‘I visited one of Spain’s most charming towns for 24 hours and was blown away by it’

As I recently reached a milestone birthday, my partner very generously organised a surprise trip to Spain.

I’ve been there a few times, sticking to well-trodden spots such as Barcelona, Tenerife and Gran Canaria.

But this time around, our stops included a destination I’d heard of but had never considered. It turned out to be a huge highlight.

We started the trip in bustling Madrid, staying four nights in self-catering accommodation near Plaza de España.

After three days of exploring the Spanish capital’s main attractions, including the Prado Museum, Royal Palace, and El Retiro Park, we headed South-west by train from Atocha Station to Cordoba in Spain’s Andalusia region.

While we only had one night here, the city left us wanting more, thanks to its picturesque streets, charming squares and calmer, more intimate atmosphere compared to Madrid. We’re both at that age now!

Once the largest city in Roman Spain and for 300 years the heart of Islam’s empire in the West, the city lies on a loop of the Guadalquivir River.

Its biggest attraction is the Mezquita, a grand mosque supported by a forest of pillars that heightens the building.

The entrance to the Mezquita is via a “patio” courtyard full of orange trees where worshippers would have carried out their ablutions before heading inside for prayers.

In mid-January, the only people gathered in the Patio de los Naranjos were tourists like ourselves. I imagined the place would be swamped with travellers at the height of the tourist season, but we were lucky enough to escape the hordes.

Inside, the Mezquita is incredibly atmospheric, with row upon row of pillars leading towards a domed cluster of pillars around a beautiful mihrab, which signals the direction of Mecca and would have amplified the imam’s prayers.

A striking part of this building, though, is the Renaissance Catedral Coro, which was built in 1523 despite opposition from town leaders and sits smack bang in the middle of the mosque.

King Carlos V and local clergy backed its construction, as they wanted to assert the Catholic Church’s dominance after the Christians seized the region from the Moors.

For me, the coro was striking not because it’s something to admire – because I don’t think it is – but simply because it’s so unusual to find a church inside a mosque.

Another highlight of our time in Cordoba was the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos, a medieval fortress a few minutes from the Mezquita.

It was used as a prison until the early 1950s and was a residence of the infamous Spanish Inquisition between 1428 and 1821.

The buildings themselves are okay, with some stunning mosaics and relics worth a look, but the best thing about this spot is its magnificent gardens.

Palm, cypress, orange, and lemon trees provide shade from the sun, while fountains and pools cool the garden.

From the Alcázar, it’s another short walk to the recently restored Puente Romano, a Roman bridge offering views of the town. It wasn’t too busy when we went, but again, I can imagine it gets busy in summer.

A final highlight of Cordoba for me was wandering its narrow streets and alleyways, people-watching and stopping for coffee.

We self-catered while there, so I can’t recommend anywhere to eat. The best coffee, though, was at Pepita’s Espartería, which is seconds away from Plaza de la Corredera.

Our accommodation was at La Casa Del Aceite, a hacienda-style building not far from the Mezquita and Cordoba’s Jewish Quarter, where one of Spain’s three remaining synagogues is located. Our pad was about 20 minutes from the train station on foot.

Getting to Cordoba from Madrid was easy. We boarded a train at Atocha Station and were in Cordoba in about two hours. There’s also an airport in Seville and train connections from there to Cordoba.