Michael Coy
POETS write about two Andalucian rivers, and it just so happens that Palma del Río is surrounded by both of them.
The Guadalquivir (mentioned by Byron) passes north of the city, flowing from Córdoba towards Sevilla. The Geníl (beloved of Lorca) touches the edge of Palma on its southern side.
Forty miles west of Córdoba, the small city of Palma del Río is cordobés in feel, but also pleasantly independent.
The town has produced a long line of monks and nuns famous for their piety, but we’ll mention only one or two of them here.
María de Cazalla was born in Palma in 1487. Coming from a family of ‘conversos’ (Jewish people who embraced Christianity), she became a Franciscan nun and is today celebrated for her philosophical ideas.
Juan Santiago León de Garabito lived in the second half of the 1600s. A Palman of great intellectual and administrative ability, he rose to high clerical office in Mexico.
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Maria Christina of Habsburg-Lorraine was the queen of Spain and actually ruled the country for a year (1885-6). In her honour, Palma was declared a city in 1888.
“El Cordobes” is still alive today. Manuel Benítez soared to stardom as an unorthodox bullfighter in the 1960s.
Palma’s glory is the Walled Enclosure. Once a castle, it is now a precinct with five towers. An archway, known as the Puerta del Sol, is located here, and above it, the balcony of the Portocarrero Palace.
The horseshoe arches of the corner defence have recently been restored.
Today, most visitors come to Palma del Rio to see the Victorio & Lucchino Museum.
The fashion collection is housed in the former convent of Santa Clara.
Described as a “journey through the creative process”, the exhibits show us the evolution of the Sevillan designers’ art over the years.
For anyone travelling from Sevilla to Córdoba, Palma del Río is the ideal stopover.
When it comes to accommodation, we recommend the “Hospedería de Santa Clara”, part of the former convent, but graced with its own courtyard and garden.
The hotel has a restaurant and bar, and the charge for a double room for one night is less than €60 (May 2025 prices).
Among the many excellent restaurants the city can offer, we have singled out “Hortus”.
Part of the San Francisco Monastery-Hotel on the Avenida Pio XII, Hortus is open every day of the week from 1:30 in the afternoon to 10:30 at night (5:30 on Sunday). Breakfast is also available.
The ambience is extremely elegant and not at all expensive.
In an atmosphere of ancient masonry softened by fragrant bougainvillea, why not try the “acelgas esparragadas con huevo escalfado” (asparagus chard with poached egg)?
The vegetables all come from the restaurant’s own garden, and the dish will set you back a mere €12!
Between 30 June and 4 July, Palma will mount a music and drama festival, including a performance of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”.
