Set in a 15th-century palace facing the Mezquita, the Parador de Córdoba combines history, luxury and exceptional panoramic views.
The Parador de Córdoba occupies a unique position in the city's accommodation landscape — not merely as a luxury property but as a monument in its own right, set on the site of the summer palace of the Umayyad caliphs on the slopes of the Arruzafa hill, three kilometres north of the old city. The original palace was built by Abd al-Rahman I in the 8th century and was considered one of the finest residences in Al-Andalus; all that remains above ground is a single palm tree in the garden, planted according to tradition by the caliph himself in memory of his homeland in Damascus. The current building is a 1960s Parador Nacional — the chain of state-owned luxury hotels in historic monuments — with a spectacular garden, full-size pool and panoramic views over the city and Guadalquivir valley that no hotel in the historic centre can match. The drive between the Parador and the Mezquita takes ten minutes. Breakfast served on the terrace overlooking the garden — with Iberian charcuterie, local cheeses and olive oil from the province's DOP estates — is one of the most civilised morning experiences in Córdoba.
