For most tourists to Spain, a visit to Cordoba isn't a must.
Barcelona and Seville have been luring visitors for decades, keeping Cordoba, a city in the south with a population of around 330,000, relatively off the map.
Around a million people visited Cordoba in 2017, whereas Barcelona and Seville saw 8.9 million and 2.6 million tourists in 2017, respectively.
But Cordoba, part of Andalusia and less than a two-hour train ride a from Madrid or a 45-minute train ride from Seville, is worthy of big travel acclaim. As of 2018, it's the first city in the world to have four UNESCO World Heritage Sites, surpassing Rome and Paris.
Determined by a World Heritage Committee that includes government representatives from different countries, these sites must be, according to UNESCO's website, "of universal outstanding value" and meet one of 10 criteria such as being representative of a living or extinct cultural tradition or civilization.
The picturesque historic quarter is the heart of Cordoba and is one of the city's UNESCO sites.
Since the bulk of Cordoba's attractions are concentrated in and around this quarter, exploring the city by foot is your best bet.
Cordoba may not be as on-the-map as Madrid or Barcelona, but its quiet beauty, as seen here in the Alcazar, a palace fortress dating back to the time of Arab rule, is reason enough to visit.
Prisma Bildagentur/UIG/Getty Images
Most tourists come to Cordoba for the day, but a weekend trip is ideal, says Virginia Irurita, the founder of Made for Spain and Portugal, a Madrid-based company that sells high-end trips. She says a weekend will give you "enough time to take everything in," she says.
Paco Gonzalez, a historian and tour guide who was born in the city, suggests that visitors intersperse sightseeing with afternoon siestas and long lunches and dinners. "Our meals take several hours. We enjoy our food and our company," he says. "In between, we enjoy our siestas."
A leisurely, late dinner
Kick off the weekend in Cordoba with a Friday night dinner at one of the many buzzy eateries in town, such as Casa Pepe de la Judería, which has a rooftop terrace and overlooks the city.
One of the most popular dishes on the menu is the salmorejo, a cold soup puree of tomatoes, bread, garlic and olive oil, topped with bits of Spanish ham. This soup, along with ajoblanco, a cold soup of almonds, garlic and olive oil, is heavy on the olive oil, an important ingredient in Cordoba's cuisine since it is produced in abundance in the countryside.
Casa Pepe, a restaurant in Cordoba with a rooftop terrace offering stunning city views, is known for its salmorejo cordobés con huevo y jamón — a cold soup made from pureed tomatoes, bread, garlic and olive oil.
courtesy Casa Pepe
Puerta Sevilla is another restaurant favored by locals for its large outdoor dining area and tasty modern interpretations of traditional dishes.
But don't plan for that meal earlier than 9 p.m., says Gonzalez. "We eat late, and stay out late," he says, just like the rest of Spain.
Other Cordoba specialties to look for on menus include rabo de toro, a hearty stew made with bull tail meat, and berenjenas con miel, deep fried eggplant sticks topped with honey. Locals usually dine alfresco given Cordoba's usually warm weather..
After dinner, the wine bars beckon. They're all over town, and choosing one at random is a fun way to get to know the place and its people.
Irurita loves Sojo Ribera, an always vibrant spot on the Guadalquivir River with a rooftop. "I come here around 11 at night and sit outside and sip a glass of red wine," she says.
Cap off dinner with a glass of Montilla-Moriles, a locally produced sweet wine that can double as dessert.