Córdoba (city, Argentina)

Córdoba is the second largest city in Argentina. It is known for its rich colonial heritage and its old university, now the second-largest of the country. You can’t miss the historical centre and the magnificent churches, the Cathedral and the Jesuitic quarter with the Montserrat School and the old University buildings. Also, Córdoba is home to the perhaps most popular Argentine Latin pop music genre, cuarteto. It has about 2.1 million inhabitants (2022), and is the capital of Cordoba province

Understand
Córdoba is the industrial, cultural and commercial center of Central Argentina. The city, founded in 1573, is in the heart of Central Argentina between the Pampas and Gran Chaco flatlands to the east and the Sierras de Córdoba hills to the west. It is surrounded by beautiful valleys, formed up by three main mountain groups, which are popular tourist destinations. You can perfectly combine a dive into urban life with a trip to the Sierras, as there is plenty of public transport. While the world heritage listed Jesuit buildings from the 17th and 18th century are a big draw, the city is perhaps still better known as a business travel destinations with many congresses taking place here.

Córdoba is known by many as La Docta because of its many universities and science institutes. Around 200,000 people study here, which makes the city's population one of the youngest and liveliest in South America. There is much cultural and night life, primarily in the downtown area (centro) and the neighborhoods of Güemes, Nueva Córdoba, Cerro de las Rosas and Alta Córdoba.

The colonial architecture of the city center now coexists with many modern buildings. Although the oldest buildings are found in the surroundings of the Plaza San Martín (microcentro), the most pleasant areas are now the Nueva Córdoba district south of the center and the area around the Cañada, a small colonial canal that crosses the city. These areas show a mix of well-designed modern buildings and beautiful old houses, often built in neo-colonial style. The old district Barrio Güemes, where many buildings are protected by municipal laws, is now particularly pleasant, with a 19th-century atmosphere rather similar to Buenos Aires' San Telmo district, but with more life on the streets. It has been heavily affected by gentrification.

The city district covers 529 km² (204 sq mi) and has 1.3 million inhabitants. Population growth of the city has slowed down in the past decades, and many people moved to suburbs and satellite towns outside this area. Those west of the city lie in the hills of the Sierras de Córdoba and are residential areas with some tourist attractions (see Go Next). North and east of the city, in the plains, there are poor suburbs with a slum-like appearance like Juárez Celman and Malvinas Argentinas. Greater Córdoba (Gran Córdoba) is home to about 1.8 million inhabitants.

Climate
The climate in the city and surrounding areas is pleasant year round. Even in winter there are frequent warm, sunny days, although you must be prepared for cold nights and some chilly, cloudy periods, which never last more than a week or so. During the summer, the rainy season (November to March), it is hot and humid with frequent rain showers and thunderstorms at the afternoon. The rain causes some spot flooding due to an unsatisfactory drainage system. The best time to visit Córdoba is March to May and August to November, when it's not too hot nor too cool and there is little rain.

History
Córdoba was founded in 1573 by Jerónimo Luis de Cabrera. For the first two centuries of its history it was the largest and most important town in the region that today is Argentina, until in 1776 Buenos Aires was declared capital of the Virreinato del Río de la Plata. Córdoba's university was founded as early as 1613 by the Jesuits. The Catholic Church had much influence on social life until 1900, and Córdoba sometimes was called "the Rome of Argentina" being a stronghold for conservativism.

In the 1950s the city was industrialized by the Perón and Frondizi governments. In the following decades Córdoba transformed into Argentina's second technology hub behind Buenos Aires, leading above-all in motor industry (IKA - now Renault -, Volkswagen and Fiat), aviation (the famous Fábrica Militar de Aviones, Argentina's main aircraft producer, is here) and, later, in high-tech sectors like software and electronics. Also, the second half of the 20th century was marked by explosive population growth due to migration from northern Argentina. In 1980, the metropolitan area, and in the 1991 census the city itself passed the million inhabitants.

Córdoba has played a major role in some of the revolutionary movements in 20th century Argentina. In 1918 a student revolution, the Reforma Universitaria, led to a modernization of what is now the National University, which until this time had been very conservative and elitist. This revolution spread to all cities of Argentina and most of Latin America, leading to more autonomy and openness in the regional educational institutions. In 1955, the conservative Revolución Libertadora led to the resignation of President Juan Perón. In 1969 and 1971, two left-wing riots known as Cordobazo and Viborazo were among the main reasons for the end of the military dictatorship which had governed Argentina since 1966. While in the 2001/02 crisis the city was fairly quiet, an infamous police riot in 2013 led to two nights of violence which spread to other regions of Argentina.

Beginning with the early 1970s, and more strongly after democratization took place in 1983, the formerly very conservative city began to open and evolve into a cosmopolitan regional metropolis. A unique urban popular culture characterized by comedy, theater and the cuarteto music began to appear. At the same time, Córdoba diversified its economy, evolving from an industrial-governmental provincial town to an important hub for commerce, culture, education and services. Today the city is a "service metropolis" with many advertising agencies, call centers also serving foreign customer and an IT-hub employing more than 10,000 software professionals.

Tourist information
Tourist information at airport, bus terminal, and in the Cabildo building (listed in See below). Some other provinces, like Tierra del Fuego, Salta and La Rioja have tourist information offices in the city, they are called "casas de provincia".

Get in
It is very easy to reach Córdoba from other parts of Argentina because of its position in the country's geographical center.

By plane


From the Córdoba airport there is a regular bus to city center (25, about US$0.60, drivers will often refuse to take passengers with too much luggage), a minibus service and taxis (significantly more expensive than in most other cities, around AR$13000/US$15 for a ride to the centre area). From the Taravella airport there are also direct buses stopping on the way between Córdoba's bus terminal and the attractive suburb of Río Ceballos, but this bus stop is a 5-minute walk away at the E-55 highway and is poorly marked, better ask a local for the exact location. Additionally, the major car rental agencies have offices at the airport.

By train
Until the 1980s Córdoba was an important railway center with many connections. Today, Trenes Argentinos has only one long-distance line left with passenger services, the railway from Buenos Aires, via Villa María and Rosario, two times a week. The train is very cheap in comparison to buses and has a pullman section and sleepers, but the journey is about 5 hours longer because of the deteriorated rails. Fortunately, in 2015 the worst part of the railroad was renovated. Also, in the holiday season you must reserve well in advance as the demand is high. Reservations are only possible at the train stations and you must show your passport or ID card when buying the tickets. There is also a local train from Villa María, three times a week.

The main train station,, is near the omnibus terminal, on Bv. Juan Domingo Perón 101. Most of the city bus lines pass within 400 m of the station, so it's easy to get to your accommodation and attractions. Another station in the neighborhood of Barrio Ferreyra (about 12 km south-east of the city centre). Another train station is about 1 km north of the Suquía River in Jerónimo Luis de Cabrera street. From there, there are 2-3 local trains per day to Cosquín via La Calera and the San Roque dam (very beautiful journey, but slow).

By car
The city is connected with most larger towns by good asphalted routes. A motorway (Ruta Nacional 9) links Cordoba to Rosario and from there, to the Buenos Aires - Santa Fe motorway. Another motorway links Córdoba with Carlos Paz (RN20) - with connections from San Juan and Chile, another dual-carriageway goes to Alta Gracia (RN 5). As of 2015, there are dual-carriageway highways being built to Santa Fe (RN19), Río Cuarto in the south of the province on the way to Patagonia (RN36), and Villa del Totoral (RN9) on the way from Tucumán and the North-West.

By bus


Buses are now the most popular public transport. The main bus station, (TOC), is in the east of the city center, between Boulevard Illía and Boulevard Perón streets (Direction: Boulevard Perón 380), near the Río Suquía and the Mitre train station. There are direct connections to all large cities, provincial capitals and main tourist destinations of Argentina, with the exception of Ushuaia (you will have to change in Río Gallegos) and Viedma (changes possible in Bahía Blanca and San Antonio Oeste). There may be buses from international destinations too. Very frequent buses to Buenos Aires (11 hours), Salta (12 hours) and Rosario (5½ hour). Also, the local buses to the suburbs stop here.

The bus station has two separate terminal buildings, T1 or Terminal Vieja and T2 or Terminal Nueva, connected via a tunnel. It is the older building T1 where most of the long-distance buses arrive, and the newer T2 is dedicated mostly to local connections and some lines to Patagonia. Take into account that the whole station is about 700 m long, so it's good to arrive early if you don't know the gate from where your bus starts.

From the bus terminal, there are many possibilities to reach the main hotels and attractions, as it is 500-800 m away from the microcentro.


 * First, you can reach the microcentro area perfectly walking, for example taking the street of Boulevard Perón to the north and then Rosario de Santa Fe to the west which takes you to San Martín Square, the Cathedral and the pedestrian malls.
 * Second, several local urban bus lines take you to the microcentro and other areas. There are three urban bus stops around the terminal (poorly marked): in Bv. Illia near T1 between Tránsito Cáceres de Allende and Paraná streets, and in Bv. Perón; where there are two stops, one at T1 and one at T2. You must buy a bus card first (see Get around section); you can do this in some of the kiosks at the terminals with the Red Bus sign.
 * Third, there are two taxi stations in T1 and a smaller one in T2. In T2, the station where you can take a taxi to the city center is located at the main floor, the one that leads to the eastern neighborhoods is in the lower floor.

Another smaller bus station is at Mercado Sur, about 400 m south of Plaza San Martín in Bv. Illia street. Only local and regional buses, e.g. to Carlos Paz and Villa General Belgrano, stop here. There are some other minor short- and mid-distance bus stops marked with a red sign (Parada de Transporte Interurbano) but you will have to ask at the main terminal (or locals) which buses stop there as there are no indications.

Get around
In the northwestern corner of Plaza San Martín there's a "point zero". Street numbering starts from here, and two streets change their names here. San Martín comes in from the north and is renamed Independencia when going south. Déan Funes, in turn comes in from west and becomes Rosario de Santa Fe going east. Now, any street in the city crossing any of these four streets including their extensions will change their name when doing so. It seems complicated but you will get use to it and can use it for orientation.

By bus
Since the abolition of the tramway in the 1960s, public transport is limited to buses. They are cheap by international standards, but often very crowded. As of March 2023, there doesn't seem to exist a centralized online route planner or schedule service that's working. Google Maps doesn't have this information either.

Urban bus lines
The lines are divided in corridors, each of them is associated with a color and a number:
 * Rojo (Red, corridors 3 northeast/southwest and 8 northwest/southeast)
 * Naranja (Orange, corridors 1 northwest/southeast and 6 southwest/northeast)
 * Azul (Blue, corridors 2 north/south and 7 east/west (but buses are red and yellow, for now!)
 * Amarillo (Yellow, corridors 4 southwest/north and 5 west/east). The bus line number is a combination of the corridor number and the line's number, e.g. 40 or 51. A few lines have different routes, but this is much less an orientation problem than in Buenos Aires.

There are trolleybuses (A, B, and C) and two circular lines (500-501 and 600-601). Also, there are some neighborhood lines (barriales) which cost less than the regular fare.

Fares
The urban buses of Córdoba use exclusively the so-called Red Bus electronic ticket system. You need a bus card, which can be bought at official points of sale (green/blue posts) in the city center, at some kiosks (look for the Red Bus sign), at the omnibus terminal and at the airport. The old bus coins (cospeles) are not accepted anymore.

Drivers will frequently refuse to accept pesos, but you can also ask other passengers if they'll lend you their card. Most buses will charge AR$8.25 as of early 2016. The buses of the lines 500-501 and 600-601, which go around in the outskirts rounding the city, will charge 15% more. If you combine two different lines from different colors with a no more than 60 minutes' wait, you will pay only about AR$1.80 for the second bus, and it's free to combine between different lines of the same corridor, if they go in the same direction (so normally you cannot return to your starting point without having to purchase another ticket). There are no weekly or monthly flat-fares.

There are also interurbanos which serve the suburbs of the city. They charge accordingly to the distance to the terminal, prices vary from about AR$15 to La Calera up to $40 to the peripheral suburbs of Villa Carlos Paz, Jesús María and Cosquín.

By taxi
Yellow taxis and green remises, similar to taxis but with a different fare system, are a comfortable way of getting around, with prices starting from around $25 for a 15-block ride. Under the rules, yellow taxis may be hailed for pick up on the street but green remises are dedicated to pickup up from a particular location after receiving a telephone request. But these rules are loose and you may often successfully hail a green remis on the street. Taxi drivers are very sensitive about their cars. When exiting please close the door slowly, and remember to try and keep your feet planted to the ground. Also, there are no seatbelts in most taxis. Generally speaking, taxis and remises are safe; but it may be even safer to call a taxi or remis by phone in some situations, e.g. when travelling to the airport.

By bicycle
Traffic in the downtown area has been getting increasingly messy, and the quickest way to move around this area (if you are healthy enough for it) is definitely by bike.

Córdoba has a fairly extensive, though underused, cycleway network (Red de Ciclovías) built in the 1980s and 1990s. Unfortunately, the cycleways are poorly maintained and have large gaps, some of them also pass through run-down neighborhoods with a high crime rate and are not recommended for tourists. The most picturesque cycleway runs parallel to the Suquía River and is a good option to cross the city from east to west. The inner city cycling infrastructure covers only a few main avenues in the Nueva Córdoba and Centro area, linking the University campus (Ciudad Universitaria) with the Patio Olmos, the bus terminal and the Government building (Centro Cìvico).

Due to bicycle theft, it's a good idea to park the bicycle at a guarded carpark, particularly in the city center. By law, all public parking garages (playa de estacionamiento) must accept bicycles, but some will refuse to do so or charge you the same price as for a motorcycle. Maipú Parking in Av. Maipú is a good option with a low price in the city centre. If you want to go shopping with your bike outside the central district, be aware that only large supermarkets and shopping malls offer (relatively) safe bicycle parking facilities.

There is no public bike-rental system in the city, although there are plans to establish one. There are only a few bicycle rental agencies in Córdoba, two of them are Córdoba Rent a Bike in San Martín 5 and Baluch Backpacker's Hostel in San Martín 338.

See
There are many colonial buildings in the city center, most of them built by the Jesuits in 17th and 18th centuries. The Manzana de los Jesuitas, declared a UNESCO world heritage site, is a whole block of such buildings, between 27 de Abril, Obispo Trejo, Caseros and Av. Vélez Sársfield. In addition there are many 19th and early 20th century buildings that are worth seeing.

Churches


















Other buildings










Monuments and memorials








Museums
Córdoba has a large variety of museums of different types.

History and archaeology
















Arts




















Science and technology








Varied exhibitions




Parks
















Squares














Other








Do
Córdoba has a lot of cultural life, including theater, art galleries and cultural centers except in summer when the scene moves to Carlos Paz and other hillside resorts. But it's a good center for sports, too.

Theater
There are over 50 theaters and culture centers and some "arte bars", where you can see theater, art exhibitions and different music acts. Every 2 years there is the Festival de Teatro del Mercosur, Argentina's most important theater festival, with many groups of South America.

Most important theaters include:

















Modern theater is also shown in Cineclub Municipal Hugo del Carril. In addition there may occasionally be theater shows in the Ciudad de las Artes cultural center, the university's main event venue Pabellón Argentina and at the Quality Espacio event venue, see listings in the appropriate sections below.

The Festival de Teatro del Mercosur takes place every two years, including theater performances from all over South America.

Movies
Multiplex cinemas are in the shopping centers of Patio Olmos, Nuevo Centro and Córdoba Shopping, but there are some traditional cinemas in the city center like:





There are also cineclubes, cinemas, with some of them being very active cultural centers.







Some "arte bars" show movies, too.

Cultural centers
In the many cultural centers there are not only a wide variety of shows and exhibitions, but you can also assist at many courses:




 * Paseo de las Artes (see above)













There are also cultural activities at the CPCs (municipal district centers).

Sports
There are many sport clubs where you can do a wide variety of sports, being the most popular association football, basketball, and field hockey. The clubs will mostly charge a monthly fee. There are also paid soccer fields (mostly of reduced size for 5 or 7 players per team), and you can do inline skating, mountain-bike and play soccer in an informal way in the parks, like the Parque Sarmiento, and the many plazas in the barrios outside the city centre.

The Universidad Nacional de Córdoba offers courses (for a small fee) in a variety of sports, including climbing and sailing. Secretaría de Educación Física, Av. Valparaíso S/N.

Association football (soccer) is the most popular sport, like in most of Argentina. The best-known soccer teams of Córdoba are Belgrano, Talleres and Instituto. Belgrano plays in First Division, Instituto in Second Division (B Nacional) and Talleres in third division. Córdoba has also a very good basketball team, Atenas, which holds the record of championships in Argentina and is known as one of the best outside the USA.












 * Parque Sarmiento listed in See above is during the weekend a place for many locals to do sports: e.g. football playing, jogging and biking.

Swimming
Although some locals do so, it is not recommended to swim in the polluted Río Suquía, except for the extreme north-west of the city. Houses in the northwest of the city are guaranteed to have swimming pools, all the way to Unquillo.

If you don't want to make a trip to the outskirts, you can swim in the many piscinas (swimming pools) in the city itself, and even in the city center, but most of them are rather poor, and you will have to pass a medical examination.



You can swim at the following spots in the surroundings:
 * La Calera, 18 km (11 mi) north-west from the center, where the Suquía is clean and there are many pleasant spots, with rocks and little cascades, like and.


 * Río Ceballos, a very attractive suburb, 30 km (18 mi) north-west from the center in the hills, can be reached by a very good highway. There is the artificial lake, with a dam, and in the surroundings there are many little rivers and cascades.


 * ,, and  near Alta Gracia, 30 km (18 mi) south-west, with river beaches and much tranquility.


 * Villa Carlos Paz, at River San Antonio. The more central beaches like are very crowded in summer, and the  has only small beaches and is pretty polluted. So better go to the beaches south of the central area like  and nearby beaches at  and . At  10 km (6 mi) south of Carlos Paz, there is an isolated, very attractive beach after a 40-min walk, the.

There are many buses (every 20-30 min) to all mentioned spots.

Events
The official web site of Córdoba is Cordoba.gov.ar, a good internet portal with the best event information is Vos, run by the most popular local newspaper La Voz del Interior.

Events like congresses, conventions, big concerts and exhibitions are hold at the following centers:


 * Orfeo Superdomo, see above, has music and sports events including boxing.













Some events also take place in the soccer stadiums mentioned above.

Some important and interesting yearly events are the Feria Internacional de Artesanías (arts and crafts fair) in autumn and the Book fair in September. Since 2005, Córdoba hosts Sexpoerótica, the most important adult convention of Argentina and now one of the largest of Latin America, with more than 70,000 visitors in 2014, in autumn.

The Noche de los Museos is an irregular event (2-3 times per year) when you can visit many museums of the city without having to pay, until 01:00 or 02:00.

LGBT travelers
Córdoba has the reputation of being a conservative city, but the LGBT presence and tolerance towards them has increased greatly over recent decades. The first dedicated gay club of Argentina, Piaf, has been opened here in the 1980s, and there are now strong organizations lobbying for LGBT issues. There are also some travel agencies specialized in LGBT visitors. If you are in trouble or simply need information about the gay scene in Córdoba, there is a phone service for LGBT tourists (0800-268-0532) operated by the local web portal Lugares Gay CBA, a good source of information about the local options.

Although local LGBT people tend to be less extroverted than in Buenos Aires, as a LGBT visitor you can show your affections openly, at least in the cosmopolitan central districts (Centro, Nueva Córdoba, the eastern parts of Güemes and Alberdi, and General Paz). In the poorer neighborhoods and the outskirts of the city, however, you should be more careful (including the western part of Güemes quarter around Zen club), as there have been incidents of discrimination against LGBT people and tolerance generally is lower.

Learn
There are many public and private universities, which are open to foreigners for studies and research. They have exchange programs with universities from around the world. The largest is the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, with 120.000 students, particularly good in technology, medicine and architecture.

Many organizations will give you a Spanish course, the cheapest are the ones of the local university, but they are at least for a year. Intensive courses from private institutions can be very expensive, up to US$ 1000 for three weeks, though lower cost options do exist.

Work
Córdoba has now a comparatively low unemployment rate (9%), but wages are considerably lower than in Buenos Aires (but also the prices).

With English and Spanish knowledge you can work in many sectors, like gastronomy, tourism, or telemarketing (best chance for a part-time job). Some American companies have outsourced their telemarketing to companies in Córdoba, meaning English-speaking staff can find jobs in this sector.

The city also has a fast-growing software industry and there is a lack of qualified personnel. So if you are a software engineer you have good chances of finding a relatively well paid job in Córdoba.

If you want to work, you should get your work permit in your home country, although it's also possible to get it in the local Dirección Nacional de Migraciones (migration office), at Caseros / Ayacucho, if you come from a country with a visa-free agreement with Argentina.

Buy
Córdoba is a good shopping city, and you can buy near all kind of things at reasonable prices. The most active zone is the Peatonal pedestrian mall around San Martín Square and the nearby Mercado Norte and Mercado Sur areas, with cheaper prices. In the Nueva Córdoba and Güemes quarters, but also in some central galleries, there are shops and boutiques with locally designed clothing.

Shops downtown are usually open Monday to Friday 9:00-20:00, in the suburbs with a break in the afternoon: 9:00-13:00 and 17:00-22:00. Malls and supermarkets are often open 9:00-22:00 every day of the week.

Arts and crafts
Local arts and crafts are sold at the Paseo de las Artes (Saturday and Sunday after 17:00), where you also can buy some local food like salamis, honey, and alfajores (a local sweet with dulce de leche) in the very pleasant Güemes district (see above). The area is now the most popular shopping area at weekends.

There is also a smaller arts and crafts market at Plaza San Martín, and some others at other city squares. In summer some craftsmen move to the Sierras, where there is an attractive market at the dam Dique San Roque 10 km (6 mi) north of Carlos Paz, 15 km (9 mi) west of La Calera and 25 km (15 mi) from Córdoba itself, via route E-55.

Antiquities and second hand
There's a concentration of antiquity shops along Belgrano 700-900 at the level of Paseo de las Artes, and in Pasaje Revol there's a small antiquity market. There are also many second hand shops in the Mercado Norte area.

An interesting experience is to visit the flea market in Villa El Libertador neighborhood (about 8 km south-west of the city center) on Sunday mornings, the center of the Bolivian community, where you can find also cheap Andean food.

Shopping malls and areas
There are many galleries and some modern shopping malls. The most well-known are and (central district),  and  (northwest), and the (west) where there is also the Sheraton Hotel. They are popular with middle-class Argentines, but the offer is limited to large franchises. Electronic items like televisions, cameras and computers usually have higher prices than in Europe and the US; cellular phones from established brands tend to be most expensive.





Every district has a supermarket or at least a small grocery store (these tend to have lower prices than supermarket, though the selection is limited).

Eat
Gastronomy hubs are the city center (particularly General Paz, Illia and Colón avenues), the Cerro de las Rosas area (large restaurants, relatively high prices, often pleasant outdoor bars), Güemes (Belgrano and Alvear streets, with a mix of mid-range and upscale restaurants and bars), General Paz (with some of the most renowned restaurants) and Nueva Córdoba (mostly fast food). In the main avenues of the outskirts you will find some good places to eat, too.

You will find a great deal of parillas (barbecue restaurants) - no surprise as you're in Argentina. There are also a surprising number of Arabic and Mexican restaurants.

Budget

 * Choripán stands, very tasty sandwiches with Argentinian sausage (chorizo), most stands are inside Parque Sarmiento and near the Suquía river







Mid-range








Splurge












Nightlife
The text in this nightlife section dates from 2006.

Cordoba has a vibrant nightlife although it dies of somewhat during the university holidays over Christmas and doesn't get going again until March-ish. There are places to cater for all tastes from dingy bars to live shows to the latest and greatest music. There's however no comprehensive event calendar. The main events can be seen at the Voz website owned by the La Voz del Interior newspaper and in the newspaper, that carries an event guide every Thursday. If you like electronic music, the web portal Cosmobeat will guide you to the main events in city and surroundings. The gothic scene is under-represented, there are only irregular parties.

Most clubs close at 05:00, and there is a local law prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages between 05:00 and 09:00. The once-vibrant afterhour scene has died somewhat since this law came into force. Also don't expect too much night life between Sunday and Tuesday, when only a few clubs are open (Monday night has the least events).

In the following districts there is the most active night life:
 * Nueva Córdoba, home of many students from other Argentine towns, with many bars and pubs and some mainstream clubs
 * Güemes, particularly in the Belgrano street, the Marcelo T. de Alvear avenue ("La Cañada" area) and the surroundings, with many pleasant bars and some few larger clubs. Some good clubs are also in the Roca avenue west of Cañada.
 * Ex Abasto, the former red-light district near River Suquía, many rock and cuarteto clubs and some greater discothèques, wide variety of music between mainstream and underground. The surrounding area is relatively unsafe, so keep at the main streets, which at weekends are full of young people.
 * Chateau Carreras, near Parque San Martín, the most "chic" area, expensive clubs, most of electronic music and international pop, but also some cuarteto parties.

There are also some expensive clubs in the Cerro de las Rosas district. In Alta Córdoba and nearby General Bustos districts there are some arte bars with live music. In the suburbs of Villa Allende, Saldán and La Calera there are some popular clubs too. In summer there is a very active night life in Villa Carlos Paz, private minibuses will take you to the biggest clubs from Plaza Vélez Sarsfield at 01:00 if you pay the entrance fare in advance.

The authentic urban music of Córdoba is the lively, fast Cuarteto dance music. It was invented in the 1940s by Cuarteto Leo group but has changed greatly in the 1980s and 1990s, including Central American (merengue) and pop influences. Bands of this genre play live several times a week, in the so-called bailes, at sport centers, halls and great discothèques. Most of the visitors of these bailes are from the lower social classes. If you want to visit a baile, particularly that of the most popular singer La Mona Jiménez, it's best to take a local with you. There is sometimes fighting between local gangs, but male visitors generally only get in trouble if they speak to someone's girlfriend. For women there are no special dangers, because Argentine men are generally very polite to them, but don't feel disturbed if many guys want to speak to you ...

Cafés




Bars




















Clubs








LGBT




Sleep
Most hotels are in the centre, with many cheap ones near the bus terminal. If you want to stay in a little bit more quiet environment, you can take a local bus and sleep in one of the pleasant resorts nearby (In January and February the city will be quieter than the resort suburbs!).

Budget










Mid-range








Splurge








Connect
Telephone code of Córdoba is 0351, except for the Argüello area in the North-West, of which it is 03543.

Most hotels, hostels, cafés and restaurants have now free wi-fi access, in the Nueva Córdoba area there is a public Wi-fi service (very slow). Internet cafés still exist, although much less than in the past decades, and charge AR$5-10/hour.

Claro (America Movil) and Movistar (Telefonica) have 4G coverage in Córdoba and along major highways in the surroundings.



Stay safe
The city is considered safer than Buenos Aires and Rosario, but it's not free of crime. Beware of pick pocketing on the local buses, above all when they are crowded (as they normally are). The avenidas of the Centro and Nueva Córdoba areas are normally safe around the clock, except the area near the Río Suquía from Monday to Thursday (at weekends there is much night-life there and it's safer). There are some dangerous districts and suburbs, but they have no tourist attractions, they often are situated near the outer ring-road (Avenida Circunvalación).

The Tourist Police of Córdoba (Tourpol) is made up of 60 troops who also speak English and Portuguese, and whose mission is to protect tourists and historical heritage from the so-called "tourist mile", between Plaza San Martín and Plaza España. Tourpol's base of operations is located at Calle Independencia 255, between 27 de Abril y Caseros. This area is reportedly so safe, you don't need to hide your cameras, wristwatches or jewelry, at least during daytime.

During nighttime there may be motochorros, armed criminals on motorcycles riding the streets looking for someone to mug. If you're out when it's dark, it's better to take a taxi than to walk. Also parks should be avoided during nighttime.

If you're robbed, especially if you loose documents or valuable items, report it immediately to the police. This is also true if you've had your vehicle stolen. Namely, stolen cars and motorcycles are commonly disassembled and sold as spare parts, rather than as whole vehicles. Crimes can be reported at larger police stations (seccionales), not at the local comisaría stations found in each barrio.

Natural disasters are relatively uncommon. There's a small risk for tornadoes and minor earthquakes. The bigger risk are rainstorms during the spring that can create flash floods that are dangerous especially for drivers.

Stay healthy
There are no special health risks, apart from homeless dogs in the suburbs that occasionally bite, and some spider and scorpion species which can be dangerous for small children and elderly people. In some areas, particularly in the South-East and in the eastern Río Suquía area water and air are polluted, which is a great danger for the people who live there, but this districts are normally outside of tourist's itineraries.

There are many hospitals. Two of the best of the private ones are the Hospital Privado in the south-west of the city, and the Sanatorio Allende in Nueva Córdoba (Obispo Oro and Buenos Aires) and the Cerro de las Rosas. If you don't have medical security, you will be attended at the public hospitals, above all the Hospital de Urgencias for emergencies in the city centre, at no cost, but if you can you should donate some money because there is sometimes lack of medicines and other elements. South-east of the new bus terminal there is a public hospital hub (the Polo Sanitario) where you normally will find specialists for every disease or health problem.

Cope
Local newspapers are La Voz del Interior, the best, cheaper ones are La Mañana de Córdoba, Día a Día and Reporte 15. Information about the economy can be found in Comercio y Justicia.

Local magazines include Orillas (politics), Aquí (general information), Ocio Urbano (culture and events), Las Rosas (scene/boulevard magazine of the Cerro de las Rosas, expensive and poor), and Punto a Punto (economy).

Banks are open Monday to Friday between 9:00 and 13:00, and they're located downtown around Plaza San Martín and Cerro de las Rosas. There ATMs also in the outskirts of town.

Laundries can be found in Nueva Córdoba, most of them have staff taking care of your laundry.

There are hairdressers and barber shops in each block and getting a haircut is relatively cheap compared to for instance Western Europe. There are also some fashionable hairdressers and barber shops whose services are more expensive.

On the street you can encounter people doing tattoos and piercings, however they hardly have any hygiene standards. If you want to get a tattoo or piercing, it's better to head to a real tattoo shop.

Consulates

 * 🇧🇴 Bolivia

Go next
The Sierras de Córdoba, the hill district west of the city, is the second most popular tourist destination of Argentina after the Atlantic Coast. The nearest resorts are only 20 km (12 mi) of the Circunvalación ring road. The Sierras have a vegetation similar to the Gran Chaco area, with dense bushland and some small woods. There are many little canyons and several reservoirs and rivers with pleasant swimming.

Punilla Valley
The Punilla valley is situated about 25 km west of Córdoba. In the valley you will find mountainous rocky villages like Bialet Massé and Villa Giardino with picturesque sights, small rivulets, small waterfalls and rivers, environmentally-friendly people and pure air. There are also some larger towns which can get very crowded in summer holidays in January and February. There are many hotels, hostels, cottages and camping sites. The way to the valley is sinuous and it is surrounded by Sierras Chicas and Sierras Grandes with their naturally beautiful landscapes, which are very attractive for tourists. The Tren de las Sierras departs Belgrano railway station two or three times a day, going through the Punilla Valley to the town of Cosquín.


 * Villa Carlos Paz, about 30 km west of Córdoba near the San Roque dam, is the most popular and crowded tourist resort of the valley and the whole Sierras region, but has few real attractions aside from the scenery and nightlife. The 60.000-inhabitant town is very crowded in January and February and at some weekends, but quiet the rest of the year.
 * Other larger towns in the Punilla Valley are Cosquín, which hosts many musical festivals, La Falda, La Cumbre and Capilla del Monte, where you can ascend to Cerro Uritorco, a hill with great views of the valley.
 * Cabalango Near Carlos Paz, only 18 km away, there is a place undiscovered by tourists, but known by a lot of people. This place is Cabalango, a beautiful place which is perfect for families. There are some families who live there, and others who go there only on holidays. It has a wide river with clean sand and quiet beaches and very clear water. But, when it’s raining a lot up the mountains, two or three men riding horses advise the people who are enjoying the water, that they must go out quickly water will increase in a few minutes. The river runs to carry away and all it finds on its way.

Calamuchita valley
The Calamuchita Valley is located south-west of Córdoba. There, you find the attractive German-styled town of Villa General Belgrano and nearby Santa Rosa de Calamuchita with a good river beach. Other towns are Los Reartes and Yacanto near the Champaquí mountain, the highest of the Sierras.


 * Villa General Belgrano is a small town with about 7.795 inhabitants. Its first inhabitants were Germans. They made the city a tourist place in Argentina with a German tradition. In October, celebrating the National Beer festival, the city receives thousands of tourists to taste its special beer. Villa General Belgrano is one of the main tourist towns of the Valley.
 * From Villa General Belgrano, there is a road (and buses) to a beautiful village called La Cumbrecita. In this place you can see the Champaqui hill, the highest in Córdoba province (2.790 m). This village is an ecosystem with crystalline streams, natural cascades and numerous gastronomic offers.

Traslasierra valley
The Traslasierra Valley is 120 km (74 mi) west of the city. On the way to the valley, you can visit the highland plains and the deep gorges of the Quebrada del Condorito national park, located near the Altas Cumbres road between Carlos Paz and Mina Clavero. It has few services, but a very pleasant scenery, with superb views of the whole surroundings of Córdoba and condor watching.



The town of Mina Clavero is the Traslasierra valley's most important tourist center. It will engage the visitor in a wonderful experience. It is located in the middle of the vast valley. Surrounded by mountains, it will offer a spectacular view of its natural landscape. The abundant flora contrasts with the arid stony mountains, providing an extraordinary panoramic view. Mina Clavero offers river beaches and entertainment areas that you can enjoy after a walk. The favourable climate and fresh air will be a temptation to leave the pollution and traffic of the big city. It has gastronomic areas, a diversity of entertainment areas, such as the bingo and discoteques, which give it a particular style.

Other, less touristy towns in Traslasierra are Nono, Villa Cura Brochero and the larger town of Villa Dolores near the limit to San Luis Province.

Other destinations

 * Jesús María 50 km on the way north, is an attractive little town. There you can visit a Jesuit Museum inside a baroque estancia. The picturesque and green suburb of Colonia Caroya is known for its local food.
 * The Sierras Chicas district begins in Villa Allende, a pleasant suburb with 30,000 inhabitants located immediately north-west of Córdoba. Other large towns of this part of the metro area are Río Ceballos, Unquillo and La Calera. In Río Ceballos, you can swim in the La Quebrada lake and trek to a little waterfall, the Cascada de los Hornillos. Unquillo is famous for being home of many artists.
 * Alta Gracia, 30 km south-west, on the road to Calamuchita valley. The 50,000-inhabitant town hosts a baroque Jesuit estancia, located very beautifully near an artificial lake, and a Che Guevara museum. Nearby there are pleasant little towns like Anizacate and La Serranita with river beaches.
 * The more southerly resorts of the Sierras like La Cruz, Achiras or Río de los Sauces (particularly pleasant, with good trekking) are less crowded in the holiday season than the most popular valleys.
 * About 250 km (155 mi) NE is the huge Mar Chiquita salt lake, with an extension of about 6000 km2 (2,300 sq mi) the second largest lake of South America. The only beach resort at its shoreline, Miramar, is far less crowded than most of the Sierras towns, and there is an interesting bird-life. It was one of Argentina's most popular health resorts in the 1950s and 1960s, but still suffers an inundation from 1975 when the lake destroyed the coastal boulevard and the old town centre, but now has been re-modeled and is getting more popular again.

Córdoba is a good stopping point if you go from Buenos Aires to the Andean Northwest with its beautiful tourist attractions. Salta is 13 hours north by bus.