Photo of Cambalachero. Cordoba is the second most important city in Argentina , although its size and population are far smaller than those of the capital, making it a more human-sized city. And said the docta about the seat of the oldest university in Argentina and still chosen by many students from all over the world, which make it a young city, rich in culture and nightlife.
Cordoba owes much of its current charm to the intervention of the Jesuit missionaries, who founded the same university and the most important places of worship there.
1 – Plaza San Martin
Photo by Jarod Burns. The perfect place to start your Cordoba tour is definitely San Martin Square in the city center. The square is dedicated to Jose de San Martin, the Argentine general who thanks to his campaigns brought Argentina, Chile and Peru to independence, and for this reason considered a national hero.
On one side of the square stands the city’s cathedral and numerous bars and cafes: it is the main crossroads of Cordoba, where you can admire street artists and the peaceful flow of everyday life.
- How to get there: it is in the center of Cordoba, and is connected to the rest of the city by bus lines 31, 71, 72 and 75 – Get directions
- Hours: always accessible
- Ticket cost: free access
2 – Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption
Photo by Cambalachero. The cathedral is the most important Catholic church in the city, and is in fact located in the historic center of Cordoba.
The works for its construction began in 1582, although it was consecrated only in 1706.
The cathedral is presented in a baroque style mixed with Renaissance and neoclassical art, and is therefore characterized by a certain majesty both inside and outside. Try to visit the cathedral square when the hour changes: the towers are in fact equipped with musical chimes , and are adorned with trumpet players carved in the corners, dressed in local clothing.
- How to get there: it is located in the historic center, a few blocks from the Jesuit district, about 2 km from the university. It can be reached on foot or by bus lines 18 and 41 – Get directions
- Hours: 10:00 – 18:00
- Ticket price: free admission, but there is the possibility of joining paid guided tours
3 – National University of Cordoba
Photo by Albano Azarian. The National University of Cordoba is one of the most important academic institutions in all of America. It is located in the Manzana Gesuitica district, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and is recognizable for its typical colonial architecture .
It was founded in 1613 by the Jesuits, making it the oldest Argentine university and the fourth in the whole continent. The university became secular in 1918, detaching itself from the Jesuit order, and is currently the second most important Argentine university after that of the capital Buenos Aires , and hosts numerous foreign students who choose to study in Cordoba on Erasmus.
- How to get there: it is located in the Jesuit quarter, in the heart of the city, so it is easily reachable on foot or by bus lines 20, 22 and 23 – Get directions
- Hours: always accessible
- Ticket cost: free access
4 – Museo de la Memoria
The Museum of Memory is dedicated to the dictatorship that upset Argentina in the 1970s. The structure itself, even before the exhibition, is a testimony of the time, as in the past it was used as a secret place of detention and torture . It was the families of those who disappeared in the years of the “dirty war” at the hands of the military dictatorial government who donated the photos currently on display to the museum and provided information on the state of terror in which Argentine citizens lived in those years.
- How to get there: it is located about 2.5 km north of the university, and can be reached on foot or by bus lines 18, 20, 28 and 81 – Get directions
- Hours: it is open from Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 18:00
- Ticket cost: free access
5 – Parque Sarmiento
Photo by Daniel J. FarrA ©. Parque Sarmiento is the main green area of ​​Cordoba . It was conceived by the landscape architect Carlos Thays, of French origin, who gave the park a typical design of the belle epoque, characterized by rose gardens, water sources, a Greek amphitheater and an artificial lake crossed by a white bridge.
Inside, the garden houses museums and the city zoo . It is a green oasis in which to take refuge on hot afternoons in the shade of its dense trees or where to take the children to play after cultural visits.
- How to get there: the main entrance is in Plaza Espana, just 850 meters from the University – Get directions
- Hours: always open
- Ticket cost: free access
6 – Museo Superior de Bellas Artes Evita Peron
Photo by Javier. Inside the Parque Sarmiento, be sure to visit the Evita Peron Museum of Fine Arts . The museum was inaugurated in 2007 and is housed in the Ferreyra Palace, a French colonial residence, divided into 12 exhibition halls , a library and an auditorium for 120 people.
The permanent collection houses over five hundred works, but the museum is often home to temporary exhibitions. The permanent exhibition of greatest impact, which for the most sensitive could be disturbing, shows the violence exerted on women during the period of the dictatorship.
- How to get there: The museum is located inside the Parque Sarmiento, and is easily accessible on foot – Get directions
- Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 to 19:00
- Ticket cost: € 10.00
7 – Paseo del Buen Pastor
Photo by Alicia Nijdam. The Paseo del Buen Pastor is a cultural and commercial complex located in the Nueva Cordoba area . The building takes its name from a former asylum, and has been home to a women’s prison for over a hundred years. It was brought to new life in the early 2000s, leaving behind its sad history and becoming a space for inclusion and sharing. A shopping center of over 6,400 square meters has been created from the old structure, while the central chapel has been converted into a cultural exhibition space, which hosts exhibitions, performances and concerts.
- How to get there: the complex is located 600 meters from Plaza Espana, and is reached by bus lines 18 and 81 – Get directions
- Hours: every day from 9:00 to 20:00
- Ticket price: free admission
8 – Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
On the opposite side of the square on which the Paseo del Buen Pastor stands is the Iglesia del Sagrado Corazon, an exquisite example of European neo-Gothic architecture built on the project of the Italian Augusto Ferrara for the Capuchin friars, missionaries Spaniards.
The church has two asymmetrical towers at the entrance, symbolizing the soul’s ascent to heaven in the highest tower (over 70 meters) and the incompleteness, the imperfection of material life in the lowest tower.
Inside it is very present the iconography of the cult of San Francesco D’Assisi , to whose order the Capuchin friars still belong.
- How to get there: located in the Nueva Cordoba neighborhood, opposite the Paseo del Buen Pastor – Get directions
- Hours: Tuesday to Friday from 9:00 to 12:00 and from 16:00 to 19:30, Saturdays only in the morning time slot.
- Ticket price: free admission
9 – Quartiere Guemes
Photo by Helder Ribeiro. About ten blocks from the historic center of Cordoba is the bohemian Guemes neighborhood . It is a large barrio, which was born at the end of the nineteenth century from a complex of popular residences for Italian, Spanish and Middle Eastern immigrants. In the 1980s that complex was redeveloped as a cultural center and today it is known as Paseo de las Artes , where it is possible to attend musical performances, eat typical Argentine dishes and shop among the many local crafts and antiques stalls.
The neighborhood offers its best in the evening and on weekends, when the streets become pedestrianized and are colored with a thousand lights in a nostalgic but very festive atmosphere.
- How to get there: the neighborhood is about 2 km from the university, and can be reached by bus 43 and 18 from the historic city center – Get directions
- Hours: always accessible
- Ticket price: free admission
10 – San Martin
Urban Nature Reserve The San Martin Urban Nature Reserve is located north-west of the city and covers an area of ​​114 hectares, bordered by the Suquia River and the Canal Maestro Sur. It is the only protected area in the city and as such has great biological importance, with a wide diversity of plant and animal species. It is the ideal destination for those who want to immerse themselves in Argentine nature without straying too far from the city.
- How to get there: about 15 km from the city, and can be reached by car or by bus with lines 13, 19 and 82 – Get directions
- Hours: always accessible
- Ticket price: free admission
Plan your stay in Cordoba, Argentina: flights, hotels and tours
Cordoba is certainly a quieter city than the capital city of Buenos Aires, given its small size that makes it a destination on a human scale . However, despite the relative tranquility of the university city, the crime rate has grown with the flow of tourists . Beware of pickpockets in crowded places like train stations and restaurants, and prefer to stay in hotel chain hotels to avoid running into dangerous situations. The same goes for the transfer from the airport to the city: choose the appropriate shuttles and avoid private vehicles used as taxis.
- Low cost flights: starting from € 522.00 – look at the offers
- Where to sleep: Hotels and b & b from € 46.00 per night – look at the offers
