Cordoba and Seville late April itinerary

I recommend the gardens at the Alcazar in Cordoba. We spent more time there just wandering the garden and sitting on the benches there and surprisingly enjoyed it more than the Mezquita. Pay heed to get tickets with a timed entry into the Alcazar. The lines for those who just showed up were hours long we went in December

We just returned from Spain this week. There’s some details that will be helpful for Sevilla, Jerez & Madrid. We did a tapas food tour in Sevilla that was very well done! The details are listed in my trip report. I was surprised how long the line was for the Sevilla Alcazar in February! Be sure to purchase your tickets ahead of time.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/feb-2024-3-week-southern-spain-trip-report

And yes, to the Triana Ceramic Museum. We went through it the previous time we were in Spain.

@GeoffB - I had definitely already enjoyed your trip report! I particularly loved the practical tips like arriving well ahead of the upper floor tour of the Alcazar, as well as having euros for the bag storage lockers. Problems avoided!

@Jazz+Travels Yes, we definitely plan on buying tickets for the Alcazar in advance. I heard that crowds are less if you go later in the afternoon, perhaps around 4pm. Do you happen to know if Sunday afternoons are extra-crowded? That will be our first full day in Seville and we will be looking fo things to do.

@Jean - I loved your recent trip report. Thanks for sharing! I can definitely relate to your style of traveling and definitely appreciated your wardrobe packing list! I'm struggling with clothing ideas now. I might actually go wild and bring 3 pairs of pants! ;) For shoes I'm planning 'step-in' style black and white Sketchers and a neutral coloured flat. Throw in a few tops and I'm done. Luckily we won't have to plan for cold weather.

Regarding the ceramics museum, I can't remember whose trip report I got that idea from, but it might have been an older trip report of yours. I'm looking forward to visiting it.

Have to disagree about the Triana ceramic museum, Centro Ceramica Triana. For us (Sept., 2023), it was a big disappointment as were the nearby ceramic shops…though I did buy one 4” diameter piece just because we were there.

@mml I appreciate your input. I will manage my expectations. It's not that we think this will be a major highlight, but we are looking forward for those unique local things to do. For example, we are planning on buying some of the convento dulces from the nuns at a place with the 'lazy susans'.

If you have any suggestions as to better places to go or things to do I'd appreciate hearing them. Little unique stops are definitely of interest to us!

In Seville, near plaza Alfalfa, check out Bar El Comercio for delicious churros and chocolate…crowded but that is part of the fun! Wandering in Cordoba, we found a tiny shop, storefront open to the street, where the artisan was making simple bracelets of multiple, thin colored leather cords with sterling fittings…lovely little gifts. Also, in Cordoba, we had the best meal of our trip at Restaurante Ermita de La Candelaria. Every bite was exceptional!

Thanks for the tips @mml ! Do you remember approximately where the little bracelet shop was? Was it in the Juderia or more towards the commercial centre of Cordoba?

So sorry… I don’t know the name or location of the little shop. It was not in the area of fancy shops in La Juderia. But, it would have been between the Mezquita and our accommodation, Hotel Viento 10, so not in El Centro. Happy wandering!

@mml no problem re location. It's not critical. Regarding your recommendation for Ermita de la Candelaria....that looks lovely! We will be watching our budget a bit, but one nice meal is in the cards and this place looks quite reasonable for the quality of food and atmosphere. It might fit the bill perfectly. I just wish we were able to go there a bit later in our trip, once the inevitable tapas bar food fatique sets in. I think we'll tire of the heavy fried dishes and meat dishes by later in the week.

Does anyone have a suggestion for a change of pace food place in Seville? Maybe a place with some nice salads and veggies?

Having been disappointed by a couple of highly recommended Seville restaurants we stumbled upon Bendala Braseria nearby the Royal Alcazar. It is located in a rather awkward spot near the entrance to a parking garage but the food, wine and service were great. We had the goat cheese torta and several seafood dishes — all excellent. The Spanish online menu looks to have salads too. So perhaps an option?

@mml - That looks good to me! Thanks for the suggestion.

There's a lot to see in Seville and it's a beautiful city to just wander or sit in a square and people-watch. Here's my trip report for some ideas.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-spain-november-2023

Thanks for sharing your trip report @Mary. It's definitely helpful! I love that you shared your experience so that the rest of us can benefit from it.

It may be as easy to take the train from the airport to Atocha. If either of you is 60+ you can buy a €6 tarjeta dorada (gold card) at the station (you only need photo ID that verifies your age) and then take advantage of the discounts on train tickets. The ticket agent will sell you tickets to Cordoba for the next train that you can connect to. The price of the ticket to Atocha is included.

Cordoba The best place to see patios is the Palacio de Viana. Skip the house tour - it's not that great. Walk across the bridge to the Torre de Calahora which has a very good (small) museum on the history of Andalucia. From there you can go up one flight to the roof for a very good view. You may want a light jacket when you visit the Mezquita, it can get rather chilly inside. Binoculars are a great way to see the intricacies of the rafters and walls, especially the Mihrab.

Sevilla I loved the Casa de Alba, possibly the newest tourist attraction in Sevilla, it opened in 2016 several years after its last resident died. She was quite an interesting person and the rooms are much as she left them, the gardens are beautiful too. For anyone who's interested, I found this article about the late Duchess. The Alcazar is my favorite sight. Book in advance, of course. It's probably least crowded first thing in the morning (also cooler in the gardens).

Jerez Take a taxi to the Royal Equestrian School and back to the center (wherever you're lunching). Of course, buy tickets in advance, but also plan to arrive an hour or so before show time to see the grounds, the horses before the show, and/or maybe one or two museums. There may be a lot of people waiting to get transportation back to the center after the show. I'd look into somehow booking that in advance. I enjoyed the Tio Pepe tour which was fun as well as the serious stuff of production and tasting. BTW the bodega aging rooms are also chilly.

@Chani your comments are oh so welcome. They are relevant and I appreciate your input.

Regarding the senior discount, yes, we would be eligible. But it is my understanding that you have to be 'in country' to buy the card. As train prices rise over time, I'm thinking our senior discount would not be a huge benefit. I have held off on a few less critial train trips and I think the senior card will help us with those.

Your tips regarding Cordoba are very helpful. We will plan to take a taxi to the Equestrian school...and then to the town centre. As you suggested.

Regarding Casa de Alba in Sevilla, I noticed that another traveler posted a trip report where they also suggested visiting there. I didn't know that the main resident had died. It very well might be a place we would like to see. Thank you for the suggestion.

If you have more questions, PM me. I don't get to the forum as religiously as I used to.

When I was last buying train tickets, several years ago (sigh), you could see the tarjeta dorada prices for trains and compare with the "regular" discount prices. The fact that the senior tickets have the benefits that full price tickets do - especially changes and refunds, it may be worth paying a little more. Since you are taking an expensive ride from the airport to Cordoba, you should use the senior card for that at the very least, since you don't want to book pricy tickets when you don't how long it will take you to get through the airport and to Atocha, or even if your plane will arrive on time. Taking advantage of the flexibility of changing tickets allows you to decide somewhat last minute on timing, for instance whether to take an earlier or later train on the day you plan to travel. You do have to buy long distance train tickets at least a couple hours in advance, but that still leaves you lots of leeway.

The fast, reserved-seat trains in Spain sometimes sell out; it's not a rare event. It's a good idea to keep tabs on that situation so you don't find your options too limited when it comes time to buy tickets.

Thank you to all about your train ticket recommendations. I ended up buying my 'longer route' tickets in advance. I understood that you can't get a senior discout card until your are there (which might not be true) and I didn't want to be dealing with the potential of fully booked trains immediately upon arrival on an overnight flight. The extra cost was worth it to me to eliminate that uncertainty and organizational step. I allowed 3.5 hours after scheduled arrival until our train to Cordoba. This is hopefully very 'cushiony' and we will be able to relax and eat lunch before finding our way to the platform.

I have left a couple of later train trips unbooked so far and we might take advantage of the senior discount card for them.

Don't dawdle at Atocha! It's a big station and can be confusing. There can be lines at security to get into the lounge area of the long-distance trains and then it can take a few minutes to get to your platform. Trains close their doors 2 minutes before departure and if you ain't on, you ain't goin'. There are places to eat just opposite security and in the lounge.

@Chani, thanks for that heads up, but don't worry, we will try to be there well ahead of time.
Cheers!