I wonder what it would be like to holiday in one of Spain's most revered regions? Well, don't wonder anymore, as the city centre of Cordoba is the perfect gateway into the southern Spanish region of Andalusia. Thousands upon thousands of tourists look for Cordoba City Centre hotels when they arrive. However, it is recommended that visitors pre-book before they reach the city.

The easiest way into the city centre of Cordoba is by air, then from the airport, take a taxi or car rental. Getting around the city centre is easy, so the attractions, landmarks, activities and other highlights are easily experienced. Andalusia and its culture is renowned throughout all of Spain. Cordoba seems to have taken from a page in the province's book!

For those tourists wondering about the eating and shopping culture of downtown Cordoba, there are plenty of options available. However, tourists should have a better understanding of what they can see and eat before they arrive into the city. The following points outline some of the most important aspects of the city centre's dining and shopping scenes:

• There are numerous specialty dishes the tourists must try. One of the most amazing tastes tourists can try in the city centre is rabo de toro. Even though it is just an ox stew, the taste is remarkable. Salchichon de Pozo Blanco is a local sausage, and so too is the morcilla (blood sausage). Gazpacho is quite tasty and popular here, and the basic rice dish called paella shouldn't be missed. For dessert, try the stunning alfajores (unless allergic to nuts!)

• Even though the city is not close to a coastal area, fish is one of the main dishes on most Andalucian menus. In addition, most dishes use olive oil to cook with, so don't be surprised if you taste olive oil in just about everything. The cuisine tends to be quite colourful, so brighter ingredients like sides of grapes, pumpkin, orange and others are not uncommon. Don't forget to eat at one of the tapas restaurants. Tapas is basically where diners get a small sample of a large range of items.

• There are some great restaurants found throughout the entire city, so it is almost impossible to be specific when talking about places to eat. Nevertheless, there are some wonderful restaurants found around the local Mezquita.

• Shopping is also just as impressive in downtown Cordoba as the dining is. The city is most famous for its leather products and ceramics, which have been a popular part of the Cordoba culture for the last couple of centuries. Most of these spots are found along the streets of the city centre, especially in the Jewish Quarter.

• The best places to shop in the city centre are found in department stores and along the streets. For more modern shopping experiences, visitors should visit El Corte Ingles, which is widely regarded as the most important shopping centre department store in Spain. In addition to this, the Jewish Quarter and the Plaza de las Tendillas are two other popular places to go shopping in the city centre.

• Yes siestas are held each day in the city, but not for the larger shopping centres. Only the local shops and boutique stores close between 13:30 and 16:30, but then reopen at 17:00. Shopping centres open from around 10:00 in the morning, then close at about 21:00.

• If travellers decide to pay for their purchases by credit card, then they must provide proof of identification, which can be made by passport photo or national identification cards.