When I was getting ready to depart Argentina’s wine country in early April 2011, I felt divided as to whether I should visit Córdoba, the country’s second-largest city, en route to the capital of Buenos Aires. Although my indecision stemmed largely from the fact that I was running out of time on my trip, I also didn’t know much about Córdoba in the first place. If you’re not sure whether or not you should stop in Córdoba, consider the seven reasons I was grateful for having visited the city.
The pace of life in Córdoba is refreshingly slow for a city of its size.
1. It’s on the way from almost everywhere to almost everywhere else
Geographically, Córdoba is located almost directly in the center of Argentina, on the famous “Pampas” plains. This is the case from a transportation perspective as well: the city is located almost equidistant between Mendoza, the anchor city of Argentina’s wine-producing region, and the national capital of Buenos Aires. Headed up Salta after you went to Mendoza? No problem — Mendoza’s on the way from Salta to BsAs as well.
2. The city is Argentina’s second-largest, but it’s still small
Regardless of whether you come from Mendoza, Salta or elsewhere, Córdoba’s skyline — and the fact that it has one at all — will likely come as an initial shock. This will wear off a couple hours after you take to the city’s streets. Regardless of whether your primary objective is shopping, museum-going or simply finding a place to relax, you’ll soon realize that it doesn’t take very long to walk anywhere in Córdoba, particularly if you stick to the city’s urban core.
Alta Gracia — and it’s Che Guevara Musem — are a quick bus ride away.
3. Che Guevara spent part of his childhood very nearby
The sleepy town of Alta Gracia is located about an hour away from Córdoba by bus. Aside from the cathedral located in its central plaza and a couple of statues, Alta Gracia’s only real claim to fame is its clean, clear air — which is precisely the reason Che Guevara’s family moved here from Buenos Aires when his childhood asthma began to flare up. Pay a visit to the house he lived in, which has been transformed into an extremely interesting museum.
Like supporting local business? You better if you visit Córdoba!
4. Fellow gringos are a rare sight
If I had to guess, I’d say Córdoba was definitely among the top 5 most-visited destinations for foreign tourists in Argentina. Still, I didn’t encounter many fellow tourists when I was there, except for in the immediate vicinity of mine and other hostels. As I travel, I’ve find that the fewer tourists there are in a given destination, the more authentic your experience is. Ordinary people living their everyday lives constitute most of those you’ll see and meet in Córdoba.
5. TOMS shoes — right from the source and without the annoying label
Prior to becoming as popular as they are among hipster twenty-somethings with more money than brains, shoes now marketed under the label “TOMS” were sold in Argentina as Alpargatas, footwear worn more for being comfortable and practical than being cool. Although Alpargatas are sold all over Argentina, the ones you find along the pedestrian shopping streets that emanate northward from central Plaza San Martin can be yours for as little as 20 pesos a pair.
From certain vantage points, Córdoba has an almost “country fair”-like aesthetic.
6. The Che Salguero Hostel is there
I do my best to avoid endorsing individual properties on this website — except for when they’re so good they demand it. Located less than 10 minutes walking distance from the city’s bus station, the Che Salguero Hostel is an “art hostel” with a hip, modern decor, clean, new interior and incredible staff. The spacious front lounge is great for relaxing from your day, as is the back patio, where you can enjoy nightly special meals the staff prepares.
Who said religion had to be bland and colorless? No one in Córdoba, that’s for sure.
7. The aesthetic is kind of weird
As much as I love it, Córdoba isn’t going to win any international awards for its skyline or the vast majority of the buildings you find there. This being said, there’s something slightly off about the city’s overall aesthetic. Whether it’s the apparently defunct Ferris wheel that dominates any northward-facing view you have of the city or the graffiti that goes almost unnoticed because of the oddball color schemes you find everywhere, Córdoba is not ordinary-looking by any stretch.
Robert Schrader is a travel writer and photographer who’s been roaming the world independently since 2005, writing for publications such as “CNNGo” and “Shanghaiist” along the way. His blog, Leave Your Daily Hell, provides a mix of travel advice, destination guides and personal essays covering the more esoteric aspects of life as a traveler.
