(CNN) — For most tourists to Spain, a visit to Cordoba isn't a must.
Barcelona and Seville have been luring visitors for decades, keeping Cordoba, a city in the south with a population of around 330,000, relatively off the map.
a million people visited Cordoba in 2017, whereas Barcelona and Seville saw 8.9 million and 2.6 million tourists in 2017, respectively.
But Cordoba, part of Andalusia and less than a two-hour train ride a from Madrid or a 45-minute train ride from Seville, is worthy of big travel acclaim. As of 2018, it's the first city in the world to have four UNESCO World Heritage Sites, surpassing Rome and Paris.
are 2018's additions for the UNESCO World Heritage List
Determined by a World Heritage Committee that includes government representatives from different countries, these sites must be, according to UNESCO's website, "of universal outstanding value" and meet one of 10 criteria such as being representative of a living or extinct cultural tradition or civilization.
The picturesque historic quarter is the heart of Cordoba and is one of the city's UNESCO sites. Since the bulk of Cordoba's attractions are concentrated in and around this quarter, exploring the city by foot is your best bet.
Cordoba may not be as on-the-map as Madrid or Barcelona, but its quiet beauty, as seen here in the Alcazar, a palace fortress dating back to the time of Arab rule, is reason enough to visit.
Most tourists come to Cordoba for the day, but a weekend trip is ideal, says Virginia Irurita, the founder of Made for Spain and Portugal, a Madrid-based company that sells high-end trips. She says a weekend will give you "enough time to take everything in," she says. Paco Gonzalez, a historian and tour guide who was born in the city, suggests that visitors intersperse sightseeing with afternoon siestas and long lunches and dinners. "Our meals take several hours. We enjoy our food and our company," he says. "In between, we enjoy our siestas."
A leisurely, late dinner
Kick off the weekend in Cordoba with a Friday night dinner at one of the many buzzy eateries in town, such as Casa Pepe de la Judería, which has a rooftop terrace and overlooks the city. One of the most popular dishes on the menu is the salmorejo, a cold soup puree of tomatoes, bread, garlic and olive oil, topped with bits of Spanish ham. This soup, along with ajoblanco, a cold soup of almonds, garlic and olive oil, is heavy on the olive oil, an important ingredient in Cordoba's cuisine since it is produced in abundance in the countryside.
Puerta Sevilla is another restaurant favored by locals for its large outdoor dining area and tasty modern interpretations of traditional dishes.
But don't plan for that meal earlier than 9 p.m., says Gonzalez. "We eat late, and stay out late," he says, just like the rest of Spain.
Other Cordoba specialties to look for on menus include rabo de toro, a hearty stew made with bull tail meat, and berenjenas con miel, deep fried eggplant sticks topped with honey. Locals usually dine alfresco given Cordoba's usually warm weather..
After dinner, the wine bars beckon. They're all over town, and choosing one at random is a fun way to get to know the place and its people.
Irurita loves Sojo Ríbera, an always vibrant spot on the Guadalquivir River with a rooftop. "I come here around 11 at night and sit outside and sip a glass of red wine," she says.
Cap off dinner with a glass of Montilla-Moriles, a locally produced sweet wine that can double as dessert.
A morning of sightseeing
Start off Saturday by hitting two of the UNESCO World Heritage sites: the historical quarter and the Mosque-Cathedral, which is situated within the quarter. Crowds are thin in the morning, according to Gonzalez. "Tourists tend to go between 2 and 5 in the afternoon, so I never suggest going then," he says.
Attractions here include a 14th-century synagogue; the Alcazar, a palace fortress dating back to the Arab times that has Instagram-worthy gardens full with flowers; and a dozen or so churches, mostly from the 13th and 14th centuries.
Many of these churches are in an area called El Realejo, which doesn't see many tourists. "Locals come here for mass (usually between 10 a.m. and noon), and anyone can enter for free and watch services going on," says Gonzalez.
Then there's the Mosque-Cathedral. Built between 784 and 786 as a mosque, it was established as a cathedral in the 13th century when the Christians conquered the city and was Cordoba's first UNESCO World Heritage site (chosen in 1984).
The sprawling structure, measuring at about 250,000 square feet, is a showpiece for exemplary Moorish architecture and a stunning cathedral at the same time.
Irurita believes visitors will be overwhelmed by the Arab inscriptions and motifs in the domes and walls inside, along with several chapels and more than 850 columns constructed from marble, granite and onyx found in the city's destroyed Roman buildings. General admission is 10 euros, and there's no need to book a visit in advance.
After the dose of history, Gonzalez suggests a stop at nearby No.10 Taberna for a glass of sherry and tapas. Both the octopus with potatoes and the sliced serrano ham come highly recommended. Related content
How to plan the perfect trip to Spain
An evening horse show
Following an afternoon siesta, Irurita says that Cordoba's 70-minute hourse show is a must.
It runs between three and four days a week in an arena adjacent to the stables that King Philip II had built in the 16th century. The venue is less than a five-minute walk from the city center, and Irurita says that the shows are a blast to watch. "They combine horse tricks with flamenco dancing, and spectators are on their feet clapping, cheering and dancing," she says.
If you find yourself in Cordoba on a Saturday, you'll want to hit up Mercado Victoria, an open-air food market with over two dozen stalls serving up a variety of cuisines from Andalusian to Argentinian. The market is packed on weekends (it's a local favorite), but it's worth fighting crowds for the lively ambiance and affordable eats.
More UNESCO
The next morning, head to Cordoba's newest UNESCO World Heritage site, Medina Azahara, awarded the honor in 2018. Discovered at the beginning of the 20th century, this palace fortress is set in the countryside about a 10-minute taxi ride from the city center.
Irurita likens Medina Azahara to a mini-Versailles but in an Arabic style. It was built as new city in the 10th century when Abd-al-Rahman III was named as a caliph or religious Muslim ruler. Inhabited for around 80 years before being left to ruins, the site gives visitors an idea of the roads, buildings and bridges that once existed.
The last Intangible site
UNESCO declares festivals as world heritages when they're deemed particularly notable, and the Patios Festival, which started in 1918, was given the distinction in 2012. A celebration of spring, the festival takes place during the first two weeks of May when around 50 of the whitewashed houses in the historical center open their flower-laden patios to the public (entry is free).
