14 Picture Perfect, Instagrammable Places in Cordoba, Spain

Heading to southern Spain and looking for the most Instagrammable places in Cordoba? I’ve got some great suggestions for you – read on for details!

Of all of the places I visited when traveling around Andalucia, Spain, Cordoba miiiiiiiiiiight have been my favorite (but seriously, don’t make me pick, everywhere was incredible!).

The combination of incredible historical Islamic and Christian sites, picture perfect streets, and patios and flowers everywhere made Cordoba one of the most charming cities I have ever had the privilege of visiting. There really are Instagrammable places in Cordoba almost every way you look.

I visited Cordoba at the beginning of April, which was the perfect time to visit – the trees and flowers were all in bloom, and the weather was nice but not too hot.

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14 Most Instagrammable Places in Cordoba

I spent 2.5 days in Cordoba, crisscrossing the city to find all the best and most beautiful photo spots in town. Here are my absolute favorite Instagrammable places in Cordoba:

1. Mezquita Mosque-Cathedral

The Mezquita Mosque-Cathedral is an incredible, jaw-dropping building from when the Moors inhabited Southern Spain. This building was originally built as a mosque, and when the Christians re-conquered the area, they converted it into a cathedral.

They kept many of the original, Islamic architectural features, and then plunked down a dome, cross, and alter area, typical of what you would find in any European cathedral, right in the middle of the Mezquita.

What really struck me when visiting the Mezquita is how BIG it is – pictures really do not capture how sprawling this church is. And practically the entire thing is filled with row after row after row of these candy cane arches. The effect of this large room filled with the striking and incredibly unique arches was absolutely awe-inspiring.

While it is large, this is a popular spot and so it can get crowded. I recommend coming right at opening to avoid most of the crowds. Also, most groups and visitors tend to stay closer to the entrance, but if you head to the area kitty-corner the entrance, you will find less people.

PRO TIP: Definitely buy your tickets for the Mezquita online and in advance, as tickets can sell out. You can buy your skip the line entry tickets here.

2. Calleja de Las Flores

Not too far from the Mezquita is this beautiful alleyway – the Calleja de Las Flores. Blue flowerpots filled with colorful geraniums are hung on the wall, greenery cascades from windowsills, and several arches gracefully cover the street. The cherry on top? The alleyway perfectly frames the bell tower of the cathedral.

I visited during the late morning (when this picture was taken), and again the next day right after sunrise. I actually found that the lighting was better closer to noon, as the light at sunrise was washing out the tower a lot more.

We had to wait a few minutes for tour groups and other tourists to clear out of the alleyway, but with a little patience, we were able to get the shot during midday. Plus, since the alley is fairly narrow, it’s not too hard to block other people behind you with your body, making it easier to get that Instagrammable photo.

3. Roman Bridge

The Roman Bridge dates all the way back to the 1st century BC – making it one of the oldest structures in the city. This scenic bridge has the Puerta del Puente (or “Bridge Gate”) on one side, which was the main gate to the city, and the Torre de Calahorra (Calahorra Tower) on the other.

On the tower side of the bridge, there is a sidewalk running parallel to the river which gives fantastic views of the arches under the bridge and a view to the old town (including the Mezquita in the background). This is a great spot to grab a photo that includes a good angle of the bridge with the backdrop of the city.

4. Alcazar of the Christian Monarchs

The Alcazar of the Christian Monarchs (or, the Alcazar de Los Reyes Christianos in Spanish) is a castle fortress and garden constructed in 1328, and was one of the primary residences of the monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella.

To be honest, after seeing so many of the gorgeous palaces and homes in other areas around Southern Spain, we found the castle part of this alcazar to be rather underwhelming. It was fairly plain and simple in comparison.

However, the gardens are absolutely lovely and are definitely a beautiful photo spot in Cordoba. The area pictured above has a long basin that cascades over multiple levels, and is lined with flowers, a walkway, and trees.

Another beautiful spot in the gardens is this long basin lined with tall hedge pillars!

5. Patio Outside the Alcazar of the Christian Monarchs

Just outside the entrance of this Alacazar of the Christian Monarchs is a charming little plaza with views of the castle in the background, lines of benches, and palm and orange trees everywhere. This makes a great photo spot in Cordoba.

6. Palacio de la Merced

Palacio de la Merced used to be a convent and is now used as a governmental building in Cordoba. Today, you 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), and the patio pictured above is the second patio you’ll walk through in the building.

With its large marble courtyard and distinctive orange, cream, and green arches, doors, and ornamentation, Palacio de la Merced is a beautiful gem that offers a great Instagrammable spot in Cordoba.

7. With Churros and Chocolate at a Café

There’s nothing that screams Spain quite like relaxing at a café with a cup of thick, creamy hot chocolate in your hand and a pile of freshly prepared churros to dip in.

Churros Bar Marta is a cute churro café on a nice little side street that where you can both enjoy your breakfast and get an Instagrammable shot while you’re at it.

8. Palacio de Viana

The Palacio de Viana is a gorgeous 14th century palace with 12 patios you can wander through and delight in. The patios are all unique and different, and are really just stunning. You have fountains and greenery, flowers galore, arches and pretty tilework on the flooring.

This main courtyard was my favorite, but there are almost endless cute spots to get a good picture here.

9. Patio at Calle de San Basilio, #44

Number 44, Calle de San Basilio is one of Cordoba’s famed private patios that open their doors to visitors. This patio was free to visit and literally took my breath away with the flowers and greenery cascading down over the walkway and arches.

This is one of the most Instagrammable places in Cordoba, and was maybe my top favorite spot in the city.

10. Patio on Calle Martin de Roa, #2

This patio is just around the corner from San Basilio #44 and was also free to enter (although they did have a donation plate out, and I put a euro coin in it). This patio had lovely blue flower pots, a beautiful flower design on the floor tilework, and a cute, tall, blue ladder around the corner.

11. 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 walk of each other (and are extremely close to the other two patios mentioned above).

The actual 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 most Instagrammable places in Cordoba, and I think the pictures speak for themselves!

De Patios: Patio 1

De Patios: Patio 2

De Patios: Patio 3

De Patios: Patio 4

De Patios: Patio 5

12. Streets in La Juderia

La Juderia is the name of the neighborhood right around the Mezquita Mosque-Cathedral, and it also includes the city gate as well as the Roman Bridge. This neighborhood has charming white streets with colorful accents, flower pots on window sills, and patios galore (although most of these patios are in private residences, hotels, or restaurants).

This is also the most touristy part of Cordoba, with a lot of souvenir shops and lots of visitors. However, it’s still a very beautiful area to wander through, and exploring it first thing in the morning means you’ll be one of the few people on the streets and most of the souvenir shops won’t be open yet.

13. Castillo de Almodovar del Rio

Castillo de Almodovar del Rio is a fortress castle located about 30 minutes outside of Cordoba by car. If you have your own transportation, it is easy to get to and offers some really spectacular views and photo opportunities.

This castle was built by the Romans as a fort, then was built up as Moorish fortress in 760, and then later adapted and expanded again in the middle ages by the Christians. This is a COOL castle – many towers, all the pointed battlement notches, jousting grounds, a banquet hall, lots of picturesque windows, etc.

This is generally a lesser visited site in Spain, so it’s easy to find lots of places without people in them to grab a great picture.

14. Medina Azahara

Like Castillo Almodovar, Medina Azahara (or Madinat al-Zahra, in Spanish) is a ruined Moorish city located about 20 minutes outside of Cordoba. It is very close to Castillo Almodovar, so it’s easy to visit both sites with half a day.

When visiting Medina Azahara, you can wander the grounds of a ruined city, the palace, and the fortress, which was built and inhabited in the 10th century AD. It was inhabited for about 150 years, then abandoned for a new city being built on the other side of Cordoba. In the 1200’s the city was conquered, ransacked, and pillaged, all but forgotten until it was re-discovered and excavated in the 1900’s.

While many of the structures are only walls a few feet high, there are some impressively beautiful arches and rooms still standing that you can walk through and explore. This is a unique but still very Instagrammable place in Cordoba.

Map of the Most Instagrammable Places in Cordoba

Best Photo Spots in Cordoba – The Wrap Up

While sometimes I love just exploring and admiring beautiful places, other times I just want to feel more a part of it! Getting that great shot, whether for Instagram or just my personal memories, is one way that helps me connect. If this is you, too, you won’t go wrong with any of these picture perfect spots in Cordoba. Enjoy!

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