Ciudad de los Niños in Córdoba, the city's largest children's park

Its full name is Ciudad de los Niños y las Niñas de Córdoba, a municipal leisure and learning park run by the City Council. It occupies a plot of more than 45,000 square metres on Avenida de Menéndez Pidal, and combines outdoor play areas with activities designed so that children learn through play, from science to music or recycling.

If you search online for 'ciudad de los niños Córdoba', bear in mind that there is another project with a similar name in Cabra, a town in the province of Córdoba, linked to a children's participation programme promoted with UNICEF and unrelated to this park. The one that matters to any family visiting the capital is this one, on Menéndez Pidal, opposite Parque Cruz Conde.

The park opened on 31 March 2007, after an investment by Córdoba City Council of 2.5 million euros. Since then it has become one of the most visited children's leisure areas in the city.

After a closure for works, it reopened to the public on 1 April 2023. Since reopening it has received an average of 2,000 people a day, according to figures reported by local media, which gives an idea of how busy it can get at weekends or in high season.

The park is organised into play areas, which makes it easier to choose the attraction according to each child's age rather than wandering around aimlessly. These are the five most notable areas of the site.

An area with climbing structures and suspended swinging baskets, designed to work on balance and coordination. It is one of the most popular areas with school-age children.

A life-size parcheesi board, with coloured pieces the size of a child, for group play on the park floor itself. It works well as a meeting point for cousins or groups of friends of different ages.

A series of artificial streams flows into a small lake, where a boat crosses from one side to the other by pulling on a rope. It is one of the most sought-after areas in the hot months, although adult supervision is advisable at all times.

A pyramid-shaped tower, with rope bridges and slides reminiscent of the arches of the Mosque, is the most photographed construction in the park. It combines different heights so that children of different ages can play at the same time.

A separate track designed for roller skates, scooters and skateboards, apart from the rest of the children's play areas. It is the most suitable option for the older children in the group.

In the summer season, the park opens Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 20:30 to 23:00; it is closed on Mondays, unless they fall on a public holiday, in which case the closure moves to Tuesday. This split timetable, designed to avoid the hottest hours, is worth bearing in mind before planning a visit in August.

Entry is not free: the general rate is 2 euros per person, with 1 euro for children aged 5 to 12, over-64s and youth card holders. Children under 5 get in free, as do people with a disability of 33% or more and, on school visits, one adult for every 15 children; large families and their companions get a 50% discount, and discounts cannot be combined.

The park is on Avenida de Menéndez Pidal, opposite Parque Cruz Conde and next to Córdoba Zoo and the Reina Sofía University Hospital (also known as the Hospital General). It is an easily identifiable area of the city thanks to these two landmarks.

By city bus, Aucorsa lines 5 and 9 pass near the park; the nearest stop is Hospital Provincial, barely two minutes' walk away. For those arriving by car, the area has residential streets to park in, although it is worth allowing extra time at weekends because of the crowds at the Zoo and the park.

The park's split timetable, closed between 13:00 and 20:30, fits well with a morning devoted to the historic centre. The most practical combination for a family in Córdoba is to start with a guided route through the centre before the heat builds, and leave the Ciudad de los Niños for late afternoon, when it reopens and temperatures drop.

It is a plan that almost no tourist itinerary in Córdoba suggests, because most routes focus only on monumental heritage without thinking about families with young children. Combining both visits on the same day lets you make the most of the trip without giving up either the Mosque or an afternoon of play.

If you are spending the day in Córdoba with children, the Free Tour of Córdoba is the most flexible way to get to know the historic centre before crossing the city to the park. It lasts about 2 hours, is free and is paid with a voluntary tip of 10 to 15 euros per person at the end, according to what each person considers fair.

It is a way to discover the Mosque, the Jewish Quarter and the riverside without committing to a timetable or a fixed price, ideal for filling the morning before the Ciudad de los Niños reopens in the afternoon.

If you want to get to know it with more context, the best way is to book a guided visit to Medina Azahara with an official guide.