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Cordoba, colonial charm and outdoor adventures in ArgentinaMarch 27, 2009
The beautiful zone of Cordoba is located in the geographic center of Argentina and is the second city with most population of the country, after the capital Buenos Aires. It is surrounded of amazing valleys and high summits, counting with many interesting landscapes for discovering.
The foundation of Cordoba was in 1753 by Jeronimo Luis de Cabrera, who tries to link the High Peru with Rio de la Plata, and its streets have many influence of colonial architecture, having the most amount of colonial constructions in the country. Some of the most important ones are Catedral (Cathedral), Cabildo (Gubernamental Palace), Cripta Jesuitica del Noviciado (The Noviciates Jesuit Crypt) and the church of Compañia de Jesus, the oldest one of Argentina. The city also offers many parks, like Sarmiento, which was built at the end of XIX century, and many museums.
The first university of Argentina was also built in Cordoba by the jesuits, thats why its called "Cordoba, la docta" (Cordoba, the erudite). It is also known as "the city of bells" because of its many churchs from the colonial time, such as the Great Church, Capuchinos Church and others.
The city also has an interesting night life, where the music has an important place, specially the "Cuarteto", a traditional rhythm of the zone, cheerful, contagious and ideal for dance, which is played by many argentinean singers such as Mona Gimenez and Rodrigo.
As a place of many traditions, Cordoba also has a typical drink, fernet, which is drunk mixed with coke in every disco, pub and bar of the city. The fernet is also used as a digestive tonic, because is made with a mixture of herbs.
Cordoba also counts with incredible landscapes to discover, such as valleys, ravines, lakes, rivers and great forests. Some of the places that you cannot miss are Palmares of San Pedro, a forest of palms with different shapes and textures, the Aspero Hill, which offers the contrast of high summits and many interesting flora as strawberries and trees and Champaqui Hill, with over than 2900 meters of the level of the sea, being the highest mountain of the zone, with snow capped summits and a water reserve.
The mountain range of Cordoba has other important hills as Negro Hill and Uritorco Hill, places where you can practice trekking and hiking to their summits, to observe the magnificent natural beauty of the landscape and its fauna of birds like parrots, calandrias and chimangos. The zone also has volcanoes, like the Pocho volcanoes, five triangular mountains which offers a unique spectacle for their visitors.
There are also the enigmatic places such as Ongamira and Los Pajaritos Caves (The Birds Cave) in Mallin Natural Reserve. In Cerro Colorado and Del Calden are other natural sanctuaries of the flora and fauna of the zone, with famous species of trees such as the centenary calden, with their huge trunks, and the algarrobo, symbol of Cordoba.
Another natural reserve is La Felipa lake, where are many species of local fauna and a little zoo. Mar Chiquitita is other lagoon, where you can practice fishing of trouts and other fishes, surrounded by ducks, peregrine falcons and others.
Los Terrones Natural Park is another interesting attractive of Cordoba, with its monumental stone formations, which seem like sculptures of human or animals. Here is also the mysterious De la Luna Ravine. This is an archaeological place, which has remains of native culture, and many traditions and legends like the gold seekers and strange lights that could be flying saucers, or UFOS.
Other of the attractions of this beautiful place is paragliding, which is practiced specially in Cuchi Corral zone, where many championships are developed. La Falda, Mina Clavero and Cosquin are other places to practice paragliding, so if you are an adventurer, this is the perfect activity for you.
In the center of Argentina, Cordoba is the best place for every kind of activities, from adventurous tourism to entertainment nights and cultural journeys. Enjoy of this marvelous zone, between mountains, churchs and bells.
Mariel Lizana, journalist
