto Sóller with its pleasant sandy and shaded beach.*

The inland town is also quite picturesque and worth a stroll. I bought some great Mallorcan shoes from a local cobbler – they have a unique style!

Views of Sóller. If the buildings in the center and right images look a bit like Gaudi’s work, it’s because his disciple, Joan Rubió Bellver, designed the facades during a facelift in the mid 1900’s. The church (right, Sant Bartomeu de Sóller) was originally built in the 12th century.

*My Mallorcan shoes! I wear a size 11.5 – 12 and it was a little hard to find that big of a shoe (44 in European sizes).*

Fornalutx

One little town we passed through quickly (we visited it on our last day in Mallorca as we were headed to the airport) was Fornalutx, which is only 4 km from Sóller. It is another little scenic town and worth a stroll of its main street. It might be a great place to stay on the north/west coast of the island and perhaps less expensive and quieter than Sóller or Deià.

*Views of Fornalutx – with jugglers on stilts!*

Top Sights in Palma de Mallorca, Spain

Our first stop in Mallorca was Palma de Mallorca, the main city, port, cruise ship and tourist hub on the island. Palma has a lovely old quarter with a classic Gothic cathedral, old city walls, a wonderful bike path running along the harbor for about 9 miles and sandy beaches within a short distance. Visiting the Palma area alone could be great one-stop vacation since it has so much to offer.

*View of cruise ships in Palma de Mallorca’s harbor.*

We used Palma as our base for exploring not only the town, but also the western part of the island, which worked out great. We didn’t spend time on the beaches right near Palma simply because much of the rest of our visit around the island was going to be focused on exploring and relaxing on a variety of Mallorca’s many beaches.

Listed below are a few key sights in Palma.

Palma’s Old Quarter and Cathedral

While Palma is a big city, like most European cities the old town is compact and very easy to access. The “Catedral-Basílica de Santa María de Mallorca” is the postcard image of Palma, with a stunning setting on Palma’s beautiful harbor.

*Palma’s 13th century Gothic Cathedral is an iconic landmark, visible from many locations around the city and bay.*

*Views from the rooftop of Palma’s Cathedral – definitely worth a visit.*

*Interior views of Palma’s Cathedral. the chandelier over the altar in the center image is the work of Gaudi from the late 1800’s.*

The Royal Palace of La Almudaina, which dates back to the 14th century, is the official residence of the King and Queen during their stays in Mallorca. The palace is next to the Cathedral and may be visited.

*There are massive walls on the seafront of Palma’s old town.* *The Cathedral is in the distance.*

*Views of Palma’s old town, which boasts some beautiful architecture.*

Bellver Castle

This is an interesting 14th century castle located on the western edge of central Palma, with its unique circular construction it is the only existing castle in Spain with this shape. The castle has served as a royal palace and a prison. There are few castles in Mallorca and Bellver Castle is by far the grandest.

*You get a fantastic view of central Palma from the rooftop of Bellver Castle.*

*Other exterior views of Bellver Castle.*

*The castle’s interior has some historical displays and the large courtyard is used for various performances.*

Arab Baths (Banys Arab)

Not far from the Cathedral are the 10th century Arab Baths, believed to be part of wealthy person’s home in the original Moorish city that was the foundation of Palma. Although small, they are definitely worth a visit. It’s interesting (and fortunate) that these baths have survived so long in central Palma, as they are above ground and right in the heart of the old town. To get here, we just walked there by following the signs on the sides of the buildings on the narrow streets east of the Cathedral. We made a couple wrong turns, but found the Baths without much difficulty.

*The exterior of the Arab Baths, believed to be part of a noble person’s residence 1,000 years ago.*

*Interior of the Baths. The columns are believed to have been “recycled” from Roman-era buildings. These baths used the same engineering principles as Roman-era baths.*

*One of my favorite images of the Baths.*

The small Bishop’s Museum (Museu Diocesà) is in the 13th century Bishop’s Palace behind the Cathedral and also near the Arab Baths. It is worth a visit. The Cathedral ticket covers the entrance fee for this museum as well. The image shown is an amazing wooden mural containing scenes from Christ’s life.

*One can never pass up the amazing gelato available in Palma and many other places on Mallorca!*

Melia Palma Bay Hotel

We stayed at the Meliá Palma Bay hotel, just a few minutes from the old town and across the street from the beach and biking path.

Here are a couple photos taken from the rooftop pool and lounge area. The hotel also has a bicycle rental shop, which I highly recommend. It was fun biking along the path right next to the beach.

The Melia Palma Hotel has a great setting, right next to the beach, with views of the city, bay and cruise ship port. The pool was an enjoyable, relaxing experience at the end of a good day of touring this beautiful island.

In our next post, we’ll explore the north/west coast of Mallorca.

Mallorca (Majorca) and Menorca (Minorca) – Spain’s Well-Kept Secret Islands (at least from Americans)

My wife and I love exploring the Mediterranean’s host of magical islands for so many reasons, but as of 2022, we had not yet visited Spain’s share of these islands and so we decided to take a September trip to Mallorca and Menorca (with few days in Barcelona on our way home). September was a perfect time to go – the water was still warm and the days long enough to allow plenty of exploring, with fewer tourists than might be found in July or August. United Airlines started offering seasonal direct service to Palma, Mallorca from Newark, NJ in the summer of 2022. I think that was a fabulous decision, even though locals may not agree!

In this post, I’ll provide a short overview of these two islands and in future posts go into more detail on each.

Why Mallorca and Menorca?

As mentioned above, we love the Mediterranean – the beautiful coastlines, ancient and medieval-era historical sites, incredible beaches and the variety of cultures and languages to be found throughout the region. We also love that these (Mallorca and Menorca) islands don’t really seem to be on US tourists’ European vacation maps yet, at least not to the same degree as a London, Paris or Rome.

*One of the many beautiful coves on the island of Mallorca. Like many of these coves, it takes a little hiking to get here.*

However, please don’t think that the islands are void of tourists – that’s hardly the case. Car parks for the most accessible beautiful beaches and coves fill up fast – you have to get there early (or arrive late in the day) if you want a convenient parking spot. It seems that most of the tourists to these islands come from Germany and the UK, although cruise ships also visit Palma. Cycling on the narrow winding roads through the mountains of Mallorca is a favorite pastime in addition to hiking, 4 wheeling, and of course all kinds of water sports.

*When driving in Mallorca, one needs to be careful of the cyclists sharing the road.*

Even with all the tourists, it’s still possible to visit little towns on both islands and pretty much be the only tourists in sight.

*The scenic town of Arta in the northeast corner of Mallorca – few tourists here.*

Mallorca and Menorca are quite different from one another. Mallorca is larger, more mountainous, with a significantly larger population (about half of which live in the Palma area) and caters to more tourists, who tend to stay put in specific regions of the island. Menorca is smaller in size and population with fewer tourists, and feels more rural. Both islands offer stunningly clear turquoise water, incredible coves and beaches – some of the prettiest anywhere on the planet – and interesting historical sites and towns.

*Torre d’ en Galmes, one of Menorca’s many prehistoric ruins.*

Where are Mallorca and Menorca?

Mallorca and Menorca are two of the three primary Balearic islands, belonging to Spain, the other being Ibiza. Ibiza has a reputation as a real “party” island and we preferred a bit different experience. Plus, as stated above, we could fly directly to Palma from the US. Mallorca and Menorca are close together geographically and it’s easy to get from one island to the other (just a 30 minute flight), or by taking a longer ferry ride.

Mallorca and Menorca are in the western Mediterranean Sea. It is a short flight from Barcelona to Mallorca or Menorca – about an hour (approximately 158 miles or 255 km). We flew to Barcelona from Menorca for a few days at the end of our stay and then directly from Barcelona to Washington, D.C.

Be on the lookout for many more posts to come about these beautiful islands!

Segóbriga Archaeolgical Park – Another Great Day Trip from Madrid, Spain

On our way back to Madrid via an overnight stop in Cuenca, we visited Segóbriga, an archaeological park with Roman-era ruins. The earliest evidence of civilization here dates to the 5th century BCE. Segóbriga came under Roman rule in the 2nd century BCE.

*Segóbriga is about 79 km (49 miles) west of Cuenca and 112 km (70 miles) southeast of Madrid.*

Segóbriga was an important Roman city, it produced agricultural products, livestock and through mining, ingredients used in the making of translucent plaster. Life was hard here, with 20% of the population dying before the age of 10, and 70% dying by the age of 40. The greater part of the population were freedmen and slaves, many having come to Segóbriga from other conquered regions of the Roman empire, especially Greece. Texts found in Narbonne, France refer to trading partners in Segóbriga, showing its economic influence throughout the broader region.

Most of what remains today are structures from the 1st Century AD, during the time of Augustus. Specific features include a large amphitheater that could hold 5,500; a theater, baths, and a forum in addition to the remnants of some homes. A few images of the sights are shown below.

On the trail leading to the ruins is this 2nd century tombstone monument to Lucunda, a young female slave who died at the age of 16. The relief image is of her playing a zither. She must have been pretty important to someone to warrant such a fine tombstone.

*View of the large amphitheater and a corridor leading to the seating areas.* *Unfortunately much of the original building’s stone was used in the 16th and 17th centuries as construction material for a monastery.*

*View of the theater and nearby forum – the center of cultural life in the city.*

*Views of the baths. The image on the right shows part of the water drainage system.*

Other views of stones with Latin inscriptions, foundations of small houses or shops, and a well-preserved mosaic floor (all original except for the very center of the mosaic) in one of the grand villas.

*At the entrance to the archaeological site is a small and interesting museum with good information on the history of Segóbriga.*

In addition to the above, there are remnants of a necropolis, a circus, and other elements of urbanization (other roads, drainage systems, etc.) scattered around this large site.

If you’re in the neighborhood, stop by! Due to its somewhat isolated setting, Segóbriga does not receive a lot of visitors, even though it’s not too far from Madrid.

Cuenca, Spain – Home of the Hanging Houses (Casa Colgadas)

From Belmonte and Alarcón, we traveled to Cuenca, our last overnight stop in Spain before heading back to Madrid for our trip home.

*Cuenca is 138 km or 86 miles southeast of Madrid. By train, it is less than one hour, making it a great day trip if you have the time.* (*This map shows our general car travel route in Southern Spain).*

The old town of Cuenca has a spectacular setting, sitting on a steep ridge surrounded by deep gorges carved by the Júcar and Huécar rivers on either side – a very strategic site for a military stronghold, and that is how Cuenca began back in 714 AD. Cuenca has had its economic ups and downs over the centuries and lucky for us, it’s been well-preserved and is recognized as a World Heritage site. The main tourist site is the old town itself. It is a steep climb up into the old town from the newer part of the town below, especially if walking. Cuenca is definitely worth a stop as part of your tour of Spain.

*We stayed in the 18th century Hospederia Seminario Conciliar de San Julián, in the heart of Cuenca’s old town, a great location and hotel for tourists.*

Views of the Old Town, Cuenca. The lower image shows the exterior of the 12th century Gothic Cathedral (the façade had to be rebuilt in the 1900s’ after collapse from a lightening strike, it never was finished). *The Cathedral is one of the earliest Gothic structures in Spain.*

Left: interior view of Cuenca Cathedral – life sized images of the Last Supper – Christ and the Apostles. Right: View of Cuenca’s old town (Cathedral in right of image), with the newer part of Cuenca in distance.

*Views of Cuenca from the gorges – there are a few bridges crossing the Huécar River – you get a great view of the town sitting on top of the cliffs from the San Pablo Bridge (in the background).*

Casa Colgadas

The houses as shown in these images are “hanging” on the edge of the cliff and known as the “Casa Colgadas” of Cuenca, they are a famous tourist sight, although there’s really not that much to see. They were built in the 14th – 16th centuries and are the only remaining examples in Cuenca. It’s really amazing they’ve survived at the edge of the cliffs for hundreds of years.

Everywhere you go in Cuenca there is interesting architecture – buildings are positioned so compactly in the maze of alleyways it’s sometimes hard to get a good perspective and figure out how to navigate access to various buildings and churches. *We enjoyed just wandering around the old town.*

Belmonte Castle and Alarcón – Two Medieval Gems Worth Visiting in Central Spain

From Conseugra we were headed to Cuenca, our last overnight stop on our two-week tour of southern Spain. We were sad to be coming to the end of such a wonderful adventure. On the way to Cuenca, we made two stops that were well worth our time, Belmonte (home of Belmonte Castle) and the village of Alarcón.

*Belmonte and Alarcón are located southeast of Madrid, Spain.*

Belmonte Castle

Belmonte Castle is a classic – from the exterior it’s exactly what you’d expect from a late medieval era castle. So classic in fact, that it has been the setting for many films, such as Lord of the Rings (1978), Flesh+Blood (1985), El Cid (1961) and others. The castle was originally built in the second half of the 15th century, but was never completed. It was pretty much abandoned until the mid 1800’s when restoration work was undertaken, and interestingly, the courtyard and interior of the castle were modified to the tastes of the 19th century, and therefore they look much different than the exterior. The castle is in private hands (the family that took over work on the castle in the 1800’s still owns it), and it has been open to the public since 2010.

*View of Belmonte Castle’s courtyard – as mentioned above, it doesn’t look anything like the exterior!*

*You can walk around Belmonte Castle’s ramparts for some great views of the castle’s defensive features and surrounding landscape*.

Castle Interior

Many of the castle’s interior rooms are open for viewing and they are worth a visit – pay particular attention to the fine woodwork detail.

*Interior views of Belmonte Castle – the woodwork found on the ceilings, walls and staircases is outstanding.*

Alarcón

What is most stunning about this little picture-perfect village is its setting and the drive to up to the entrance. One can imagine what it was like hundreds of years ago, and I’m guessing the view has not changed much. The main castle keep is now a parador (hotel). A Moorish fortress was constructed here in the 8th century and forms the basis for the current castle. You certainly can see how this castle was in a perfect defensive location. The town is worth at least a half-hour stroll for its magnificent buildings and setting on a steep, narrow hilltop above a meandering river (Rio Júcar) with defensive towers seen in several directions from the village. Alarcón is about 2 hours southeast of Madrid by car (188 km or 117 miles).

*The view as one enters the village of Alarcón.*

*Views around the village of Alarcón, including the 16th century Church of St. John the Baptist.*

If you’re in Madrid and would like to get out of the city for a bit, head to Alarcón, you won’t be disappointed!

Consuegra – Home to Spain’s Windmills

From Córdoba we headed northeast to Consuegra, a small town in the Castile-La Mancha region of Spain. As mentioned in a previous post, we stopped in Calatrava la Nueva on the way. Conseugra was just a quick overnight stop, mainly to see some of Spain’s famous windmills with a castle thrown in for good measure! Most Spanish windmills, like those described in Miguel de Cervantes‘ early 17th century novel Don Quixote, can be found in this arid region of central Spain.

*Location of Consuegra is shown on this map – 183 km (86 miles) directly south of Madrid (next to the word “Spain”). This map shows our entire road trip through southern Spain.*

Windmills

Consuegra boasts 12 windmills along the top of a ridge overlooking the town and they are a major landmark and tourist draw. I can see why they built windmills in this region – it was windy (and cold ) during our visit – wow – I could barely stand and had to brace myself from getting blown over – no joke. During our visit we were in the midst of a 3 day storm that had started when we were in Córdoba.

*Other views of the windmills, each has a name. On the right is a view of the windmills from the castle.*

The windmills were used primarily to grind wheat into flour. They were originally built in the 16th century and many were in use until the 1980’s. They have since been restored and a few are open for touring.

*Inside one of the windmills – the wooden gear system (left) for turning the power of the wind into a flour mill and the miller’s quarters (right), typically on the first level above ground.*

Castle of Lau Muela

Consuegra’s 12th century castle was once a stronghold of the Knights Hospitaller of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, part of the order’s dominion in the Campo de San Juan region as it was known. The castle can be visited by arranging a tour through the visitor’s center at the windmills. It became a property of the city in the 1960’s and the town has been doing some renovations to the castle.

Consuegra Town

*Consuegra’s Plaza de España and 17th century town hall.*

We had an interesting meal during our one afternoon in Conseugra – there weren’t many restaurants open at that time of day. Statue of Don Quixote (left) at the restaurant entrance and my wife and mother-in-law (right) getting ready to enjoy some local ‘ratatouille’ (not exactly how we envisioned ratatouille!).

Although our restaurant experience wasn’t fantastic, we had a lovely 4 bedroom apartment in Consuegra with a view of the ridge above town and a enclosed garage for our car! If you want to see windmills this is the place to come!

*Interior view of our apartment and the view from our terrace – castle and windmills on the ridge.*

Calatrava la Nueva – Another Less-Discovered Medieval Site Between Córdoba and Consuegra

From Córdoba, we headed towards our next stop, Consuegra (La Mancha region) and the land of Don Quixote (with the windmills!). On the way we decided to take a slight detour and visit Calatrava la Nueva, and of course we were rewarded with an amazing experience. I love exploring less-discovered tourist sights and this definitely ranks among them. Calatrava la Nueva is about 184 km (114 miles) or about 2 hours northeast of Córdoba, roughly about half way between Córdoba and Consuegra.

The location of Calatrava la Nueva is shown in the center of the image above.

Calatrava la Nueva is a hilltop medieval castle and convent complex, with a commanding view of an old route connecting La Mancha and Andalusia regions of Spain. The site takes its name from the Order of Calatrava, a Spanish military order that moved to this strategic location in 1217 and served as their headquarters for nearly 600 years. More information on visiting this site can be found here. Evidence of human activity at this site dates back to the Bronze Age. There was a village here at the time of occupation by the Order of Calatrava, but unfortunately most of those structures were destroyed since they did not have defensive or military value at the time.

Below are images taken during our visit. We had the site to ourselves in March. I apologize for the orange hue to the images, this is not a defect in the images, but rather caused by an overcast orange sky due to a big dust storm blowing across the Mediterranean from the Saharan desert at the time of our visit. Millions of fine dust particles suspended in the air reduced the visibility of the surrounding area greatly.

*Exterior views of the Castle – an imposing site.*

I love this image showing how the natural rock of the steep hill was incorporated into the foundation and walls of the castle – what a lot of work to get the structure’s foundation solid enough to last 800 years!

13th Century Church

A highlight of visiting Calatrava la Nueva is the Church or Convent, which dates from the 13th Century. On the day of our visit, one could feel the nearly 1,000 years of history here.

*The 13th Century Convent with its standout rose window over the entrance.*

*Interior views of the Convent at Calatrava la Nueva.*

Other Views of Calatrava la Nueva

On a clear day the views from the towers of the Castle would be amazing. Even with our weather conditions we could still see the extensiveness of the castle grounds and service shops required to support a large garrison.

*Views from the towers of Calatrava la Nueva.* *Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate – windy and clouds full of Saharan dust!*

*Additional views within the Castle complex.*

If you find yourself on a driving tour of Spain in the vicinity of Córdoba, take the time to visit Calatrava la Nueva! There was a ticket office on site. The road up to the castle is a bit bumpy and steep, but shouldn’t be a problem for most regular passenger vehicles.

Córdoba – Visiting La Mezquita

From Granada (via Fortaleza de la Mota) we drove northwest to Córdoba (about 200 km or 124 miles). Córdoba is located on the same river (Guadalquivir) that flows through Seville. Seville, Granada and Córdoba form a triangle (of sorts), with Seville in the southwest corner, Granada in the southeast corner and Córdoba in the north. It is common for tourists to visit Córdoba as a day trip (by train or car) from Seville, and this would not be a bad option, except that you would miss seeing little gems like Fortaleza de la Mota along the way.

Although there are many reasons to visit Córdoba, the primary tourist sight is La Mezquita. Since we were covering so much ground in southern Spain on this trip, we were in Córdoba just long enough to visit La Mezquita and spend the night here. Our apartment was on the south side of the Guadalquivir River, right next to the Roman bridge (Puente Romano, which leads directly to La Mezquita) – a perfect location to stay in Córdoba when traveling by car – it offers easy access to the old city and convenient parking.

*A view of the Tower of La Calahorra (Moorish origin, heavily restored in the 14th century), the Roman Bridge over the Guadalquivir River, and La Mezquita – Cathedral to the left.* Our apartment was less than a 5-minute walk from this location. The Roman bridge was originally constructed in the 1st century AD, and then rebuilt by the Moors in the 8th century. Until the mid-20th century, it was the city’s only bridge across the river!!

La Mezquita

The history of this amazing juxtaposition of structures, cultures, religions and eras is fascinating – learn more here. There is some debate as to the origins of this site of worship (likely dating back to the Roman and Visigoth eras), but much of the present structure dates from the 8th century onwards and served as a Moorish mosque. In the 13th century Córdoba was captured by the Christians as part of the Reconquista and the mosque underwent some modifications. The present structure of the Christian cathedral (incongruently built into the middle of the mosque) we see today was begun in the 16th century.

Below are images from our visit to La Mezquita, we were there on a March afternoon and pretty much had the site to ourselves – just a few other tourists at that time of year. Allow about 2 hours for your visit. Tickets may be purchased on site. After our visit, we wandered through the old town and enjoyed an excellent good dinner. A very enjoyable stay in Córdoba!

*Exterior walls of La Mezquita, some of the gates date back 1,000 years or more.*

Views of the vast Moorish interior with rows of double arches of La Mezquita. An interesting side note is that the columns are all different – used from previous (probably Roman) structures. One can imagine a vast congregation of worshippers kneeling on their prayer rugs towards the east and praying here.

Additional views of the interior of La Mezquita. On the left, the juxtaposition of Moorish and Catholic influences. On the right is an image looking directly below the current floor – a remnant of a mosaic floor of an earlier (probably Roman) structure on this site.

*Additional views of the ornate Moorish architecture in La Mezquita.*

Views above of the Catholic Cathedral choir and relics – set right in the middle of La Mezquita. The image immediately above shows how the Christian Cathedral was built directly into the Moorish arched columns. The difference in architecture and religious focus feels literally like stepping from one world into another in an instant and this is what makes La Mezquita unique – history is complicated!

*The beautiful courtyard of La Mezquita, which dates to the 9th century. The earliest known mosque to include trees in the courtyard.*

*A delicious meal to cap off a great afternoon in Córdoba!*

If you have the chance, visit Córdoba. Even if you have visited many European Christian Cathedrals, I’ll guarantee haven’t experienced one quite like La Mezquita! I am grateful that so much has been preserved of the original mosque, providing unique insights into the Iberian peninsula’s Moorish era.

The Independent Tourist

Travel Locations and Tips for Independent Travelers