The Hotel Hospes Palacio del Bailio is the only five star hotel in the province of Cordoba and has been declared a site of cultural interest. It is located right in the historic district of Cordoba and the difficulty in accessing the area by car, rather than an obstacle, is in fact part of its charm. It is located in Cordoba, world heritage city.

The hotel complex has double rooms and suites offering totally majestic luxury. Those preferred by couples are the Gran Capitán suite and the Quijote suite, although they all have charm and luxury impossible to forget: enormous beds, exclusive amenities, views over courtyards filled with orange trees, light and colour combined with harmony. There are even murals from the 18th and 19th centuries in three suites.

Roman baths in the same hotel 

The courtyard, where breakfast is served is over Roman ruins, protected by glass, so that the feeling of walking on the pages of history is, in this case, literal. The spa area, with access to the only Roman baths in the city, is another of the jewels of the Palacio del Bailio. Massages, facial, body and aesthetic treatments round off the offer.

Evidently, the first option to get benefit from a Romantic visit to Cordoba is that of strolling through the streets and getting to know the city to the mosque-cathedral. If you go to the monument complex before 10:00 am, you don't have to pay to get in. Once you have viewed this marvel to your heart's content, there are other more mundane options to make the most of Cordoba, such as the Museo de Joyería Regina (Regina Jewellery Museum) (tel.: 957 496 889). You can visit the municipal souk, in the courtyard of the Casa de las Bulas (accessed by Calles Averroes or Judíos). And, on the first Sunday of each month, El Patio del Arte (The Art Courtyard) in Calle San Basilio, organises an arts and crafts market.

From Medina Azahara to Bodegas Campos 

The romantic halo of Cordoba remains in the ancient city of Medina Azahara, seven kilometres from the centre. Built by the Caliph Abd el-Rahman III in the 10th century, it is a monument to love. Legend says it was built to please his favourite, Zahra (‘flower’). Although the city reflected the splendour of the last of the great Cordovan caliphs, the most beautiful of the Al-Andalus cities disappeared, only leaving us its ruins.

Part of Cordoba's secret is the atmosphere of its restaurants, which have known how to preserve a unique atmosphere. This is the case of El Churrasco (awarded one Repsol Sol), where you can try a good Cordoba steak with Moorish sauces, or Bodegas Campos (restaurant recommended by Repsol), which occupies three centenary buildings and offers delicacies such as ajoblanco (cold garlic and almond soup) and king prawns. The modernisation of this cuisine can be found in Choco (awarded one Repsol Sol).