At the centre of an area of great natural beauty lies a modern city with a fascinating past. Córdoba is Argentina’s second largest city, capital of one of the country’s most densely populated and wealthy provinces, with a lively student population and buzzing atmosphere. It lies on the Río Suquía, extending over a wide valley, with the sierras visible in the west. The city has been an important trade centre since the area was colonized in the 16th century, and retains an unusually fine set of colonial buildings at its heart, the astonishing Manzana de los Jesuitas, complete with its temple still intact. Cordobeses are renowned throughout the country for their sharp sense of humour, defiant attitude and a lilting accent that other regions delight in imitating. However, along with their strong sense of civic pride, their warm welcome makes Córdoba one of the most hospitable areas in the country. For more information, see http://www.cordobaciudad.com, or www.cordobaturismo afull.com.ar.
Avoid the hot and stormy summer months from December to February, when daytime temperatures are around 30°C. The dry season is April to September, with clear skies, cooler temperatures, but still pleasantly warm.
Most of the city’s sights can easily be visited on foot within a day or so. There’s a leafy pedestrian shopping area to the north of the Plaza San Martín, and the historical Manzana de los Jesuitas is two blocks southwest of here. Buses share the main roads with trolleybuses, which (for some reason) are driven only by women. Both charge a fixed fee of US$0.34, and don’t accept cash; buy tokens (cospeles) or cards from kiosks. Ordinary yellow taxis are usually more convenient for short distances than green remise taxis, which are better value for longer journeys. Tourists are allowed to park free in the centre, but must display a sticker, free from hotels and tourist offices, valid for a week and easily renewable.
There are frequent flights from Buenos Aires (two hours), Santiago de Chile and major northern Argentine cities to Córdoba’s airport, Pajas Blancas (T0351-434 1692) 12 km northwest of centre. The airport is best reached by taxi (US$6), as the bus service is unreliable. Long-distance buses connect the city with almost everywhere in the country and arrive at the central bus terminal (Blvd Perón 380, T0351-434 1694) eight blocks east of the main plaza. The terminal has restaurants, internet facilities, a supermarket, left-luggage lockers for US$0.65 per day (2 coins of 1 peso), a remise taxi desk, an ATM and a tourist office on the lower level, where the ticket offices are. To leave the terminal go upstairs and cross the bridges towards the city centre. A taxi to Plaza San Martín costs US$3. Minibuses which travel to close-by towns stop at the main terminal and then also stop at the minibus terminal (Blvd Illia 155, T0351-425 2854) .
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