Earlier this year in late February/early March I was able to visit the south of Spain – specifically the cities of Córdoba and Granada for the first time. I always really enjoy visiting Andalusia, mainly because the pace is slower but also because there are elements of their Spanish that are similar to Caribbean Spanish and reminds me of home (we did end up inheriting a few of these traits!). I have also been to Andalusia in the past for genealogy having traveled to Huelva in June and San Juan del Puerto to learn more about my ancestors there.
This trip though was purely for fun and so I wanted to share some photos of my time in the south of Spain.
Córdoba, Spain
We headed to Córdoba from Madrid which was only about two hours on the train. Though Córdoba is fairly small, there is a lot of history in this space. The picture above is of Maimonides/Moses ben Maimon, a Sephardic rabbi and philosopher who was born in Córdoba in the 12th century. At the bottom of the photo, you can see the outline of Spain and the word “Sepharad” (the word for the Iberian Peninsula) where the Sephardic Jews called home before the expulsion of 1492.
Similarly, we were able to visit the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba which is absolutely beautiful inside! It was interesting seeing a tomb with the surname Correa engraved on it from the 17th century. I tried to learn more online about Marcos de Tores (Torres) Correa but couldn’t find anything else on him. Correa is not super common of a surname and so when I see it, I am excited to find out in what context this surname appears.
Below you can see a glimpse into the older traditional kitchens and the Zoco, decorated with flowers – a popular tradition in the city.
Not only did we see the historical Islamic side of Spain but we also saw the historical Jewish side as well. Below you can see part of an old synagogue, on the left is said to be where Torah ark would have been. Similarly, on the right you can see some of the original designs and if you look closely you can see the colors as well.
Interestingly, there was a museum in Córdoba named “Casa de Sefarad” where you could learn more about the Jewish experience at the time. Below you can see Isabel (Rebeca) Correa (another reference to my maternal surname!) as well what they were forced to wear once they were condemned by the Inquisition.
Finally, we got to see some of the historical Roman parts of the city as well. All in all, it was a great visit and we got it done in about 2-3 days. Our next stop was Granada – about 2 hours away on train!
Granada, Spain
Granada was such a spectacular city, I would go back in a heartbeat! The views, the food, the vibe, everything made this city absolutely fun and enjoyable. Granted, the weather was weird (we got hail!) but still, it was a great historical city to visit as well.
We walked up to see the Alhambra as the sun set and though we were met with many clouds, the view was still amazing. Below you can see some photos from inside the Alhambra; we booked a tour in Spanish which ended up being about 3-4 hours (our guide was so excited to share the history of La Alhambra that he went over!). We were able to learn and see so much and though the weather wasn’t great, we got lucky that we chose something indoors which provided us occasional breaks from the weather. Look at all that detail in the pictures below!
Of course, no visit in Spain could occur without stepping inside some church. On the left you can see a tomb from the 17 century, I was surprised when I was “Fernández de Ayala” – another surname combination in my family tree. On the right you can see one of the floats from Semana Santa (Holy Week), which they were getting ready for in the coming weeks from our visit.
Lastly, we got tickets to see a Flamenco show inside a cave with dinner which was pretty nice. It was of course a touristic experience, but the space was small and intimate and so it felt cozier than other Flamenco shows I have seen or heard about. The food was pretty good, so was the show and we got lucky to be seated towards the front so we got a non-obstructed view of the show!
Final Thoughts
All in all, I would definitely recommend Córdoba and Granada as cities to visit in Spain. Both are accessible from Madrid and the train tickets were not too expensive. Similarly, I would recommend you visit these cities outside of the summer time if possible. Since they’re in the south they can get very warm this time of the year. Though it was chilly when we went, it made walking around the city and exploring much easier than doing it in the extreme heat.
Both Córdoba and Granada are big enough cities to find interesting things to do and there definitely is a lot to learn about from a historical perspective. You can get a glimpse into the various religious aspects of life in pre re-conquest Spain and the cultural legacy left there.
It is always excited getting to visit new places in Spain!