Visiting Cordoba at this time of the year can bring pleasant surprises. We usually choose the caliphal city to spend a few days in spring. The good weather, the May crosses and other patron saint festivals coinciding with these dates and, above all, the attraction of the festival of the Patios are key to the thousands of visitors who choose Cordoba as a destination, especially during the months of April and May.

Perhaps few know and even less publicized is the charm that surrounds the capital of Cordoba also in winter and, more specifically, at Christmas time.

The city is already illuminated by more than 72,800 bulbs that give that magical touch to its neighborhoods, buildings and squares. Walking along Cruz Conde Street is a real spectacle of light and sound for its special lighting, with a total of 800,000 points of light.

In addition to the traditional lighting, Cordoba adds its nativity scenes, flamenco carols, craft markets, attractions and now also its courtyards. An initiative that is resumed after the pandemic and that offers Cordobeses and tourists the opportunity to know how the holidays are lived in this room so characteristic of the Cordovan houses.

Specifically, 41 enclosures open their doors on 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 29 and 30 December from 17.00 to 21.00 hours. Seven routes organized so that Cordoba can show visitors the beauty of its courtyards also at Christmas.

As tradition dictates during these holidays and as it was done in these famous courtyards visits to the courtyards of Cordoba will be enlivened with carols and tasting of anise and mantecados. Christmas atmosphere that undoubtedly is an incentive to visit these courtyards, decorated, in addition, with Christmas motifs, cribs and poinsettias and Easter flowers blooming among its plants.

Patios, flowers, crafts and Al Andalus flavor.

In addition to the beauty of the Cordoban patios at Christmas and the opportunity to visit them at this time, the city adds activities and traditions also closely related to its multicultural character and origins.

The joy fills its streets with popular Christmas carols that usually have a flamenco touch that increases the euphoria of these dates and in many of its squares Cordoba also makes known another of the tourist attractions of the area, the crafts, with traditional and very popular markets such as Las Tendillas or La Victoria.

Cordoba sounds and also tastes, but it does it in the purest Mozarabic style, with mantecados and sweets dominated by anise, almonds, cinnamon or sesame, ingredients that take us back to Cordoba’s past.

To leave the Caliphate city with that good taste in our mouth that Christmas is going to leave us, we can only taste the typical turrolate, a traditional sweet of the subbetic area of Cordoba, made from cocoa and almonds or peanuts, sugar and cinnamon, which will undoubtedly make our visit remain in our memories.