HOW TO GET TO MEDINA AZAHARA?
Medina Azahara is located at about 8 kilometers west of Cordoba, in the last foothills of Sierra Morena, in the hill of Yabal al-Arus, in front of the Guadalquivir valley and oriented from north to south, above a spur on the mountain, between two slopes.
Therefore to be able to access the monumental ensemble it will be necessary to arrive to the location by vehicle. Next we detail the alternatives:
IN YOUR CAR
Leaving Cordoba you have to take the Palma del Río (A-431) highway up to the sign of Madinat al-Zahra, by the CO-3414 highway.
The parking of the reception center-museum of Madinat al-Zahra, is located in the first roundabout where you must park the car.
If you wish to use your GPS navigator, the coordinates are: 37° 52′ 50.8″ N 4° 51′ 15″ W. In decimal: 37.880778°-4.854167°
Very important: To arrive to the archaeological site, which is situated 2 km away from the reception center-museum, you have to take the “shuttle bus”, it’s the only authorized transportation in the compound (it departs every 20 minutes).
IN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Public transportation and parking: a touristic bus departs Cordoba from Tuesday to Sunday at 11:00 and Saturdays and Sundays also at 10:00, also at 16:30 from Tuesday to Saturday during the summer, it departs from Avenida Alcazar, from the riverside where Alcazar itself is found.
This bust costs 10€ for a roundtrip and it gives a 2 and a half hour period to visit the compound. You have to make a reservation the previous day in the tourism office (many hotels accept reservations too).
