The city in itself has a lot of green spaces in which to relax in the shade. Cordoba's parks and gardens beg you to take a stroll and enjoy the fresh air.
PARKS IN CORDOBA
Ethnobotanical Museum and Gardens
Avenida de Linneo
Very unique in Spain, as this museum aims to delve into the relationship of man with plants.
This 5.5 hectare garden and museum is divided into eight parts: the Arboretum, Botanical School, Endemism Greenhouses, Touch and Smell Garden, Rose Garden, Canary Island Greenhouses, Systematic collection and the Ethnobotanical Museum.
Alcazar Gardens
Alcazar Palace
This 55,000 sq. meter garden is made even more beautiful by goldfish ponds, pools and stone fountains. There is a variety of trees – orange, cypress, palm and lemon trees. This garden is in the Alcazar Palace, the seat of the monarchs. It's not hard to imagine them taking a stroll in these grand gardens.
Cordoba Zoo
The Cordoba Zoo is located across the Botanical Garden and is home primarily to Andalusian wildlife. However, the zoo also features a collection of creatures that come from Africa and throughout the rest of southern Spain.
Patio de los Naranjos
The garden beside the Mosque-Cathedral harks back from the 8th century. This is the oldest walled garden and is filled with - what else - orange trees!
Gardens in the Palace de Viana
This palace has 12 gardens that are a joy to explore. The gardens are filled with roses, date palms and citrus trees. The oldest of these is the Patio de la Madama, which has a temple in the center.
Other gardens you can visit are the 19th century gardens such as the La Victoria and La Agricultura. There are also the parks and gardens to be found in the Colegio Mayor Nuestra Sra. De la Asuncion, the Faculty of Veterinarians and the Gardens of Colon. Of course, the patios in the private houses and buildings are magnificent in themselves and are worth a visit during the Festival de Patio. The patios to visit are those belonging to the Plaza de San Andres, the Archeological Museum and the Bullfighting Museum.
PARKS OUTSIDE OF CORDOBA
Sierra De Cardeña Y Montoro Natural Park
Northeastern corner of Cordoba
This park boasts of a wide variety of animal species – birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals. It boasts of 88 kinds of birds, 15 reptiles, 21 mammals and 10 amphibians. The forests are also quite beautiful – olive trees mingle with oak and pine trees.
Sierra de Hornachuelos Natural Park
This 60,000 hectare is part of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve for the Sierra Morena mountains. This park is great for hunting, camping, hiking and biking. There are cork oaks, strawberry trees, poplars and other trees in its forest. A rare species to be on the lookout for is the clover rifolium boissieri. The park is also home to vultures, eagles, wild boards, otters and mongeese.
Sierras Subbéticas Natural Park
This beautiful 32,000 hectare park is framed by the cities of Cordoba, Seville and Granada. There are a wild variety of plants and animals species.
