Argentina Guide
Córdoba and the Central Sierras
The Central Sierras, also known as the Sierras Pampeanas, are the highest mountain ranges in Argentina away from the Andean cordillera. Their pinkish-grey ridges and jagged outcrops alternate with fertile valleys, wooded with native carob trees, and barren moorlands, fringed with pampas grass – a patchwork that's one of Argentina's most varied landscapes. Formed more than four hundred million years before the Andes and gently sculpted by the wind and rain, the sierras stretch across some 100,000 square kilometres, peaking at Cerro Champaquí, its 2884-metre summit often encircled by cloud. Irrigated by countless rivers and brooks, and refreshingly cool in the summer when the surrounding plains become torrid and parched, the highlands straddle the provinces of Córdoba and San Luis, each of which shares its name with its historic capital. The cities of Córdoba and San Luis, separated by the tallest peaks, the Sierra Grande and Sierra de Comechingones, are totally unlike each other: the former is a teeming metro-polis, battling it out with Rosario for the title of Argentina's second city, while modest San Luis struggles to shake off its sleepy backwater image.
Highlights
1 Córdoba city Argentina's second city is home to important colonial architecture and one of South America's oldest universities.
2 Jesuit architecture in Santa Catalina Beautifully preserved estancia museums like the one Santa Catalina offer an insight into early colonial Argentina.
3 Cerro Colorado Fascinating pre-Columbian pictures etched onto the side of a cliff.
4 Hang-gliding in La Cumbre The region's rugged sierras and professional infrastructure make it a great place for adventure sports.