Cordoba

It just so happened that I start all my articles about Argentina with the associations that the name of the city evokes in me. Cordoba is no exception, for me it’s some kind of “cow” :) The funny thing is that this coincidence is probably no coincidence: even before colonization, these lands were inhabited by tribes of Indians engaged in cattle breeding and farming. If we look at the map, we will see that Cordoba or Cordoba (in Spanish, “b” and “c” are equivalent) are all dotted with agricultural land, and only on one side is it surrounded by low mountains.

And today, in our time, on the way here from the capital, we observed endless green pastures, cereal fields and many, many different kinds of equipment. Sometimes the same "Cordwa" cows cross the road freely. And in general, the region is an Argentine breadwinner, the most important industrial center and the second city in terms of population.

The city is also known as La Docta ("knowing" or "scientist"). The oldest universities and various scientific institutes are located here. Over 200,000 people study there, it is a very young and vibrant city! And it is also considered the center of cultural (thanks to its history) and night (students. ^ _ ^) Life. Must go!

Short video about Cordoba

How to get there

Of course, there is no direct flight connection from Moscow or St. Petersburg to Cordova. It is most convenient to get to Buenos Aires first. From there you can fly by plane or by car or bus. Oddly enough for Argentina, there is even a rail link between the two major cities.

Alternatively, from Santiago de Chile, you can also get to Cordoba by bus via Mendoza, for example, by visiting several Argentine cities in this way. Read more below. In general, thanks to the location - in the very heart of Argentina - of practical from all major cities, you can easily get to Cordoba by bus.

By plane

The most convenient way to fly to Cordoba is from the capital of Argentina. Several flights are made daily by the national carrier Aerolineas Argentinas and the small company Andes Lineas Aereas from Buenos Aires. By the way, this is probably one of the few Argentinean cities where a flight will cost you relatively cheap for only about 100 USD. Travel time is 1 hour 15 minutes.

Two flights depart from Mendoza per day, but the cost is already around 200 USD. There is still the opportunity to fly from Bariloche, Salta, Tucuman, Mar del Plata and Ushuaia. Cordoba Airport also serves international flights to / from Lima, Santiago de Chile, Panama, Sao Paulo. The price is highly dependent on the season and promotions of carriers.

How to get from the airport

The airport is only 10 km north of the city. The center is easily accessible by bus that runs every 15-30 minutes and costs 2.3 USD (37 ARS) or an official yellow taxi.

Uber in Argentina has also become available and at a cost, often outperforms urban cabmen.

By train

The cheapest and slowest way to get to Cordoba is by train, it will take 17.5 hours. The cost depends on the category:

Reserved seat (FIRST): USD 20 (300 ARS)
Coupe (PULLMAN): USD 24 (360 ARS)
NE (CABIN): 70 USD (1050 ARS) for two.

Timetable:

Buenos Aires - Cordoba: Monday and Friday, departs at 19:00 and arrives at 12:40 the next day.
Cordoba - Buenos Aires: Thursday and Sunday, departs at 13:35 and arrives at 6:50 the next day.

You can only buy tickets at authorized ticket offices at Retiro Miter, Rosario Norte, Villa María and Córdoba Miter stations.

By bus

The most convenient and advantageous option in terms of price and quality is to ride a bus. The cheapest tickets to Cordoba from Buenos Aires are offered by THD, the price is 33 USD (500 ARS) one way. The routes are night, buses depart at 21:30, 21:45 and 22 hours. Travel time is 9 hours.

These buses do not arrive at the bus station, but at the intersection of Avenida 24 de Septiembre and Fray Mamerto Esquiú (Alberdi Square).

It is also convenient to get to / from Cordoba from Salta (travel time - 12 hours, 23USD / 360 ARS) and Rosario (travel time - 6 hours / cost varies depending on the company).

By car

In this section, I don’t just want to talk about a way that everyone understands to rent a car (which in Argentina, by the way, is quite expensive, and this does not include the cost of gasoline). I consider it necessary (especially for budget travelers) to pay attention to Carpooling - the cheapest way to get to Cordoba. It's almost like a hitchhiking, only people agree in advance about the trip and the fare. A driver who rides alone can capture one, two or three people for a moderate fee. It is in this section, because Cordoba is a campus, and that is how students move between two capitals, as between Moscow and St. Petersburg :) Rosario (no less youth) also lies along the way. In Argentina, the notorious Blah Blah Car has not yet been developed, but social networks have convenient groups for finding travel companions.

A trip by car will take 7 hours and depending on the driver it will cost you about 26 USD (400 ARS).

hint: Cordoba - time now is 10:00 a.m. October 13Difference in hours: Moscow & plus; 6 Kazan & plus; 6 Samara & plus; 7 Yekaterinburg & plus; 8 Novosibirsk & plus; 10 Vladivostok & plus; 13

When is the season. When is the best time to go?

It is probably worth noting that, due to its favorable geographical location in Cordoba, there is no extreme temperature fluctuation: it is slightly hotter, it is slightly cooler. Choose a season to your liking. The only thing worth remembering: during national holidays and vacations (around January, Easter week and July), prices increase, as does the flow of tourists.

Cordoba in the summer

During the summer season (from November to March), the temperature fluctuates between + 20-30 ° C, and nights are pleased with warm weather. From February to March, a colorful carnival takes place - at this time Cordoba is filled with people in traditional costumes singing songs in the squares of the city.

If you do not mind the warm (and sometimes hot) weather, plan your trip for the summer, as hotels offer discounts this season.

Cordoba in the fall

In the fall (March, April) a great idea would be to combine a visit to Cordoba and Mendoza (to catch the Harvest Festival). At this time it will not be hot or cold, the streets are full of students, you can avoid the festive fuss and see the "learned" city in all its glory.

Cordoba in the spring

Argentinean spring (approximately September to November), ideal for visiting any city. The city has a measured atmosphere, everything blooms, normal prices, as there are no particularly noisy events. The only thing worth remembering about possible river spills is that it floods some areas of the city.

Cordoba in winter

The best time to visit Cordoba is winter. You can get to know all the festivals and carnivals (from May to September). The temperature fluctuates around + 10-20 ° С. In May, three famous festivals are held in the city, so prices are rising during this period.

Cordoba - monthly weather

hint: Cordoba - weather for the months of January January + 23.7 February ± 22.8 March ± 20.8 April ± 17.7 May ± 14.6 June ± 11.1 July ± 11.0 August ± 12.8 September ± 15.1 October ± 18.5 November ± plus 20.9 December & plus; 22.9

Areas. Where is better to live

Center

This area is marked with an oval on the map. Of the advantages - all the main attractions are concentrated in the center, there is the opportunity to walk a lot, and this is saving on transport. Of the disadvantages, you can identify, perhaps, the abundance of people who rush to work or college in the morning. In addition, it is quite noisy and gassed here (as in any other large city).

According to the cost of rooms:

per bed - 8 USD (130 ARS);
Double room - from 24 USD (380 ARS).

Then everything depends on your tastes and wallet size. You can compare prices for rooms in different hotels, for example, here.

The area along the river

It is traditionally believed that Cordoba is safer, for example, Buenos Aires or Rosario. Anyway i DO NOT recommend To settle far from the city center along the river (line) there may be unsafe on weekdays (there is a party there on weekends, so it’s calmer). Alternatively, if you are young and hot, come with friends (preferably Argentines) to have fun and go to the local bars, then this check-in option will save you some money for cocktails.

At prices everything is the same as in any other decent city - you can find expensive hotels and cheap hostels. There are especially many of them, yet a significant part of the population is students. I think that you will be able to find the most suitable option for you. I marked with an asterisk on the map where bus station in Cordoba - it has an excellent location, super close to the center, all budget places for spending the night are concentrated here.

What are the prices for vacation

Prices in Cordoba are practically no different from prices in other Argentinean cities. Is that the food here is a little cheaper due to the location of the region (which benefits the budget tourist).

0.5 USD (8 ARS) for empanada - a small pie with meat or other filling of your choice.
2 USD (30 ARS) per choripan - Argentinean hot dog.
19 USD (300 ARS) for dinner with an inexpensive bottle of wine in a mid-range restaurant for two.
Quite expensive water - a bottle from 1-1.5 USD (14-20 ARS), it is more profitable to buy large ones.

It is more profitable to buy food in markets or in supermarkets. Vegetables only in the market - they are cheaper and better there.

hint: Cost of food, accommodation, transport and other currency: Euro, € US dollar, $ Russian ruble, rub Argentine peso, $ Prices in restaurants and cafes

Eating (lunch / dinner) in a reasonably priced restaurant	203 rub
Lunch / dinner for two, 3 course, middle class restaurant	677 rub
McMill at McDonald's or similar combo lunch	161 rub

More details

The main attractions. What to watch

Cordoba is the second most important city in Argentina. Due to its convenient location, it is difficult to miss if you are planning your trip to the north of the country. Wherever you go, Cordoba is always on the way. I think that for a visit to all the sights you will have more than enough, say, 3 days. By the way, if in many cities of the country everything is mostly “about nature”, then here you can observe interesting preserved architecture. Old areas are very similar to San Telmo in Buenos Aires. Only they are much less touristy and, as they say, safer.

In the vicinity there is also something to see, the nature is beautiful everywhere. We found ourselves in a great German town, but read about it below.

Top 5

Iglesia de los capuchinos - or Iglesia del Sagrado Corazón, which is translated into Russian as "Church of the Capuchins" or "Church of the Sacred Heart". This main attraction of the city was built over 8 years after the arrival of the first Capuchin missionaries
Jesuit quarter - listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s silly not to visit him, it’s nice and calm.
Iglesia catedral - The cathedral, the main cathedral of the city. As always, in Piazza San Martin, pigeons, people. Walking!
Museo palacio ferreyra - He is the Museo Superior de Bellas Artes Evita or the Museum of Fine Arts. Evita (Eva Perron). Here are the works of local artists. The building itself is of marvelous beauty, aerial inside. I am not a big fan of museums, but in Argentina they are amazingly beautiful.
El Paseo Buen Pastor - Women's prison, turned into a memorial complex with a restaurant and cafe. You can also stroll through the picturesque surroundings with many trees and a large fountain.

Churches and temples. Which are worth a visit

Iglesia de los capuchinos

The church is made in the neo-Gothic style. Each of the elements of the main facade has a special meaning, the whole building is a big metaphor with a reference to human existence and relations with God. Needles are the souls of people ascending to heaven. This beautiful temple was built by the architect Augusto Ferrari. Must visit.

The temple is open for tourists:

Monday through Friday: from 16:00 to 19:45.
Saturday and Sunday: from 09:00 to 12:00.

Iglesia Catedral Neustria Sonora de la Asunció

You definitely won’t miss, it is located on St. Martin Square. This temple combines in its architecture elements of the Renaissance, Spanish colonial baroque and neoclassicism. Be sure to go inside, pay attention to the huge altar of silver.

The temple is open:

Monday to Sunday: from 08:00 to 12:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00
Daily masses at 09:00 and 18:30.
The temple does not work on holidays

Monasterio de santa teresa

It was founded by the Spanish family of Tejeda. Don Juan de Tejeda turned his house into a monastery, thereby thanking Saint Teresa, who cured one of his daughters from the disease. The first nuns were his widow, Dona Maria de Guzmán, and her daughters. Today, this monastery is considered one of the most important religious monuments in Argentina. And just a stately building in a beautiful pink hue.

Open:

Monday to Sunday: from 18:00 to 20:00.

Museums Which are worth a visit

Museo Palacio Ferreyra (now Museo Superior de Bellas Artes Evita)

This museum is located on 575 Hipólito Yrigoyen, opposite Spain Square. When he was a huge palace of the eminent philanthropist in Cordoba, Dr. Ferreira. At the beginning, this "small house" consisted of 60 rooms located on 4 floors, 19 bathrooms and a large number of living rooms for meetings (and all this apart from the premises for the servants). In 2006, this house was bought by the government of the province of Cordoba, and after restoration in 2007, a museum was opened here. Inside, a large part of the province's artistic heritage is represented - paintings, sculptures, graphics and photography.

Schedule

Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00 a.m. to 08:00 p.m. The entrance is free.

Museo Municipal de Bellas Artes Dr. Genaro pérez

This is also a museum of fine arts, also mainly artists from Cordoba, younger and more conceptual. This place is more underground, you can get to the performance or film screening of a fashionable local director. The official website with the schedule is here.

Schedule

The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday and on holidays: from 10:00 to 20:00.

Free admission.

In general, in Cordoba, there are a lot of museums not only in the visual arts, but also in historical, scientific, and technological ones. It is better to ask the locals and focus on your interests - is it worth spending so much time in the city within four walls?

Parks

Parque sarmiento

This is the largest park in the city and one of the oldest in the country. It is located in the highest part of the city. The park occupies about 100 hectares. There is a lake, picturesque paths, a small zoo, many statues. El Rosedal is a very beautiful garden with flowers, fountains and statues of the 20th century. Nice place for walking.

Open every day from 8 am to 9 pm, admission is free.

Tourist streets

Plaza San Martín

As always, you don’t even have to guess. San Martín Square is the historic city center, 0 kilometer. All historically significant street buildings, as well as the city itself, originate from this place. Do not miss it, all cafes with a beautiful view of the Cathedral are located right there.

Paseo de las artes

Antique shops, local artisans, shops with consumer goods and magnets - all this can be found on this street. In fact, this is the street of Belgrano (calle Belgrano) along the Cañada River. In fact, it is rather a fair, which takes place on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 5 pm to 22 nights or until victory :) They cover almost the entire area.

El paseo del buen pasto

Space under the open sky. It is considered a "saved" cultural, tourist and recreational complex. “Saved,” because earlier, 100 years ago, there was a women's prison. Subsequently, this part of the city was unfavorable for the boardwalk. Now every day various entertainment programs are offered here: concerts, choirs, exhibitions of paintings, sculptures and photographs, dance performances, book presentations, plays and puppet shows. Located in the heart of Nueva Córdoba, on Hipólito Irigoyen Street.

What to see in 1 day

10:00 - 11:00 - Breakfast for locals is not a big problem - just buy yourself something like a croissant (medialuna) and coffee, which is sold here at every corner (but very mediocre), choose any of a dozen cafes along the boulevard San Juan (A). The prices here are mostly local-oriented, so you definitely won't go broke.
11:00 - 13:00 - Find Hipolito Yrigoyen and follow the direction of Plaza Espanya, stop for a minute along the way Paseo del Buen Pastor (B) and here Iglesia de los capuchinos, look inside the cathedral, it is beautiful. Below in the square of Spain (Plaza Espana) - (C) there is a museum Museo Superior de Bellas Artes Evitaand across from it is the Emilio Caraffa Museum - also of fine arts.Some say that the works of the best artists of our time are exhibited here.
13:00 - 14:30 - A few blocks away from Jose Manuel Estrad, there is a diner Betos (d), which makes the best lomitos - sandwiches with a large piece of meat, tomatoes, cheese, onions, ham, lettuce and chimichurri sauce. Feel free to stay for lunch here.
14:30 - 19:00 - After a hearty lunch, you just need to take a walk to Jesuit Quarter (Manzana Jesuita) - (E), just two squares from it is San Martin Square (F) and the main cathedral. Most likely it is already getting dark, and it's time to drink some wine and enjoy the sunset. You can do it here in any cafe, grab a glass and enjoy the evening.
19:00 - and until late in the evening I advise you to go to restaurants, bars and parties, which I will discuss below.

What to see in the surroundings

I don’t know about you, but all the time I was interested in reading about the Nazis who fled to Argentina after the war. I famously screwed. In general, on the road to Cordoba from the Salta side, we came across a nice German village with surprisingly smooth lawns. And in Cordoba we were told about a wonderful place - Villa General Belgrano, where beer always flows by the river and all the time Oktoberfest (almost the third most important in the world).

And what was our surprise when it turned out that 85 km from the big city, a Bavarian-style village with a street of pubs and breweries was really waiting for us. German culture is respected here and, of course, they have nothing to do with the war;) The city was founded in 1930 by German speculators who were attracted by the agro-cultural value of the area. Now everything is in the Bavarian tradition, and there is always a celebration on the street.

You know, I liked this strange place. Firstly, it is very beautiful in the area, you can take a bike and ride on incredibly smooth roads, enjoy the colorful sunset on the dam. But otherwise, it still reminds a little of a Disneyland - a lot of people with children, the prices are too high. Hotels are not quite budget. If you are just from an old European woman, you should not go here. But if you have been in South America for a long time, then perhaps this place can please the eye a couple of days.

hint: Routes to the neighboring cities of Cordoba - Rosario 373 km Cordoba - Los Angeles 9 229 km Cordoba - Lisbon 9 662 km Cordoba - Torremolinos 9 794 km Cordoba - Malaga 9 806 km

Food. What to try

Of the especially traditional dishes of Cordoba and the region, there are:

cookies with boiled condensed milk coated with sugar - Colaciones Cordobesas;
traditional Argentinean rich corn (hangover) soup locro which is here with the prefix cordobes. But everyone will tell you that it is better than here to not find a lock;
AND cabrito al asador - kid cooked on fire (forgive me, vegetarians, but it is very tasty).

Recommended Places

The main cluster of restaurants is located along Colon Street (more tourist and respectable) and in the Nueva Cordoba area (more youthful and modern).

Budgetary

tentares;
Epic Cafe Bar;
Choripanes Luisito el Auténtico;
Sissi Casual Bistro By Miguel Albelda.

Mid level

Quadrata Pizza & focacce;
Rincón Nuestro Nueva Córdoba;
Quebrada Restó;
Dos en la Ciudad.

Expensive

El Papagayo;
Sibaris;
La Cocina de Fazzio;
San Honorato.

Holidays

Feria de córdoba

Cordoba Fair is the most important and vibrant event in the city. It usually takes place at the end of May and lasts a week.

The fair is open for free visits, here you can have a drink on the street or in special tents open during the festival. The daytime festival is dramatically different from the festival, which continues at night. During the day, the fair is more traditional: people dance flamenco, ride horses, and children see the sights and have fun on the rides. And at night, when young people go out, everything changes! At this time of the day, everything becomes permissible.

The main thing if you are going to visit Cordoba at this time is to book a hotel room as early as possible.

Festival de la Guitarra

The annual international guitar festival is a world famous event and one of the most wonderful holidays of its kind. Every year in early July, guitarists and guitar music lovers from all over the world come here to play, dance, learn and just have fun. This festival was once visited by such celebrities as Carlos Santana, B. B. King, Sting and Chuck Berry. This bright event is worthy of attention not only of a professional, but also just an amateur. If you are in Argentina at this time of the year - do not miss!

Security. What to watch out for

Cordoba is considered safer than Buenos Aires and Rosario, but this certainly does not make it look like European cities. Beware of tweezers in local buses (especially during rush hours). Near the Suquía River, Monday through Thursday is rather unpleasant (on weekends there are a lot more people there, as a party is arranged). Of course, there are suburbs where it is better not to meddle (and why not).

Things to do

In almost all articles about Argentina, I propose activity in nature, but I will not here. Because, perhaps, this is the only city that is good in itself, regardless of its province (although, of course, it is also worthy of attention). Walk around the city, sit in parks and most importantly - communicate with local students, use the popular couchsurfing service. People here are more open and less shy.

Shopping and shops

As in all other cities in Argentina, they will not offer you anything special and unique. There are several large malls in the city, the assortment in them, believe me, you will find uninteresting. The only thing worth paying attention to is food! For delicacies, you should definitely look at the Mercado Norte market - moreover, the city holds events and master classes here, only the prices are slightly overpriced. But you can find everything of excellent quality in one place. The market is open from Tuesday to Friday from 7:00 to 19:30, on Saturday from 7:00 to 14:30. Closed on Sunday and some public holidays.

Bars Where to go

All over the world, it’s now fashionable to do two things - brew beer and visit "secret" bars. In this regard, in Cordoba, both are enough! Below is a list of places to visit.

Cocktails:

Apartamento Bar;
Milk Compañía Argentina de Cocteles;
X-Bar;
Dadá Mini Bar.

Beer:

Antares
PEÑON CERVECERÍA;
CAPITAN.

And many, many others! Do not be shy!

Clubs and nightlife

As I said several times above, the nightlife in Cordoba is really active, although, of course, it "dies" during the sessions and Christmas. The main activity is observed, as elsewhere - from Thursday to Sunday, and all fall asleep on Tuesday (only a few clubs work). So plan your trip in advance.

The most party areas:

Nueva córdoba - due to the proximity of the university, many students live here. In this area there are many bars and pubs, as well as major clubs;
Ex abasto - The red light district near the Suquía River. The surrounding area is relatively unsafe, so stay on the main streets, or better yet go with the locals;
Chateau carreras - Not far from San Martin Park. The most “chic”, expensive and fashionable establishments, and most of the clubs of electronic music are concentrated here.

Most visited and famous clubs:

Dorian gray
Club belle epoque
Petalos de sol
Minns

Souvenirs. What to bring as a gift

In addition to ordinary leather goods, mate and calabash, you can try to bring a delicious goat cheese (queso de cabra), which I managed to try in this province. It is sold everywhere - with whole round heads of about 1 kg.

How to get around the city

If you are not going to live here, then, frankly, all the main attractions you can afford to walk, and at night use a taxi or Uber service. Because of a couple of days, you should not bother buying a travel card and replenishing it. Moreover, often the buses are crowded, because in fact it is the only means of transport for the whole city. But recently, more and more attention has been paid to the development of bicycle transport, new paths are being built, and at the beginning there is urban rental.

Taxi. What features exist

Yellow city taxi, fare:

1.37 USD (21.2 ARS) - landing and for every 110 meters or a minute of waiting 0.06 USD (1.06 ARS) - in the afternoon.
1.58 USD (24.38 ARS) and 0.07 USD (1.22 ARS), respectively - at night between 22 a.m. and 6 a.m.

Uber is available, at a cost about the same, often cheaper.

Buses

There are several bus lines, they are divided into "corridors", each of which is associated with a color and a letter:

Orange (corridors 1 and 6)
Yellow (corridors 4,5,0),
Blue (2 and 7)
Red (3 and 8).

You need to pay using a magnetic card, the fare is 12.55 pesos (0.8 USD). Even for two it is sometimes cheaper, more convenient and more understandable to use a taxi.

There is also a system of trolleybus transport, which is also divided into lines A, B and C. They intersect with the bus system, the fare costs the same.

Vehicle rental

Like everywhere in Argentina, expensive! About 100 USD per day. It makes sense if you are going to a large company. And for one or two it is cheaper to use the carpooling, which I wrote about above.

Compare car rental prices and choose the best option, for example, here.

Cordoba - Holidays with children

I have not noticed any special, bright places for children's recreation. Unless, the village of Villa General Belgrano is very kid-friendly. While mothers and fathers sip beer, children are offered many activities - contests, animators, restaurants with children's rooms. Almost all hotels are equipped with a playground and a pool with small slides.