Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
9
Córdoba & the
Central Sierras
by Charlie O'Malley
A boist erous modern cit y and
bracing rural hinterland attract thousands
each year to the central pr ovince of Cór-
doba. Neat, tidy towns with majestic Jesuit
ruins contrast with v ast agricultural flat-
lands of rusting cereal silos and wind-bat-
tered billboards or the rolling green hills of
the P unilla Valley. Villa Carlos P az is a
well-polished tourist trap with slick resorts
offering watersports and golf. In La Cum-
bre, you can stay on a luxur y estancia and
partake in first-class hiking, horseback rid-
ing, and paragliding.
The industrious J esuits made Cór doba
their S outh American headquar ters in
colonial times. Their legacy is still reflected
in a famous univ ersity tradition and a
busy, pr olific pr ovince that pr oduces
everything from soybeans and cars to the
country's best graduates.
Córdobeses ar e Argentina 's best-lo ved
citizens, noted for their lilting accents and
sharp sense of humor . They also hav e a
talent for partying, with some notable get-
togethers such as O ktoberfest in Villa
General Belgrano and a famous traditional
music festival in Cosquín every January.
1 CORDOBA
713km (442 miles) NW of Buenos Aires; 721km (447 miles) NE of Mendoza
Stand on the corner of Yrigoyen and B uenos Aires streets and y ou'll see firsthand Cór-
doba's heady mix of religion, education, and modern industry. Argentina's second city has
a bland backdrop of red-brick high-rises and boxed balconies punctuated with the occa-
sional Gothic spire or colonial facade. D on't be deceiv ed by first impr essions of a dull
Legoland. Beneath it all lies a y oung, vibrant city with lots of heritage, gr eat bars and
restaurants, and a considerable student population intent on having a good time.
This city of 1.3 million inhabitants was cr eated as a stop for S paniards trav eling
between P eru and the A tlantic coast. I t was founded in 1573 b y J erónimo L uis de
Cabrera. The Jesuits arrived at the end of the 16th century, opening Córdoba's university
in 1613 and financing their pr ojects by establishing six large estancias throughout the
region. Today you can follow the “road of the Jesuit estancias ” by arranging a tour with a
local travel agent.
La Cañada, a waterway created to prevent flooding, is one of the city 's symbols. Cór-
doba's most impor tant historical sights line up ar ound Plaza San Martín, including the
Cabildo, cathedral, Marqués de Sobre Monte's residence, and the Jesuit Block. The Man-
zana Jesuítica, as the J esuit Block is called in S panish, developed not just as a place of
worship, but also as an intellectual and cultural center that pr oduced Argentina's top
doctors and lawy ers. I t includes the J esuit chur ches, the univ ersity, and a pr estigious
 
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