PORTUGA L


eyewitness | spain


the areas of the World Heritage-listed old town where followers of the three religions once lived. T e streets are wonderfully maze-like, the buildings faithfully restored, and old synagogues and churches hide down unpromising alleyways. T ere’s a serenity to Cordoba at night that gives


it an added atmospheric grace. T e warren of narrow streets peels off into courtyards with bubbling fountains and hanging baskets. It’s a very easy city to fall in love with, and the correct approach is much the same as it is with Seville’s Alcazar: don’t get too hung up on the facts and fi gures, amble around at your own pace and just let your admiration guide you. T e standout attraction is an utterly arresting


eye-popper. T e grand patio of Mezquita, the great mosque-cathedral, is typically Andalucian. Walls that have stood for centuries surround orange trees and trickling water channels. But this in no way prepares you for what’s behind the heavy, richly patterned entrance doors: the vision of hundreds of red and white arches, spanning across a vast fl oor, is as psychedelic as it is impressive. T is was once the main mosque in the


caliphate. T e mihrab — the niche in the wall indicating the direction of Mecca — is surrounded by exceptionally delicate mosaic tiling, which artists from the Byzantine Empire were brought in to construct.


Yet among the trippy overhead sky of arches


are some clues that this is no longer a mosque. Statues of the Virgin Mary adorn pillars and side-chapels are splashed with over-the-top, gold-swathed tombs. And then in the middle comes an abrupt


change of style. Fussily-carved wooden choir stalls face an altar lavished in red marble and statues of cherubs. T is is the cathedral. And it’s inside the former mosque — which gives an idea of just how gigantic the Mezquita is. It’s an extraordinarily evocative place: a word


that seems to apply time and time again to Spain’s historic inland cities, such as Granada, Segovia, Salamanca and Toledo. Complicated layers of history swirl around in the air, past grandeur mixing with very diff erent present-day personalities. And you don’t need a deluge of information to appreciate the magic. 


FASTFACTS


 CLIMATE: The summer months can be oppressively hot and dry — visitors can expect a fair few 100F-plus days in July, August and September. Fall and spring are usually pleasantly warm, plus this is typically the time when most of Andalucia’s colorful festivals take place.  CURRENCY: Euro. $1 = €0.88.  TIME: UTC+1.  DIAL CODE: +34.  GETTING THERE: American Airlines fl ies to Madrid from Dallas/Fort Worth, Philadelphia, Charlotte, New York JFK and Miami. Delta goes direct from Atlanta and New York JFK. United offers routes from Washington DC and Newark, while Spanish airline Iberia goes from Miami, New York, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles.  GETTING AROUND: High-speed trains from Madrid take 1h 45m to get to Cordoba and 2h 30m to get to Seville. Keep in mind that Spaniards vacation in July and August, so visitors can expect traffi c jams and heavy crowds. renfe.com  GEOGRAPHY: On the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe, Spain is


particularly mountainous, with the Sierra Nevada being the main range in Andalucia.  VISITOR NUMBERS: Spain received 64.9 million visitors in 2014.


From top: Local hams in tapas restaurant; gardens of the Alcazar Palace


 CONTACT: Spanish National Tourist Offi ce. T: 1 212 265 8822. spain.info


 SAMPLE: Globus Journeys runs a nine-day Best of Spain tour, including guided tours in Seville and Cordoba, from $1,619 per person, excluding fl ights. T: 866 755 8581. globusjourneys.com


Bay of Biscay A Coruña


Salamanca León


Santander Bilbao Burgos Segovia MADRID Toledo Cordoba Seville


ATLANTIC OCEAN


Granada Málaga MOROCCO Valencia Alicante


Mediterranean Sea


Palma FRANCE ANDORRA Zaragoza Barcelona s


200km


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MAP: JOHN PLUMER. IMAGE: AWL IMAGES; GETTY


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