Cordoba is a city I felt I knew even before I'd been; that's probably because it is home to some well-known historical sites and is a city that has made a big contribution to Spanish culture, most notably through the art of flamenco dancing and music. It is a city with a reputation of hot days and hot nights and there is nowhere that better encapsulates the many cultures that have contributes to the melting pot that is Andalusia.

Cordoba was the "capital" of the Moorish kingdom of El-Andalus and the legacy of the Moors is everywhere; you see it in the coloured tiles around the doorway of white-washed homes through to the brilliantly named dishes on menus like "Moros y Christianos" - this is a classic dish of rice with black beans and translates as "Moors and Christians (as if you hadn't guessed).

The "Mezquita" started life as a mosque; at the time it was used it was the third biggest in the world and was a sumptuous place of worship. Not only is the visual effect with thousands of columns of onyx and marble impressive, but it is also notable that various components were "stolen" from the remains of other buildings and used in the construction of the Mezquita so you will see that the capitals at the top of the pillars are in fact Roman ones which have been recycled. Another oddity is that the mihrab (the alcove towards which prayer is made) does not point towards Mecca; the suggested reasons for this are diverse, I shall save the subject for a review focusing only on the Mezquita).

THE ALCAZAR DE LOS REYES CRISTIANOS (Palace of the Christian Kings)

LA JUDERIA

Elsewhere Cordoba has a wealth of museums and galleries devoted mainly to the colourful history of the region and to the arts that have become typical of the region. There is a bull-fighting museum and another dedicated to the art of flamenco; Cordoba is closely associated with flamenco with two well-known names - Joaquin Cortes and Paco Pena - hailing from the city. Many bars and restaurants host flamenco evenings but it pays to do some research and find out which are the best places to visit.

I have already mentioned La Juderia as being a good area to seek out restaurants, though it can be quite expensive. Head out of town slightly if you want to keep an eye on the budget. Don't go mad ordering tapas, take it easy. When you arrive just order drinks and wait a short while to see whether some genuine tapas (that is - complimentary) is forthcoming; it often is.

As you would expect, Cordoba has accommodation options running the full range from hostels, through pensions or "hostals" as they are known in Spanish, to top end international hotels. As someone who prefers to spend as little as possible on accommodation I can't really comment on the top end. In Cordoba, though, we found an exciting little hostal tucked away in the Juderia. It was a beautifully restored traditional house with a gorgeous patio that had a little fountain in the middle. The stairs were lined with ceramics from the region and our room had a teeny balcony overlooking the narrow lane. The cost - 40 Euro for two in an en suite room, with air-conditioning. If the room doesn't have air-con in summer in Cordoba, don't take it. You will have a miserable stay. Even at 11.00pm, the temperature was in the high 20s.

If you visit in summer you should be prepared for very high temperatures; when we were there the early afternoon temperature topped 40 degrees for three consecutive days. Be sensible and wear sun protection, cover up when the sun is at its hottest, get indoors and have a long leisurely lunch and make sure you drink plenty of water. Sounds obvious but many people mistakenly think they'll be OK.

Cordoba is not particularly cheap although there are ways you can save money, such as those I have already described. If I had to recommend one free thing to do in Cordoba it would be to go along to the main square in the early evening, dunk your tired and hot feet in one of the fountains and sit and watch the world go by…..