Outdoor cinemas in Córdoba are very old, we may say they represent a true piece of Andalusian history. It is agreed that Córdoba has the oldest outdoor cinema in Spain. The summer warmth has blessed this social phenomenon with longevity, whereas in the rest of the country has disappeared. Nonetheless, it is true that the number of outdoor cinemas has diminished: four remain open, and thriving.
The outdoor cinema is one of the top cultural events of the season in Córdoba. It belongs, however, to those unknown intimacies of the city, without existence to the outer world. Going to the cinema with the darkness of the night for a roof, the movie played in a big white wall, the brake for the loin sandwich (“bocadillo de lomo”), and the childhood days, our first love, the kids of our own, those are memories we all share equally in Córdoba. It is a welcoming place to us all, the outdoor cinema.
Outdoor cinemas are patios right in the heart of the old city in Córdoba. Big wide spaces bordered by white walls; before that: the narrow streets of the Axarquía. The white walls, in many cases, are covered by jasmines and honeysuckles so inside the summer cinemas it blows a cool fragrant breeze. There is also the ambigú where sodas, beer, “tinto de verano” and great homemade sandwiches are sold. Many of us choose to dine there. The sand floor is watered every day just before the movie starts, this cools down the patio.
The seating capacity is more than that of the winter cinemas, some reach the 900 seats, only comparable to the cinema palaces in big cities like Madrid. The seats are not the most comfortable in the world but there you stay cool, safe from the heat of the summer. There are also tables so you can have dinner while watching the movie. Outside food is not forbidden, you can bring your own sandwich if you please. And, surprisingly, everybody is quiet when the movie starts.
There are two daily passes, the prices ranging from 3,50 EUR to 4,50 EUR. It is advisable to arrive a bit early to get a nice seat, as they are not allocated. During the first two months of summer, when nights are slightly shorter, the movies start at 22:15, whereas during August and September they start at 22:00. The outdoor cinema season begins the 16th of June and ends the 15th of September.
The four remaining most emblematic outdoor cinemas are very close to Viento10: 15 minutes on foot –on foot is the only way to get there since they are deep in the old heart of the city. It is the ideal plan for the summer nights. You ought to be part of it while in Córdoba.
Coliseo San Andrés, Fernán de Oliva, 6. Founded in 1935.
Delicias, Frailes, 10. Founded in 1945.
Fuenseca, Plaza de la Fuenseca, 1. Founded in 1943
Olimpia, Zarco, 14. Founded in 1947
But, wait!, there is more. In the bullfighting arena (Gran Vía Parque avenue); within the space of the Chapel of la Aurora (mid San Fernando street), managed by the neighborhood association of “La Axerquía”; also in Villarrubia, the outskirts, the touristic rural lodge Cuevas del Pino shows movies inside an old roman quarry. The cave is a magical scenario with a temperature below 22º Celsius all year round.