Cordoba

Often overlooked, Cordoba is an attractive university town city and a centre of gaucho culture with historic estancias punctuating the surrounding hills.

A short flight from Buenos Aires, Argentina’s second city Cordoba is perched at the foot of the Sierra de Cordoba ridge at the heart of the country, almost half way between the roaring Atlantic coast and the snow-capped Andes. Nicknamed “La Docta” owing to the number of scientific institutions and university, one of the oldest in South America, Cordoba is an attractive, bustling city where colonial landmarks meet modern architecture. Founded in 1573 by Jeronimo Luis de Cabrera and later settled by Jesuits, the city has long been a popular retreat for Argentines (“bonaerenses”) escaping the midsummer heat of the capital.

For visitors, Cordoba offers a number of excellent bars, restaurants and boutique hotels though the province’s main attraction lies outside the metropolitan district within the rolling hills. There, historic estancias have thrown open their doors to tourism and offer some of the finest riding in all of the country. The surrounding countryside is picturesque and the huge cattle ranches offer authentic regional hospitality in an area rich in gaucho tradition.