Something extraordinary happens every year in a southern Spanish town. It's a festival that showcases the eccentric and vibrant private gardens of the locals. These plant lovers and competitive gardeners open their courtyards to the public, when their gorgeous blooms are at their finest, all vying to win for best patio! This is the The Patio Festival (aka the Courtyard Festival) in Cordoba Spain!
AN UNEXPECTED SURPRISE
My husband and I traveled to Spain in early May, where we explored several towns in the southern region of Andalusia. When we arrived in Cordoba, we were unaware of the Patio Festival. After all, we were there to see the grand Mosque-Cathedral, the ancient Roman bridge, and serene Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos, just to name a few.
On the final day of our visit, we encountered massive lines around the narrow streets. They were not queuing up for historical monuments or museums. Some quick investigating (of Googling and broken Spanish) revealed that these visitors were here for the Patio Festival! Of course, we had to join them!
Every courtyard was magnificent and filled with color! There were audible gasps and exclamations of awe from visitors. The layout and design of these patios were truly impressive. I was witnessing maximalist gardening at it's finest! My only regret was we had half a day left and were only able to visit a few courtyards.
HISTORY OF THE FESTIVAL
The tradition first began in 1918, with the mayor organizing the first competition in 1921. Cash prizes were established and criteria were created in the years to come, such as the requirement of real, live flowers.
In 1988, the jury began evaluating ornamental aspects of "the floral variety, care of the flowerpots and beds, and natural lighting". A decade later, various prize categories were introduced, such as having courtyards "distinguished as old or modern architecture, awarding prizes for specific aspects such as architectural preservation, natural decoration, neighbors’ efforts and artistic use of water." (source: https://patios.cordoba.es/en/history-of-the-competition/)
In 2012, Fiesta de los Patios was recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.
PLANNING YOUR VISIT
The Patio festival is an annual competition held in the first 2 weeks of May. The 2024 festival was held May 2- 12. Dates will differ every year, make sure to check https://patios.cordoba.es/en for the latest updates.
You can explore the dozens of courtyards on your own, or join a tour group. Due to the limited size of the courtyards and sheer number of visitors, only a few are allowed in at a time to avoid overcrowding. In my experience, the queue will range from 5 minutes to 45 minutes depending on the popularity of the courtyard. Allow for multiple days if you want to see everything, or you can pop into the most popular ones in a day. Please note that these gardens will close in the middle of the day for siesta (usually from 2pm to 6pm).
FINAL THOUGHTS
Cordoba is beautiful city with tons of historical significance. They have gorgeous Roman, Moorish/Islamic, and Renaissance architecture. They have amazing food (the best meal I've ever had was at Noor). And of course, there are lots of fragrant flowers and plants!
Being a plant lover, the Patio Festival was an unexpected surprise and true highlight.
If you'd like to watch a video on the Patio Festival, I've made a reel HERE.
THANKS FOR READING!
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