Sierras of Cordoba

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Lakes in CordobaA region of pampas and mountain ranges, the province of Córdoba is located in the middle of Argentina. The capital city has a thriving cultural scene, one with theater, shows and activities associated with the resident universities.

The region has developed around tourism to offer the best of leisure activities, from sailing on its lakes to climbing its mountains to simply soaking in the sun. Many Argentineans from Buenos Aires come to the region to vacation, and many foreign tourists have also discovered the beauty of the landscape and the general sense of comfort and tranquility that Cordoba and its Sierras have to offer.

Just a night’s bus ride away from the city of Buenos Aires, the region of Córdoba is surrounded by the provinces of Santiago del Estero to the north, Santa Fe to the east, Buenos Aires and La Pampa to the southeast, and those of San Luis, La Rioja and Catamarca to the west. The weather here is generally pleasant. Mild during the winter, very nice in the spring and fall, it does get fairly hot in the summer, however, which accounts for the siesta schedule – everything closes between noon and 5 pm. In the Sierras Grandes, the summer is also the rainy season.

There are three major mountain ranges in the province of Córdoba: the Sierras Chicas to the north, the Sierras Grandes to the south, and the Sierras de Comechingones in the southwest. Its capital city, also named Córdoba, is the second largest city in Argentina. There are a multitude of towns and villages along the sierras, which for the most part offer comfortable accommodations.

Originally inhabited by the native Comechingones (derived from their word for cave dwellers), who gave the name to the mountains along the border with the province of San Luis, Córdoba still has some archeological sites, particularly around Capilla del Monte and in the southwest.

The city of Córdoba was founded in the 16th century by the Spanish at the intersection of two trade routes. It rapidly became a strong intellectual center; the Jesuits who settled in the area built the first university of Argentina there, which also was the third university founded on the continent after those of Mexico City and of Lima, Peru. The Jesuits developed a unique cultural life in Córdoba, unequalled in most of the continent, sustained by a network of several estancias, or farms, throughout the region.

The Camino de la Estancias, the route connecting these estancias together, was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in the year 2000.

Today, Córdoba is a university city, alive with students and a correspondingly thriving nightlife. Beautiful to walk around, it houses many churches, colonial buildings, and what is considered the best zoo in Argentina. A very pleasant city where people take the time to enjoy life, you may find your stay in Córdoba lasting longer than you’d expected!

The surrounding region is a popular vacation resort for porteños, as those hailing from Buenos Aires are known. There are many vacation homes in the nearby sierras, and many accommodations for relaxation, from boating to spas, in the Valle de Calamuchita. To the south of the capital, in the Sierras Grandes several large scale engineering projects have been developed. The construction of dams along its valleys created a series of beautiful lakes.

The geography of the Sierras de Córdoba has led to the development of adventure tourism opportunities. There are unique areas for rock climbing, hiking, mountain biking, and in particular, paragliding and hang gliding.

The Valle de Punilla towards the north, in the Sierras Chicas, is the chosen spot for adventure tourism.

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