Ever wonder what it’s like to spend Christmas time in southern Spain, or more specifically Cordoba? Our family visited Cordoba a couple days before the official Christmas holiday, and had a great time experiencing the Mezquita and watching the royal Andalusian horse show. What we loved most was that we got to see some of southern Spain’s top sites with almost no other tourists around. And the weather was perfectly sunny, and cool. It was great. We also got to experience Christmas in Cordoba, as tourists. While we probably didn’t get the authentic experience in any sense, we did observe various festivities and events taking place that added some Christmas cheer to our visit.
Beautifully decorated for Christmas
The first thing I noticed in Cordoba were the many poinsettias, everywhere. Mostly in flower pots. Hanging on walls, lining streets, adorning lamp posts, and all sorts of other places. They brought this bright pop of red color, and it was absolutely beautiful. A lot of creativity was given to how these flowers were displayed. I was worried that since we would visit in winter, we would miss all the floral displays Cordoba is known for. However, they mastered winter floral design, and I am excited to have photos I can reference for my own designs. Next year, I am inspired to use more poinsettias to decorate my home. Although I will have to keep mine inside, since they shouldn’t be exposed to temps below 50 degrees F. In the summer, apparently poinsettias can transition outside as greenery. I hadn’t thought of them as outdoor plants until my visit to Cordoba. It is great to learn I can enjoy these plants year-round!
For most of December, visitors can view the beauty of flowers, Christmas decorations, and local entertainment on display at approximately 40 private patios, thanks to the Courtyard Festival of Cordoba at Christmas. The Cordoba Tourist Office publishes a map of the patios so you can easily find them, and they are generally open for viewing in the evenings from 5-9pm. Patios of Cordoba Festival in May, is one of the reasons May is the recommended time to visit. The Christmas Patios might be a reason to come in December instead! And its not just these patios that are beautifully adorned. The whole city is decorated with flowers and Christmas decorations! Viana Palace also puts on a special Christmas program to help you celebrate the season.
Christmas goodies galore
Another thing we noticed was the endless supply of baked treats. As luck would have it, we had a bakery, Pasteleria’s Roldan, just around the corner from our vacation apartment. We could be found there every morning, and popping in at other times of the day, for one more thing. The local traffic seemed to increase each day and the types of goodies on display grew larger, into full cakes instead of individual pastries, as it got closer to Christmas day. When we ordered something to take home with us, they wrapped it beautifully in their branded wrapping paper, like a present. Not only was everything so good to eat, but the presentation was top notch! I wish we had bakeries like this where I live. Everything was so fresh and so beautiful. And the selection went far beyond the usual donuts, brownies, scones, and cinnamon rolls. I tasted as many items as I could during my visit, knowing that I would be walking about 10 miles that day and didn’t have to worry too much about calories.
Discovering Cordoban pastry
Not realizing it, the first day we went into Pasteleria’s Roldan to grab some bread, we bought Pastelon Cordobes, or Cordoban Pastry. I had no idea what it was, but it was there, and it was different, and I bought some. Everyone thought it was really good. It is an Arab inspired local pastry that everyone should try when they visit!
We also enjoyed sampling various cookies we found at the grocery store. Most stores had a “Christmas goody” section. I picked up an interesting bag of cookies of stacked large white rings. As I hesitated, a local shopper insisted I try them because she found them to be very good (or at least that is what I understood from her hand motions since we couldn’t communicate because of the language barrier). We also found some special regional cookies, like Roscos di Anis (La Flor de Rute), Alfajor de Almedra (La Flor de Rute), and cookies filled with Cabello de Angel (candied pumpkin hair). Since we were returning home Christmas Day to see extended family, I collected cookies throughout this journey to bring back and share.
Photo of a Spanish King’s Cake (Roscon de Reyes) sold at a corner Cordoba bakery we loved, Pasteleria’s Roldan. This Kings Cake is traditionally served on January 6, the day Spaniards feast and unwrap presents.
Photo of the many cakes that suddenly appeared at the bakery as Christmas drew near. The bakery was busy with locals picking up a cake for their celebration.
Spanish Belen depicting the birth of Jesus
We discovered the Spanish take nativity scenes to a whole new level. They are themselves works of art, and many are on display to the public. Back in Seville, long lines often clued me in to where a Belen was located, but not so much in Cordoba. You can make an event out of touring them; which might just scratch your itch for driving around looking at Christmas lights back home. We accidentally discovered a few when walking around the Old Town. Signs were posted and courtyard doors usually closed, were opened welcoming us in. You can see a sign with a couple of photos I took from one in Cordoba. However, the scene covered the whole story of Jesus’ birth with separate displays for each scene in the Bible. It was remarkable and intricate, with small placards providing brief interpretation for each scene. We had the opportunity to visit multiple Belen, in multiple towns. No two we saw were the same.
Christmas markets in Cordoba
There were several places in Cordoba with Christmas market stalls, likes those in the photos below. It seemed to be common that these stalls mostly sold cheap junk, or intricate figurines, buildings, and accessories needed for creating a nativity scene. Of course, there were some exceptions, but in general, I was disappointed that they weren’t really selling anything I wanted to buy. I guess I had hoped they would be selling local and artisan items, but I didn’t see any. With the exception of the nativity scene accessories, the market stalls reminded me of the stands at the local county fair back home, which also disappoint me.
Christmas shopping in Cordoba
There were almost no chain stores in the historic center of Cordoba. We did find an Ale-Hop though. It was close to the edge of the old town, and close to where we eventually found the commercial center with stores like Mango (and Mango Man, Mango Kids, etc.), Zara, Pull and Bear, Flying Tiger, and other favorites of ours when in Spain. There were so many stores; both familiar and new to us. The shopping areas were filled with Christmas lights, decorations and music. The stores were full of winter clothing, and festive clothing. Lots of velvet, satin, sequins, and fringe. I wished I had someplace to wear such fancy items to. However, my youngest daughter who loves Taylor Swift, was excited to buy some of these items to wear during her karaoke sessions back home. I may have to throw a fancy party next year, so I can dress up too.
Christmas spirit in the commercial center
In the Centro Commercial, or commercial center, we found Christmas market stalls, beautifully lit statues and lights, a carousel, and other holiday delights. This was a fun area to shop, but also to just hang out and enjoy the holidays from. You can see below, the festivities framed by art deco buildings. As we wandered the area, we even discovered a Christmas Carnival in full swing. I liked that we could visit someplace in the evening and it had a whole different vibe. No wonder Spaniards stay up so late; there is so much to do and see here.
Speaking of Christmas carnivals...
We found a Christmas carnival complete with carnival rides and an ice skating rink! There was a booth selling carnival tickets for the rides and the rides were Christmas themed, like a large Christmas tree with ornaments, the ornaments filled with children having fun! Christmas lights were overhead down most shopping streets, and we even found a larger then life Santa! This was best enjoyed with some warm churros and hot chocolate in hand. All the lights made me want to get a better camera, as night photos are a known weakness for my phone’s camera and so I was bummed I couldn’t quite capture the magic.
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