What they are
The Arab Baths of Córdoba (Baños Árabes de Córdoba) are a traditional hammam located at Calle Almanzor 18, in the Jewish Quarter, built above 1st-century Roman thermal remains. Each session lasts 2 hours and includes access to four pools at different temperatures, a flotation pool with common salt from the Salinas de Aguilar de la Frontera (Córdoba), a steam room, and optional massages with essential oils.
Open every day from 10:00 to midnight since 2012. Prices start at €32 per person.
What they are not
They are not a spa. No white robes, no generic ambient music, no beauty treatment menus. The experience is built on three things: the contrast between water temperatures (from 15°C to 39°C), calm, and a building with over 2,000 years of history beneath the floor.
They are not a chain tourist hammam. There are no 90-minute group sessions with a guide. Here you get a full 2 hours with entries every 30 minutes.
How it works
You arrive, we give you towels, non-slip footwear and a locker. You change and enter. Four pools await: hot at 39°C, warm at 36°C, cold at 15°C, and flotation. There is also a steam room. You choose the order, the pace, and how long you spend in each.
If you have booked a massage, the therapist will call you when it is your turn. The massage takes place inside the hammam with essential oils. Afterwards you can return to the pools or move to the rest area with Moorish tea.
The four pools
Hot (39°C): relaxes the muscles and opens the session. Your body surrenders to the contrast that follows.
Warm (36°C): exact body temperature. Everything levels out. A point of stillness between the extremes.
Cold (15°C): the skin reacts, circulation activates. The contrast with the hot pool is the most intense moment.
Flotation: Common salt from the Salinas de Aguilar de la Frontera dissolved in the water. You float with your eyes closed. The most singular sensation of the entire experience.
What is included
Everything. Four pools, flotation, steam room, clean towels, lockable locker, non-slip footwear, shower gel, shampoo, hairdryer, and Moorish tea tasting in the rest area. The massage is the only optional extra.
How much it costs
A full bath costs €32 per person and includes everything above for 2 hours. To add a massage: relaxation from €40 (15 min), €50 (30 min) or €68 (60 min). Hot stones from €53. Exfoliation from €58. All massages include the full 2 hours of bathing.
Where to find us
At Calle Almanzor 18, Jewish Quarter, Córdoba. 180 steps (3 minutes on foot) from the Mosque-Cathedral. 2 minutes from the Synagogue. 5 minutes from the Roman Bridge. In the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage district.
The history of the place
Beneath the current building lie 1st-century Roman thermal remains. In the 15th century, public baths operated here. Around 1930, Don José Araujo and one of his brothers found an iron vessel filled with ancient coins. With the proceeds from selling those coins, the family bought several properties in Córdoba — among them, this house. In 2011, the building reopened as Baños Árabes de Córdoba.
Water has been flowing here for over two thousand years.
There is also accommodation
Above the baths there are two guesthouses with direct access to the hammam and a bathing session included from 10:00 to midnight. From €85/night. Rated 9.0 on Booking.com with 2,645 reviews. But you don't need to stay overnight — the €32 bath includes everything.