The Ins And Outs Cordoba’s Central Shopping And Eating Facilities

If tourists are looking for a memorable place in Spain to visit, then look no further than the tremendous hinterland city of Cordoba. It is found within the province of Andalusia, in the southern reaches of Spain. Hundreds of thousands of tourists venture to the city each year, choosing to stay in one of the hotels in Cordoba City Centre.

To get into the city, flights from larger Spanish cities like Madrid and Barcelona are available every day. The airport is no a huge distance from the city centre, so taking a taxi is recommended. Car rental in the airport is available if needed.

Shopping and eating in the city centre of Cordoba is a remarkable experience. As a matter of fact, it is probably one of the most memorable activities of the area. For a better understanding of the city's shopping and eating facilities, read through the ins and outs below.

- What is so great about Cordoba's eating culture?
The food in Cordoba is an essential part of the city's identity. Eating is seen as something more than a necessity. It is seen as a celebration and a time of social enjoyment. Therefore, the dining experiences are not only fun, but the food is also enjoyable too.

- What ingredients are used in the cooking?
For many centuries now, olive oil has been a very important part of the Cordoba cuisine. Today, tourists will be lucky to find a dish that doesn't contain olive oil in it. In addition, nuts, dates and figs are also signs of Moorish influence in the local cuisine. Colour is important for the dishes here, which is why grapes, orange pumpkins and peppers (not to mention other brightly coloured ingredients) are commonly found in the food.

- Are there any famous dishes?
Cordoba is home to several popular main course dishes and desserts. The staple dish of paella is quite famous, and so too is gazpacho and its closely related salmorejo can be found throughout the city. Fish and seafood is widely offered and eaten, even though the coast is nowhere to be seen. One of the sweetest and most delectable desserts in the city centre is alfajores, which is primarily made from honey and almonds.

- Where can a tourist dine in the city centre?
Fortunately, there are so many districts and streets that offer awesome restaurants to explore. Therefore, it is too difficult to pinpoint better areas. In saying this, the area surrounding the popular Mezquita is sizzling with plenty of fine restaurants.

- What cuisines are found in downtown Cordoba?
Of course, many restaurants in the downtown district of the city offer Andalucian cuisine. However, many also provide traditional Spanish dishes too. There are North African restaurants and numerous Mediterranean influenced restaurants found in the city as well.

- Does Cordoba have any department stores?
The most famous shopping centre in the city is the El Corte Ingles department store. It is also the most popular in Spain. Other popular shopping hotspots include Plaza de las Tendillas and the Mezquita area.

- Are markets popular?
There are wonderful markets within the centre and just outside the city centre. They provide a huge range of goods and services, but in particular, ceramics and leather goods are usually sold.

- What are the opening hours for shops?
Remember, the 'siesta' is still practiced in Spain, and Cordoba downtown is no different. However, modern shopping districts and department stores generally don't stop for the early afternoon siesta. Street stalls, markets, and regular shopping businesses stop after 13:00 for several hours before starting again.