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this cathedral is stunning

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Catedral De Valladolid Catedral De Granada Catedral De Salamanca Catedral De Cadiz Espana Cadiz Spain

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they filmed some scenes in star wars here!

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Seville Spain Attractions Alcazar of Seville Seville Cathedral Alcazar Castle Seville Hotel Alfonso XIII Seville Alcazar Seville Spain Plaza De Espana Madrid Plaza De Espana Andalucia Plaza De Espana Spain Plaza De Espana Seville Benches Plaza De Espana Seville Star Wars Aerial Plaza De Espana Seville Seville Square Plaza De

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This is the oldest restaurant in the world. It is located in Madrid!

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"Labyrinth Park of Horta" - Insane historical garden in the Horta-Guinardó district in Barcelona and the oldest of its kind in the city

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i want to go weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

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Cadiz City Tourist Guide - beaches, dining, history, culture, facts

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Discover the wonderful city of Cadiz, situated in the province of the same name in Andalusia, Spain. Learn about the history, culture, restaurants, beaches.

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this looks like something out of a sci-fi movie.

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Stunnin, Exotic Beach with amazing weather and with a ton of places to take pictures

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This sculpture is famous as a symbol of Santander, Spain in Cantabria.

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I would love to visit the beaches in Barcelona

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Beautiful, memorizing , Hard worked Cemetery with unique art and designs in every part.

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The Blue Chaffinch of Gran Canaria is endemic to the Canary Islands. The entire population located in Gran Canaria consists of around 200 individual birds.

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bull run

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The town of Toledo is known for its damascene jewelry, art, and blades which are decorated with gold and silver leaf.

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Traditional pig roast in Spain!

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this is the prettiest beach i have seen and would absolutely love to visit this one.

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coooooolll  me gusta

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Opened in 2015 in the port, this offshoot of the Paris Pompidou Centre is housed in a low-slung modern building crowned by a playful multicoloured cube. The permanent exhibition includes the extraordinary Ghost, by Kader Attia, depicting rows of Muslim women bowed in prayer and created from domestic aluminium foil, plus works by such modern masters as Frida Kahlo, Francis Bacon and Antoni Tàpies. There are also audiovisual installations, talking 'heads' and temporary exhibitions.

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Opened in 2015 in the port, this offshoot of the Paris Pompidou Centre is housed in a low-slung modern building crowned by a playful multicoloured cube. The permanent exhibition includes the extraordinary Ghost, by Kader Attia, depicting rows of Muslim women bowed in prayer and created from domestic aluminium foil, plus works by such modern masters as Frida Kahlo, Francis Bacon and Antoni Tàpies.

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Amazing aquatic views and Activities . Put on your list of places to go.

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http://www.sanfermin.com/en/

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This is a great place located in Madrid great to visit  if you are in need of some tranquillity.

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¡Empecemos a añadir!

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Arab baths in Granada. Spelled almost exactly like my last name.

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The "Bañuelo" or Arab baths in Granada, Spain: Monuments in Granada | spain.info in english

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spain.info in english. Monuments in Granada. Information on The "Bañuelo" or Arab baths in Granada on the official website for tourism in Spain. Art and culture in Spain. Holidays in Granada.

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The Aqueduct in Segovia.... Vocab word!

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The Segovia Aqueduct is huge, crossing the city from one side to the other. For almost 2,000 years it has defied the passing of time, bringing water and beauty to Segovia. It is situated just one hour from Madrid, and when you admire its array of perfect arches, you will understand why this legacy of ancient Rome is a must-see for hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.

Witness to the passage of age-old cultures, the Aqueduct towers majestically above the streets and monuments of Segovia, standing out amongst all of them for its sheer size and simplicity of style. This extraordinary work of engineering brings together beauty and utility, and is also known as the "Puente de Diablo" or Devil's Bridge.

Legend has it that Lucifer himself built the bridge in one single night, in order to win a young woman's soul. He failed, however, lacking the final stone when dawn came. Tradition also has it that the holes visible on the stones are the marks of the devil's fingers.

This is considered one of the Roman Empire's most impressive works of engineering. It was built at the end of the 1st century and was in use until the middle of the 19th. It is comprised of 166 stone arches on granite ashlars, set with neither cement nor mortar. They remain standing to this day thanks to an ingenious technique based on balancing forces.

The aqueduct is highest as it passes the popular Azoguejo square. From here its colossal pillars and imposing, austere granite ashlars confuse the perspective, making the rest of the city look little more than a miniature.

The aqueduct is, however, just one of the many reasons for visiting this historic Castile city. We should make special mention of the Cathedral, built at Segovia's highest point, and the Alcázar, a 12th century fortification built on a rocky outcrop with impressive views over the city. In 1985 Segovia was designated World Heritage City for its unique beauty.

A fusion of cultures

You should also explore the narrow streets of the old town, with their labyrinthine, mediaeval layout. These narrow streets are flanked by high walls and lead to hidden, unusual little spots and squares. The city wall, aristocratic houses with their heraldic shields, sandstone towers, convents, Romanesque churches, mudejar buildings and impeccable gardens all come together in a unique fusion of Roman, Moorish, Jewish and Christian cultures across the centuries.

Segovia is situated at the foot of the Sierra Guadarrama Mountains, less than 100 km from Madrid, and apart from its monuments, it also stands out for its delicious, traditional, home-style gastronomy which is appropriately renowned far and wide.

Segovia's farms produce the finest products and ingredients, which are then prepared by expert chefs according to age-old recipes. Giant broad beans from "La Granja de San Ildefonso", tender baby lamb or roast "cochinillo" (suckling pig), are the most sought-after dishes, usually enjoyed with wine from the nearby Ribera del Duero region.

Come and get to know this unique destination, not far from the Spanish capital - it is a gift for the spirit and a festival for the senses.

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The Segovia Aqueduct in Spain. | spain.info in english

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The Segovia Aqueduct is huge, crossing the city from one side to the other. For almost 2,000 years it has defied the passing of time, bringing water and beauty to Segovia. It is situated just one hour from Madrid, and when you admire its array of perfect arches, you will understand why this legacy of ancient Rome is a must-see for hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.

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this is cool

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Toledo 2017: Best of Toledo, Spain Tourism - TripAdvisor

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Toledo Tourism: TripAdvisor has 94,198 reviews of Toledo Hotels, Attractions, and Restaurants making it your best Toledo resource.

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Has two museums mushed together about the culture and the geography of Valencia.

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7 foods you would want to try if you visit Madrid.

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Unlike beaches around where we live, the beaches in Valencia have clear water and clean sand

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Receta de Escudella I Carn d’Olla - Catalonian Shell Pasta & Meatball Soup Recipe

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Receta de Escudella I Carn d’Olla - Catalonian Shell Pasta & Meatball Soup Recipe

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This famous Spanish dish is over 600 years old, served as the main dish every Christmas in Spain.

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The Pamplona festival - also known as the San Fermin Festival or Sanfermines- is held in Pamplona, Spain every year from July 6-14. The most famous part of the festival is the bull run or encierro when 15 bulls charge through the streets of the old city. Although the festival begins on July 6, the bulls do not run until July 7 and then run for 7 consecutive mornings. While referred to as "bulls" of the 15 animals running only 6 are wild bulls while the other 9 are steers familiar with the 0.51 mile course (825 meters). Six tame steers run with six aggressive black bulls to minimize injury to both animals and runners. Another 3 steers are released a minute after the first group to herd any of the wild bulls that may have been separated from the herd. To watch the bull run, click here for our videos page.

The Course

The route measures a 0.5 mile (825 meters) through the cobblestone streets of Pamplona's historical center. Starting at 6 a.m. work crews clean all debris from the streets and install double rows of 7-foot high security fencing. Once the fences are installed, there are only a handful of entrance gates to the course. Looking at the map, the bulls start running out of their corrals on Santo Domingo street. They turn left into the City Hall square, run along Mercaderes, and then make a hard right on to Estafeta street. Many experienced runners believe this is the most dangerous part of the course. After this 90-degree turn, the bulls run a straight 330 yards (303 meters) up Estafeta towards the bull ring. They veer left on to Telefonica street and through a dangerous bottleneck tunnel called Callejon before entering the bullring. Click here for our maps page to see the bull run course.

What You'll Experience

Click here for our videos page with footage of a bull run. Spyns' president, Ryan King, has often described the bull run as, "The start of the New York Marathon with bulls running through it." The streets are only about 25 feet wide (7-8 metres) and the runners are packed in very tightly. Here is the chronology of a typical run:

6:00-6:30 a.m. You arrive at the course. The crews are installing safety barriers. The sun is starting to rise.

7:00 a.m. People are sitting on the safety fences. You're packed in with another 3000 runners. The smell of sweat, fear, and last night's sangria are overwhelming.

7:30 a.m. The police are forcing people off the fences and loud speakers play announcements in different languages (Spanish, English, French, Japanese) telling people not to run drunk.

7:45 a.m. Medical crews take up station between the barriers. The air is thick with fear.

7:55 a.m. The crowd grows silent.

8:00 a.m. A rocket explodes, signaling the pens are open. (Yells) A second rocket explodes, the bulls are running (Yells)

8:01 a.m. The crowd starts to surge forward and lower down the course, the crowds yell as the bulls pass.

8:01 a.m. The crowd surges. Everyone is screaming. You start running.

8:01 a.m. The ground starts to shake as the bulls approach. You look backwards and see nothing but runners and a break in the crowd.

8:02 a.m. The bulls are behind you. They are enormous! Fear hits you like an electric shock. You run flat-out and then veer left as they overtake you.

8:03 a.m. The crowd starts yelling again. You think it's over but another 3 bulls are suddenly behind you. You run again but the more experienced runners slow you down, these are tame steer released to collect any stray bulls on the course. You've done it.

8:03 a.m. A third rocket explodes. The bulls are in the pens. A fourth rocket explodes. The run is over.

8:05 a.m. The barriers are removed. The music starts up again and the fiesta continues.

The History

The history of the Pamplona's run remains unclear. There is evidence of the festival from as far back as the 13th century when it seems the events took place in October as this coincided with the festival of San Fermin on October 10th. It seems that the modern day celebration has evolved from this as well as individual commercial and bullfighting fiestas which can be traced back to the 14th century. Over many years the mainly religious festival of San Fermin was diluted by music, dancing, bullfights and markets such that the Pamplona Council proposed that the whole event be moved to July 7th when the weather is far more conducive to such a celebration. The festival featured daily bullfights and the bulls were herded through the winding streets to the local bullring (formerly in the Plaza del Castillo). Locals helped the shepherds drive the bulls and this eventually became running in front of the bulls.

A Few Misconceptions

Some common misconceptions about the bull run:

You don't have to pay to run with the bulls, anyone sober over the age of 18 can run.

It is impossible to run with the bulls the entire length of the course, the bulls are just too fast.

"I'm going to wait just by the bull ring." You can only run if you are waiting between the bull pens on Santo Domingo and Mercaderes; the police remove anyone beyond this point (just before the turn on Estafeta). Click here for our maps page. The bull run is on our Pamplona city map.

"I'll just watch the run from the street." Unless you are on a balcony, you won't see the run as there are too many people crowding the route. You need to reserve a private balcony to see the run.

The Danger

Since 1924, 15 people have died running with the bulls and there are severe injuries every year. The cobblestone course is very slippery and the bulls fall, often taking runners with them. The bulls are also large, agressive, and have sharp horns. The last person killed during a bull run was an American named Matthew Tassio. He died in 1995 after being gored by a bull. The most dangerous days to run are at the beginning of the festival (July 6-8) or on Saturdays and Sundays when overcrowding is a serious problem.

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The Pamplona festival - also known as the San Fermin Festival or Sanfermines- is held in Pamplona, Spain every year from July 6-14. The most famous part of the festival is the bull run or encierro when 15 bulls charge through the streets of the old city.

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Las luces son muy bonitas

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Flamenco Dance Siguiriyas part two - TeacherTube

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In the city of Córdoba, there are many festivals that happen each week in the month of May. Each festival represents something of the city's culture or history. The city becomes a vacation from everyday life once a year.

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From 2010 to 2011, I was lucky enough to call Córdoba, Spain home. Nestled between Sevilla and Granada, two rockstar Spanish cities in the south, Córdoba often gets overlooked on traditional itineraries. Many times, tour buses just stop there for a day trip to visit the famous Mezquita mosque-cathedral if at all.

But believe me, Cordoba has way more to offer; it is a vibrant, traditional city, full of color. Unfortunately it took me about 6 months to truly fall in love with it.

Between having to commute an absurd amount of time to a job I hated, to a horrible apartment with awful roommates and no heat, to dealing with a long distance breakup, I pretty much was a disaster my first winter there. Grumpy and always frozen, I couldn't wait until spring. Luckily, all my coworkers and friends repeatedly told me over and over again, just wait til spring, wait until May. May is the best time to visit, they said.

And they were not wrong. Córdoba during most of the year rocks.
But May in Córdoba is PHENOMENAL.
The perfect month between rainy, chilly winter and before the scorching summer sun appears, May is the perfect time to visit Spain. Apart from the fact that city literally blossoms and smells like flowers, proving the old adage, April showers bring May flowers true, there is so much to do! Under blue skies, everyone goes outside, enjoying drinks and tapas on the plentiful terraces in the sunshine, and everyone gets excited for the festivals.

In May, there is a festival every week in Cordoba, turning the city into one giant vacation (details here). There is always something going on; it was just remarkable. I don't think I was sober any weekend (or week day for that matter) from late April to June.

If you like experiencing local culture and events, go to Cordoba in May. All of these festivals are very popular with Spaniards but there are hardly any foreign tourists.

Cata del Vino Montilla-Moriles (April 17-21, 2013)

Cata del vino is a wine tasting festival that kicks off a month of holidays. The Cordoba region is well known for its white wine varieties. Since southern Spain is so hot and dry, compared with La Rioja in the north where I lived last year, the grapes grow differently, and chilled, dry white wines are more popular. At the entrance you buy a ticket to get you in with 5 drink "tastings" and a free glass, and you can go from stand to stand and pick out and try hundreds of varieties of white wine. But remember that "tasting" size in Spain is no different from a regular glass size, so be careful.

In fact, the wine sellers are so friendly they don't usually even look at your ticket to see how many glasses you have left, letting you try as many wines as possible. This means bring food. We were naïve, and had to shell out for food there, which wasn't too cheap, whereas the seasoned locals, brought little coolers and bags of pre-sliced Spanish ham and full tortillas to share and snack on. Smart thinking.

In Spanish, cruces means "crosses," and in this colorful festival, the various catholic brotherhoods around town, cofradías, each place a giant cross made of flowers outside their church in a little square for a few days. These are the same people who walk in the processions during Semana Santa. In the religious paradox so often found in Spain, the brotherhoods also set up bars and stands next to the crosses outside with music blasting to raise money. Bring on the mixed wine drinks!

From the local tourist office you can pick up a map with the crosses' locations around Cordoba marked out, and it's great fun to go out with friends and hop from one cross location to another, eating and drinking all day long and all night long. At one of these stands near my apartment, I attempted to dance the famous flamenco sevillanas for the first time, after about a bucket of sangria first.

This is by far my favorite May event in Córdoba. With spring in full swing, all of the flowers around town come alive. Córdoba is traditional Spain at its finest, with an extensive old quarter filled with winding cobblestone streets and whitwashed walls that keep the houses cool in the hot summers. Many of the old houses and apartments are situated around an interior patio. You walk through the front gate, and the rooms and apartments are off to the sides of a square center.

In the past, these patios were turned into gardens with a well in the center, and were used for just about everything. Families planted beautiful pots of flowers everywhere, from pots hanging on the walls to huge burnt red terracotta vessels on the ground. In May, the flowers are in full bloom and literally cover these patios from head to foot in fragrant flowers. It's a wonder to behold, really.

Since these are private houses still in use today, the patios are closed to the public during the year, and are only opened for two weeks in May when the families compete in a contest for the most beautiful patio in Cordoba. The patios are marked by two little pine trees outside the gate, most are congregated in the old quarter - and they are all free to visit. You can pick up a map from the tourist office that has all the competing patios listed.

When I was in Córdoba, I took the time to visit each and every patio, hoarding thousands and thousands of pictures. It can get crowded, especially on the weekends, since busloads of Spaniards come to town to visit this famous festival, so it's best to go early or midday, or during the week unless you want a million heads in your photos.

But like always, Córdoba saves the best for last: the culminating festival in May is the most fun: la feria (fair). Nothing like the skeezy borderline dangerous fairs we have in the US, í are a true part of southern Spain. Each and every village and city in Spain has one or two major holidays during the year, and Córdoba's main festival is the feria. Ferias are popular in southern Spain, where girls break out their flamenco dresses and boys squeeze into the traditional gypsy costumes of their ancestors to celebrate.

The most famous Spanish feria is in Seville, the major city in Andalucía, but I wholeheartedly disagree that it's the best. In general, Ferias are set up in certain areas of town and are made up of tents ( casetas) where you go inside and order drinks, food, listen to music and of course, dance. In Sevilla, the casetas are private and you can only go inside if you know someone and are invited. Um, where's the fun in that?

Well in Cordoba, all the casetas are public AND there are hundreds, crisscrossed like streets. Every year the feria is set up across the river underneath a magnificently lit entrance that mimics the famous Mezquita in town. Since Córdoba is smaller than Sevilla, I always run into people I know out and about, making it really fun and familiar. The typical drink ordered in the casetas is called rebujito, which is the dry white wine typical from the region mixed with 7-up and ice. May sound gross but on a hot sunny day, it's delicious! Just be careful as it goes down like water! Also during feria, the bullfights begin, with many going on at the ring in town, if you are feeling adventurous.
How to get there
Córdoba is really well connected to the rest of Spain. It is on the AVE high speed train line to the south, less than 2 hours from Madrid, and an hour from Seville and Málaga on the south coast. Spain's train company is called Renfe. Córdoba is also really well connected by bus, you can check all the bus times and destinations here. If you want to fly to Spain, I usually would fly into Madrid, take the metro to the AVE train station at Atocha and catch the train to Córdoba, but if you want to fly closer to home, Málaga has a major international airport, and Seville and Granada also have small airports, some serviced by EasyJet, Iberia and the dreaded Ryanair. You can also hire a car in Spain in Malaga or Sevilla and easily drive to Córdoba, getting see some of the spectacular hill towns - but be sure to check the fuel terms and conditions.
Have you ever been to Córdoba, Spain? Would you like to go in May now? Where's the best to place to visit in spring?

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If You Go Anywhere in May, Go to Córdoba, Spain - Young Adventuress

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From 2010 to 2011, I was lucky enough to call CÃ³rdoba, Spain home. Nestled between Sevilla and Granada, two rockstar Spanish cities in the south, CÃ³rdoba often gets overlooked on traditional itineraries. Many times, tour buses just stop there for a day trip to visit the famous Mezquita mosque-cathedral if at all.

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As the story goes, in the fourth century AD, St Helen's son Constantine dreamed of a cross that would help him win a battle he was losing. He ordered his troops to build him a large cross, which they then carried into battle and conquered their enemy. The biggest celebration of the festival of the crosses is in Cordoba, Spain.

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This month, CNNGo heads to the vibrant city to sample its street life -- and the meals from breakfast to late night tapas that feed its daily eating out rituals.

From its Roman origins more than 2,000 years ago to a tangle of Moorish and Christian influences, Seville has a rich history, which explains the city's layers of enchanting architecture.

Sevillianos work hard to stay true to the city's flamboyant reputation as the center of the flamenco scene.

They also take pride in enjoying slow living.

Here are five of the locations in the show:
Plaza de Espana and Maria Luisa Park
Built as the centerpiece of the Ibero-American Expo of 1929, the plaza and its impressive building stretches around a 500-meter canal crossed by four bridges.

Small boats can be rented to row around the Plaza, or visitors can hop on a horse carriage and ride through the adjoining Maria Luisa Park, the greenest area of Seville.

Plaza de Espana is also known from several Hollywood movies.

It's been used over the decades as a location for films such as "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Star Wars."

The Metropol Parasol started as a controversial project to revitalize a parking lot at Seville's Plaza del Encarnacion and to provide a gateway into the city's northern half.

The 30-meter-high structure sits in stark contrast to the surrounding traditional buildings, towering over them like giant fungi, earning it the nickname "Las Setas" -- the mushrooms.

The Parasol acts as a welcome relief from the sun in the summer months and protects the Roman ruins underneath the building that were only discovered during excavations.

From the rooftop, there's an unrivaled 360-degree view of the city.

Metropol Parasol, Plaza de la Encarnacion and Avenida de María Luisa, Seville, Spain; +34 606 63 5214
EME Catedral Hotel Rooftop Terrace
This five-star modern boutique hotel in the heart of the city has a rooftop bar that looks directly onto Seville's most iconic landmark -- the Cathedral, or Catedral de Sevilla.

The EME terrace is the perfect spot to watch the sun go down and enjoy a cocktail to the beats of resident DJs.

EME Catedral Hotel Rooftop Terrace, Calle Alemanes 27, Seville, Spain; +34 954 56 0000

Known as a creative art space, this cafe and performance venue is unique in Seville.

Almost everything is for sale -- from the prints on the walls to the comfy sofas where customers spread out to enjoy afternoon coffee and cake.

Products in the cafe are almost all locally produced.

It has a trendy alternative feel when the DJ arrives and a new crowd settles in for the evening.

Red House Art & Food, Calle Amor de Dios 7, Seville, Spain; +34 692 23 9404

One of the hottest tapas bars in town is abuzz with Sevillianos and tourists who keep coming back for the fashionable cuisine.

It has a modern yet rustic interior style with a featured garden wall.

The owners -- Argentinian Juan Manuel Garcia and his partner Andaluza Genoveva Torres Ruiz -- have worked for many international names including Gordon Ramsay in Los Angeles.

Mamarracha Tapas Bar, Calle Hernando Colon, 1, Seville, Spain; +34 955 12 3911

Mary Biles, blogger and writer

Jesus Becerra (DJ G.SUS), DJ and music producer

Juan Delgado, fashion and food photographer

Rocio Molina, flamenco dancer and choreographer

Guest appearances from DJ Oliversam and model Maria Calderon

"Esos Ojillos Verdes (Alegrías)"

"No Tengo Quien Me Quiera (Malagueña)"

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CNNGo in Seville: Tapas, DJs and the best sunset view

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This month, CNNGo heads to the vibrant city to sample its street life -- and the meals from breakfast to late night tapas that feed its daily eating out rituals. From its Roman origins more than 2,000 years ago to a tangle of Moorish and Christian influences, Seville has a rich history, which explains the city's layers of enchanting architecture.

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Puente Romano (Roman Bridge) Official Tourist Website for the city of Cordoba - Accommodation, restaurants, places of interest, activities, cultural programme and all other tourist information for visitors and professionals

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Barcelona, Spain

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CORDOBA, Spain If you enjoy combining cultural history, good food and good wine with a stroll through pretty old streets and some olive groves, then the province of Cordoba in Spain's southern region of Andalusia offers the perfect itinerary.

There is perhaps no region of Spain as rich in cultural history and diverse in geography as Andalusia, spread across a varied topography from the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts to dramatic mountain peaks and wide valleys of olive trees stretching as far as the eye can see.

Here are tips for getting the most out of a trip to eastern Andalusia from Reuters, whose 2,600 journalists in all parts of the world offer visitors the best local insights.

The city of Cordoba is less than two hours from Madrid aboard the high-speed "Ave" train, which offers a comfortable ride with excellent waiter service. (Map: goo.gl/maps/2Dd6x)

Founded by the Romans, Cordoba sits strategically on the Guadalquivir river linking the port of Cadiz to the interior. It was the heart of the Moorish (Arab) empire that ruled Spain for 800 years until the "reconquest" by the Christian forces of King Ferdinand V and Queen Isabella I in 1492.

The cultural legacy of Moorish Spain is still much in evidence, even if the society around it today is emphatically Christian and westernized.

BI-CULTURAL PLACE OF WORSHIP

Cordoba's Jewish Quarter is where you want to stay as it is inside the old city walls and everything is within walking distance. There are plenty of options, including the highly recommended NH Hotel Amistad that is conveniently located in the Plaza Maimonides. (www.nh-hoteles.es/)

It's only a short walk through the narrow streets of the old city to the Cathedral/Mosque, indisputably Cordoba's main attraction.

The 16th century cathedral is built on top of the Great Mosque of Cordoba, which was erected in the 8th century by the first emir of the city.

The mosque is stunningly preserved, a forest of 850 columns of granite and marble connected by arches of red stone and red-and-white brick, typical of Cordoba's Caliph architecture.

The two structures are so closely interlocked that only a few steps take visitors from one religion into another.

From the mosque, head towards the Palacio de Viana. Interesting sights on the way include the Plaza del Potro, mentioned in "Don Quijote", and the museum of local painter Julio Romero, famous for his realistic portraits of women.

In May, the streets are full of flowers and houses open their patios and decorate them in a 10-day competition, the "Festival of the Patios".

The Palacio de Viana, built in the late 15th century, was the home of the Marques of Viana who was close to King Alfonso XIII. (www.palaciodeviana.com/)

The house is built around 12 patio gardens, each with a distinct design varying from orange trees, palms and fountains to one with a huge 400-year-old Holm Oak. The rooms contain some magnificent tapestries, as well as period furniture and paintings.

To appreciate the intellectual might of Cordoba under the Moors, visit the Museum of al-Andalus in the Tower of Calahorra, on the banks of the Guadalquivir.

Also, about 15 minutes west of the city is the Medina al-Zahra palace built in the 10th century by Abd al-Rahman III. In his heyday, he impressed audiences with a room studded with diamonds and a mercury fountain that visitors thought was liquid silver.

For a tour of the city, local guides can be hired by the hour. Reuters used Juan Torres Carmona, a friendly multilingual guide with a flexible schedule. (torrescordobaguia@gmail.com)

The mosque is illuminated at night and there is a spectacular nighttime tour at 10 p.m., dubbed "The Soul of Cordoba."

There is dancing at the Centro Cultural de Flamenco in the Posada del Potro, the former horse stables in the Plaza del Potro. Alternatively, catch a flamenco show near the mosque at El Tablao El Cardenal every night at 10:30.

If you like horses, there's also a popular nighttime show of Andalusian thoroughbreds with flamenco music at the Royal Stables.

BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER

Cordoba offers a wide range of casual outdoor cafés to fine dining where you can sample regional dishes, some of the best in Spain.

At Casa Pepe de la Juderia at Calle Romero 1, famous local bullfighters are featured on the walls, including the legendary Manolete who died in 1955 after being gored. (www.casapepejuderia.com/)

Among the best restaurants is Bodegas Campos at Calle Los Lineros 32, where the walls are also adorned with bullfighting poster bills dating back as far as 1899. (www.bodegascampos.com/)

Prepare your palate with a glass of Torre de la Barca, a young white wine from the region, accompanied by partridge pate with a dark Pedro Ximenez sherry sauce and olive oil powder. You should try the salmorejo soup, a cream of gazpacho with egg, ham and olive oil.

Meat and poultry are the specialty of this region but if you're not in the mood for a big steak, it's common in Spain to share a series of small dishes instead of a main course.

Some popular local dishes worth trying are fried eggplant with molasses (berenjena frita en miel) and an egg and breadcrumb roll of pork loin wrapped with thinly sliced Spanish ham (flamenquin de Iberico) with homemade garlic mayonnaise.

Lunch options include outdoor tapas bars or more formal restaurants such as El Churrasco at Calle Romero 16. (www.elchurrasco.com)

Follow the menu suggestions of Pedro, the head waiter and entertaining showman. Start with a glass of Montilla-Moriles fino, a local aperitivo halfway between wine and sherry, before trying the smoked sardines on toast with guacamole and tomato jam (sardines guacamole caramel de tomate).

The kid goat or beef tenderloin (lomo de buey) goes down well with a glass of Ribero del Duero Torre de Golban (crianza). A good accompaniment could be sliced potatoes with egg and garlic (patatas a lo pobre) or white beans (habitas) in virgin olive oil with bits of ham and cooked in egg.

For dessert, the fried milk flambé with anise is a treat.

OTHER OPTIONS

Priego de Cordoba, a 90-minute drive into the mountains southeast of Cordoba, is a picturesque town in a major olive oil region with half a dozen important mills, known as Al Masara in Arabic. (Map: goo.gl/maps/DJaPr)

Cordoba is proud of its olive oil and nowhere more so than Priego, which like wine has its own regional denomination and is considered the best in Spain.

This region of Andalusia also produces some fine white wines such as Barbarillo Castillo de San Diego.

Visits to the oil mills, as well as olive oil tastings, can be organized. The Al Masara Virgin del Carmen, owned by Manuel Montes Marin, has won a host of international awards for its oil. The most famous is Portico de la Villa, sold at gourmet stores across Europe, including Harrods in London.

The age of the olive trees varies from 40 to 200. The 16,000 trees are spread over 170 hectares (420 acres) and carefully spaced to provide enough soil to nourish each one, creating a dotted patchwork over the hillsides.

In Priego, be sure to visit the 16th century Baroque fountain pools set in a shady hollow just off the Calle Rio.

Take a walk through the Moorish old part of town, La Villa, where the walls are covered with hanging potted geraniums, or visit the Church of the Asuncion to see its Rococo chapel with a child in the middle bearing grapes and wheat.

The 15th century Church of the Virgin de la Aurora is worth seeing for its stunning altar, bathed in gold.

Zuheros, a winding 40-minute drive northwest of Priego, is one of the prettiest Spanish villages that are famous for white painted walls known as the "pueblos blancos".

An Arab castle with a 15th century Renaissance addition dominates the entrance to a mountainous gorge and olive groves spread out as far as the eye can see in the valley below.

EATING IN PRIEGO

Outdoor lunch options in Priego include the Rio Café in the Calle del Rio. The scrambled eggs with collard greens, shrimp and ham (revuelto de collejas) are a must.

Alternatively head over to La Fuente de Zagrilla restaurant in Zagrilla Alta, a small village on the outskirts of town.

If you are lucky, you will be attended by the larger-than-life owner Francisco Rojas, who is full of stories about local food. His thin, white garlic gazpacho zagrillero with almonds and apple bits and vinegar is a speciality.

Prepare yourself for the plata zagrillero, a meat eater's delight with sirloin steak (solomillo), chorizo and blood sausage (morcillo).

Rojas also boasts that his tasty, light cheesecake is the best in Europe - which may indeed be true. Or end the meal with a vanilla ice cream and raisin sorbet topped with Pedro Ximenez, an aged fino.

In the summer, a siesta is a good idea to get out of the sun for a while. There's no hurry to get back outside. In the summer months, the sun doesn't set until almost 10 p.m. and outdoor bars/cafés stay open until 2 or 3 a.m.

Have a local Alhambra beer at the Hostal Rafi, which also serves excellent Spanish ham with bread soaked in local extra virgin olive oil.

If you still have the energy, a good place to end the day is one of the local "peña" bars, where you can hear locals sing freestyle flamenco.

(Editing by John O'Callaghan)

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CORDOBA, Spain If you enjoy combining cultural history, good food and good wine with a stroll through pretty old streets and some olive groves, then the province of Cordoba in Spain's southern region of Andalusia offers the perfect itinerary.

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The buildings, structures, and fountain look beautiful. I would lovee to visit this site some day.