Argentina Guide
Córdoba and the Central Sierras
Córdoba
The bustling, modern metropolis of CÓRDOBA, Argentina's second city, sits some 700km northwest of Buenos Aires, on a curve in the Río Suquía, at its confluence with the tamed La Cañada brook, sprawling idly across a wide valley in the far northwestern corner of the pampas. The jagged silhouettes visible at the western end of its broad avenues announce that the cool heights of the sierras are not far away, and it's in these, or in the lower hills nearer the city centre, that many of the one-and-a-quarter million Cordobeses take refuge from the valley's sweltering heat.
Córdoba is reputed nationwide for its hospitable, elegant population of predominantly Italian descent, and its caustically ironic sense of humour, which sometimes borders on the insolent, and is enhanced by the lilting drawl of the distinctive regional accent. These days Córdoba lacks the dynamism and style of Rosario, its Santa Fe rival for the title of Argentina's second city, and many people spend only an hour or two here before sprinting off to the nearby resorts. But as the capital of one of the country's largest and most populous provinces, Córdoba has a wide range of services on offer, and its plentiful, cheap accommodation and location make it an ideal base for exploring the area, while the colonial architecture at its heart remains an attraction in its own right.
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