19 Gorgeous Patios in Cordoba You Can Visit All Year Long

A girl in a red dress twirls in a courtyard full of flowers and greenery.

A girl in a red dress stands behind arches, in a courtyard with tiles and greenery.

Besides the Mezquita Mosque-Cathedral (which is SO stunning), Cordoba is most known for her patios. These patios in Cordoba vary from smaller courtyards in private residences, to large courtyards in museums or public buildings.

Sometimes the patios are covered in flowers, plants, and flowerpots, and sometimes they feature pretty architecture. Together they create a tapestry of beauty across this charming city, and visiting at least some of the patios is a must-do during your days in Cordoba.

In May of each year, Cordoba hosts their annual Patio Festival, where 50+ private patios around the city open their doors to the public, and the patios are overflowing with insanely gorgeous flower displays.

However, if you aren’t visiting during May, never fear! There are beautiful patios that are open to the public outside of the Patio Festival in May, and will definitely help you scratch the patio itch that you never knew you had.

I found the presence of all the patios around Cordoba really fascinating, considering the heavy north African presence that Spain had for hundreds of years. In Morocco, “riads” are historical houses that have a small, open-air courtyard in the middle, and usually arched passageways around the perimeter of the courtard. The vast majority of accommodation options in Morocco are in riads. So it was super interesting to me to see a very similar style of homes and buildings here in Cordoba as in north Africa.

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19 Incredibly Beautiful Patios in Cordoba

In this post, I’m sharing some of the best patios to explore in Cordoba, including big, grand, public patios, and small, intimate, private patios. While they vary in size and composition, all are extremely beautiful and worth your time to visit.

Tip: Pay attention to the opening hours for these patios – some are closed during the afternoon, or have unique hours.

1. Palacio de la Merced

A rather large courtyard with pink and white marble tiles, a black marble fountain in the middle, orange arches on top of white columns, with green windows on the second level of the building.

Palacio de la Merced was built in the mid-1700’s and was used as a convent. Today it is a government building in Cordoba that often hosts exhibitions. Visitors can admire the impressive Baroque exterior façade or visit the patios inside.

Entrance is from the right side of the building (when looking at it). You’ll enter into a smaller, more plain patio – continue through the hallway to reach this second patio (pictured above). This grandiose patio was the cloisters of the convent, and is really the most beautiful part of Palacio de la Merced.

The large marble courtyard, striking orange, cream, and green arches, doors, and ornamentation, arches and sets of columns, and the deep black marble fountain make for a very striking scene.

Entrance Fee: Free
Hours: Vary depending on the day

2. Palacio de Viana

This patio has lovely white arches with tan columns underneath, green vines growing on top of the arches, and blue windows in the buildling above. Tehre are potted plants set throughout the patio, and a tall palm tree in the center.

The Palacio de Viana is a gorgeous 14th century palace, with 12 different named patios you can wander through and delight in. The patios are all unique and incredibly stunning. There are many fountains, flowers galore, greenery everywhere, and arched passageways, and pretty tilework on the flooring.

The Reception Courtyard (above) was my favorite of the bunch, but there’s really no bad courtyard in the building.

On the left is the Courtyard of the Bars. named for the windows looking out to the street that have bars over them. On the right is the Patio of the Gardener, named for the vertical gardens that climb up the walls of the courtyard.

A rather large courtyard has an archway on the left side, vairous designs in the floor, a rectangular water basin in the center, with small jets of water sprinkling into the pond. In the background is a small portico with steps leading up to it.

This beautiful patio, the Patio of the Columns, was actually very recently constructed. It was built in the 1980’s to give the palace a large area for celebrations and events.

Entrance Fee: 7 euro
Hours: 10am-7pm Tues-Sat, 10am-3pm Sun-Mon

3. Patio at Calle de San Basilio, #44

This small, private patio has cobblestoned flooring, a little well off to the side, and two stories that are covered in greenery, colorful pink, purple, and red flowers, and has a little staircase down the center.

Number 44, San Basilio is one of Cordoba’s famed private patios that open their doors to visitors. This patio literally took my breath away with the flowers and greenery cascading down over the walkway and arches. The staircase, the little well in the center of the courtyard, and the cobblestoned floor just added to the charm.

This patio Cordobeses is one of the most beautiful (and Instagrammable!) spots in all the city, and was a favorite spot to visit.

Entrance Fee: Free
Hours: 10:30am-2pm, 5-8pm, closed Tuesdays, only open 10:30-2pm Sunday

4. Patio at 40, Calle de San Basilio

Patio de La Costurera, translated as the Tailor’s Patio, is one of the cutest patios you will come across in Cordoba. Located at 40, Calle de San Basilio, it is small and narrow, with a little fountain near the entrance giving it a cozy feel to it.

It is the perfect little garden to sit down and read a book with a cup of tea on a hot day. Green plants cascade down the walls between colorful flowers.

There is a small room with the old well and washing place where you can admire old artifacts. The patio is best visited on one of the guided Cordoba tours taking you through the patios of San Basilio, but you can also visit by yourself. It is customary to leave tips in the tip jar to support their brilliant work.

By Linn Haglund of Amused by Andalucia

5. Patio at 20, Calle de San Basilio

Calle San Basilio 20 is a wonderful little patio with decorated arched windows and a lemon tree climbing up the corner of the courtyard to provide protection from the sun. The owner is very involved and loves to explain all the different plants and flowers covering the walls.

If you are looking for where to stay in Cordoba Spain, this is one of the most unique places you can check in. They have a lovely, spacious apartment for rent so that you can enjoy the cute courtyard for more than just a few minutes.

Opening hours: Monday and Wed-Sat-: 10:30-14:30 and 17:00-19:30; Sunday: 10:30-14:00; Tuesday: Closed

By Linn Haglund of Amused by Andalucia

6. Patio at 17, Calle de San Basilio

This picture looks through the stone and bricked archway into a small, private patio, that has beautiful wood accents and hanging greenery pots everywhere.

Located in an 18th century courtyard house, the small patio at San Basilio 17, the Casa Longa guest house, reflects Cordoba’s Roman and Moorish past.

The house was remodeled in the 20th century, but the patio retains its original form. It’s been a prize winner in Cordoba’s annual festival of the patios since the 1990s. Even when the patio itself isn’t open to the public, it’s often visible through the metal gate inside the building entrance.

Entrance Fees: None
Hours: 11am-2pm, closed Tuesday and Wednesday

By Cindy of Exploration Vacation

7. Patio on Calle Martin de Roa, #2

This is a small patio with white walls on several sides and a stone wall on the far side. There's a star design in the floor tilework, and blue flowerpots are hung far up on the wall and are filled with bright colorful flowers and plants.

This patio is just around the corner from the patios on Calle de San Basilio, and is a lovely garden oasis. This patio is a little different in that it has very tall walls, and it’s not a square shape, rather it has a zig zag shape.

This patio had lovely blue flower pots, a beautiful flower design on the floor tilework, and a cute, tall, blue ladder around the corner.

Entrance Fees: Free, although they did have a donation plate out

8. De Patios Tour

The De Patios Tour is a series of 5 patios that you can enter on one ticket as a self-guided tour. You buy the ticket at 14 San Basilio, and they give you a map of the five patios you can visit in the neighborhood. All the patios are within a 5 minute radius of each other.

The location of 14 San Basilio is a little funky (it’s not where I thought it would be based on the rest of the street numbers on San Basilio street), so definitely look at the map at the end of this post to see where the ticket office is.

All of these patios are small, intimate, and serene oases, filled with flowers, greenery, flowerpots, arches, fountains, staircases, ladders, and other accents and features.

You are welcomed to each patio by the owner, and if you speak Spanish, they will tell you about the flowers and arrangements. Whether you speak Spanish or not, most owners will offer to take pictures for you in the patios, which is really nice!

I’m just going to leave the pictures of the five patios that are part of De Patios below, without further commentary. These are some of the best private patios to visit in Cordoba, and I think the pictures speak for themselves!

Entrance Fee: 6 euro
Hours: 10am-2pm, 5-8pm, closed Tuesdays, Sunday open only 10am-2pm

De Patios: Patio 1

A patio with tan arches and white walls is completely covered with brown flowerpots holding pink and red flowers. Greenery also abounds.

De Patios: Patio 2

A small corner of a patio, wth brown wooden doors, wrought iron winodws, and brown flower pots filled with geraniums.

De Patios: Patio 3

A woman in a red dress walks past a dog in the middle of one of the most beautiful patios in Cordoba that has white walls and is filled iwth blue flowerpots holding geraniums.

De Patios: Patio 4

A woman in a red dress walks down a staircase at the back of a courtyard in Cordoba, that has white walls, cobblestoned flooring, plants and trees and flowerpots all over the walls.

De Patios: Patio 5

A woman in a red dress stands in the middle of a courtyard, holding onto a ladder, with greenery and flower pots all around her.

9. Patio de Los Naranjos

An archway with 3 arches is in the foreground, and a large courtyard filled with symmetrical lines of orange trees is in the background. Tall, skinny cypress trees go down the middle of the patio.

Patio de los Naranjos is the largest and most public patio on this list, as it is the courtyard located inside the walls of the mosque. This Cordoba patio is filled with orange trees (thus the name – naranjos), and a line of cypress trees down the middle of the space. There are also a couple of fountains, views of the bell tower, and a lovely orange scent in the air.

You can easily visit the courtyard before or after your visit to the Mezquita Mosque-Cathedral. As the mosque is quite a big attraction in Cordoba, the patio can also get pretty busy during the middle of the day. It’s quietest near closing, or before the Mezquita opens at 10am.

Entrance Fee: None
Hours: 8:30am-6pm

10. Casa Andalusi

A small, low, black fountain sits in the mdidle of a small courtyard, with bricked arches in the background and greenery growing wild on the left side of the courtyard. Plants in pots line the sides of the right side of the patio.

Wandering the narrow, charming white streets of the Jewish Quarter in Cordoba, Spain will lead you to El Museo Casa Andalusi.

Each room in the small museum has its own beautiful charm. Upon entrance, visitors experience tranquility among flowing water and vibrant greenery at Casa Andalusi’s beautiful patio. Its beautiful Moorish architecture creates a lovely atmosphere.

This is definitely a bit of a hidden gem courtyard in Cordoba. Its complimentary water filling station in the lobby makes all the difference on hot summer days.

Casa Andalusi’s address is Calle Judios, 12, 14004.

Entrance Fee: 4 euro
Hours: 10am-7:30pm

By Alyssa of An Apple a Plane

11. Casa Arabe (Casa Mudejar)

A patio with a sunburst shape in the cocbblestoned floors, a brick archway in the back, and white walls of the patio. There is just one bush on the left side of the patio.

Casa Arabe is a governmental agency that is “the strategic center for Spain’s relations with the Arab world.” The agency helps the different public and private institutions and persons establish lines of cooperation and undertake joint projects.

The agency is located in Casa Mudejar, a historic building from the 14-16th centuries that includes 5 different houses joined by passageways and staircases. There are four different courtyards to visit in Casa Mudejar.

The main courtyard (first picture under the heading) has a really cool sunburst design in the cobblestoned patio, along with stone archways and windows with pretty shutters.

Another little courtyard had several trees and a small, colorfully tiled fountain. Overall, Casa Arabe/Casa Mudejar has several charming courtyards and is well off the tourist path, so you can enjoy the lovely spaces in peace and solitude.

Entrance Fee: Free
Hours: 10am-2pm, 4:30-8pm, closed Saturday

12. Meryan Artisan Leather Shop

A star-shaped, tiled fountain sits in the middle of a small patio, with marble flooring around it, and white arches on tan columns surounding the courtyard, potted plants all around, and arched blue windows in the walls behind.

As dazzling as Cordoba’s “show” patios are, there is something to be said for the charming, tranquil patios concealed inside most of the city’s traditional houses. These patios are not as elaborate and lush as the patios that participate in the festival, but they have a very authentic and intimate atmosphere.

You can find one such lovely patio inside the artisan leather shop, Meryan, at Calleja de las Flores, 2. This family run business specializes in traditional craftsmanship of leatherwork that dates back to the days of Moorish Cordoba. The shop is located in a traditional Moorish house. At the back, there is a gorgeous courtyard with arched porticoes, Moorish-style windows, a babbling star-shaped fountain, and a plethora of potted plants.

It’s a very picturesque and inviting space that feels so authentic and lived in that you find yourself looking for laundry lines.

Entrance Fee: You don’t have to buy anything from the shop to visit the courtyard, you are free to wander as you like.
Hours: 9am-8pm every day but Sunday, when the shop closes at 2pm

By Margarita Steinhardt of The Wildlife Diaries

13. Patio at the Ceramic Atelier

You will find another great small patio, almost hidden, in Juderia, at Calle Maese Luis 22. This house has been included in the cultural patronage of Cordoba, and it is also an artisanal interest place in the historic centre of the city. If you are spending only one day in Cordoba, it’s a great place to visit as the atelier is very central.

The house is now a ceramic atelier, with a small but very pretty patio. On the back wall there is a lemon tree, landscaped so that it looks like it’s part of the building. The other trees in the garden have small ceramic cups hanging from them. In one of the corners there is a small well. The floor is paved with a mosaic made from stones, with colorful flowers on the sides.

By Joanna of Andalucia in My Pocket

14. Zoco Municipal de Artesania

this picture looks through one arch into the corner of a courtyard, where blue flowerpots are hung against bricked steps, and a fountain basin is in front.

El Zoco is a known as the “souk” of Cordoba, and is an artisanal market square in the Jewish quarter, just down the street from the synagogue of Cordoba. There are multiple artisans at work in their shops surrounding the two-storied patio, selling different hand-made wares.

The patio itself is small and cute, and is accessed from a narrow, “hidden” passageway and takes you into a little patio with archways, and blue flower pots with geraniums hanging on the walls.

Entrance Fee: Free
Hours: 10am-8pm

15. Convento de Santa Marta

Convento de Santa Marta is one of the oldest monasteries in Cordoba, dating from the 15^th century. It is located in the lower part of the city, and it is still an active nunnery run by women. It has a wonderful large patio, with orange trees and a multitude of flowerpots on the walls as well as in the centre part of the courtyard. The patio is very green, with plants literally everywhere.

The patio can be visited during church hours, or during the Cordoba Patio Festival.

It is worth checking out the church as well, which features an impressive altar sculpted from floor to ceiling in the 16^th century.

Address: 10, Calle Santa Marta

By Joanna of Andalucia in My Pocket

Beautiful Hotels in Cordoba with Patios

There are several hotels in Cordoba that have lovely patio courtyards for guests to enjoy and relax in during the day. If you’re wanting to stay in a great property with some historic charm, then these hotels with patios are all great options for you.

Bonus is that accommodations in Cordoba are all very budget-friendly, and so you can book a lot of these hotels without spending too much money.

16. Mayflowers Hotel

A hotel room with a double bed, marble flooring, an old chandelier, a little table and chair int he corner, and two windows with shuttlers and curtains.

A very small courtyard with marble flooring, white arches, and a few tables and chairs are set up.

I stayed at the Mayflowers Hotel, and I was SO charmed with it. It’s small, with just a few rooms, but there are so many gorgeous little touches and antique pieces throughout. I loved the marble flooring in my room, the wooden shutters and flower boxes outside the windows, the old light fixture, and the tilework. Bonus is that it was on a quiet street just one street over from the many patios on Calle de San Basilio.

Check availability for the Mayflowers Hotel here

17. Eurostars Patios de Cordoba

A hotel patio witih carved arches, white walls, checkerboard tiled flooring, and little tables and chairs set up. It's night, and the room is lit cozily.

Image via Expedia

The Eurostars Patio de Cordoba is a beautiful hotel in the Jewish quarter, not far from the Roman Temple. The rooms are bright and modern, but the common areas feature 4 different lovely patios, with porticos, Moorish walls, marble flooring, and even a 4th century Roman mausoleum.

Check availability for the Eurostars Patio de Cordoba here

18. Hotel Posada de Vallina

A very cozy, earthy patio, that is long and skinny, has bricked archways along the sides, and white walls above it, ivy hanging down, potted plants, and mutliple chairs and places to sit.

Image via Expedia

The Hotel Posada de Vallina just oozes old world charm. Besides the truly lovel, rectangular courtyard with hanging ivy and lots of little seating spots, the hotel features heavy fabrics, old paintings, historic light fixtures, beamed ceilings, and lots of other little touches to make your stay feel just authentic.

A big bonus is that you will be practically across the street from the Mezquita – a prime location in Cordoba.

Check availability for the Hotel Posada de Vallina here

19. Hotel Boutique Patio de Posadero

The patio at Hotel Boutique Patio de Posadero has beautiful cobblestoned flooring, bricked arches, and stone walls, with greenery, plants, and trees placed throughout the room. The rest of the hotel is just as lovely, with a rooftop terrace, spiral staircases, a plunge pool, and luxurious guest rooms. There are beautiful spaces everywhere you turn in this hotel.

Check availability for Hotel Boutique Patio de Posadero here

Map of the Patios Cordobeses

Gorgeous Cordoba Patios – The Wrap Up

There are a lot of patios from Cordoba on this list – some big, others small, some well-known and others definitely hidden gems. While you may not get to every single patio on this list, you definitely need to add at least a few patios to your Cordoba itinerary!

19 Gorgeous Patios in Cordoba You Can Visit All Year Long