Located in the very heart of Argentina, Córdoba has long rivaled with Buenos Aires for political, economic and cultural dominance. Córdoba is very popular with Argentine tourists and houses many small mountainous villages and towns in the area that have everything you could want, especially easy access with a car hire in Córdoba. HAPPYCAR is here to help you find the best car hire Córdoba has to offer so you can take full advantage of this traditional city. We check the prices of international and local providers so that you don’t have to check each website to provide you with the best deals to make your money go further on a rental car that fits your specific needs.
General Information
Córdoba, located at the northern tip of a triangle linking Santiago in Chile and Buenos Aires, was founded way before its rival and holds a special place in colonial and modern Argentine history. In the 17th century it was known throughout Latin America for its churches and universities. Today, it is one of Argentina’s most important industrial centers, especially as the heart of the Argentine automotive industry. It was awarded the title of Cultural Capital of the Americas in 2006. Córdoba is also a perfect place from which to venture out into one of Argentina’s most varied landscapes, with fantastic resorts and valleys under 20 miles away.
To Do
There are a handful of excellent galleries in Córdoba dedicated to various different types of art and municipal museums that showcase some important Argentine history. Aside from this, Córdoba cements its cultural reputation with a wide variety of theater and “arte bars,” where you can take in theater, art and music at the same time. Córdoba is also very good for sport, and there are a number of activities you can take up while there to prepare you for further excursions outside the city. The city also excels in shopping, from shopping malls to local arts and crafts on the weekends.
Attractions
Córdoba is a city adorned with architecture that roars with a proud history, and you can still see the former dominance of Jesuit missionaries in their handsome temple in the city center, among other examples. Further relics of the Jesuits’ heyday, Santa Catalina and Jesús María, are two of Argentina’s best-preserved Jesuit estancias, located between Córdoba city and the province’s northern border and easy to navigate with a Córdoba car hire. Slightly north of Santa Catalina is one of the country’s most beguiling archaeological sites, Cerro Colorado, which has hundreds of pre-Columbian petroglyphs.
Eating
Food in Córdoba is much like its mountain towns, traditional and meat based. The city is known for its beef and barbecue, and offers some of the best traditional food in the country. In Córdoba, the traditional asado stew with corn as a primary ingredient, empanadas and lomito, skirt steak sandwiches, are popular, as is Bagna Cauda, the anchovy dip for vegetables and bread that Italian immigrants brought with them to Argentina. Another specialty is alfajores, dulce de leche sandwiched between two cookies. Although each town may not have a full-scale restaurant, there’s usually an inn or a coffee shop, and wine is all-pervading with almost every meal.
Excursions
Bound by the Andean provinces to the northwest, Cuyo to the southwest, the Chaco to the northeast, and the Pampas to the southeast, the city of Córdoba is perfectly situated to experience the natural beauty of the country especially its scenic mountain hinterland, the Sierras de Córdoba. North of the city is the beautiful Punilla Valley, where you can find some well-known holiday resorts such as La Falda and Capilla del Monte. Mountain towns spot the surroundings on all sides, but San Javier in the southwest is particularly pleasant. Nearby is the national park, the Quebrada del Condorito, whose dramatic ravines provide a breeding site for the magnificent condor. A meandering drive through these mountains towns is a lovely way to spend a day or two, and with a Córdoba car rental you can spend as long as you like there.