The Best South American City You Never Knew About: Córdoba, Argentina

When people think of traveling to or studying in a large South American city, they often think of Santiago, Buenos Aires or Rio de Janeiro first. Many overlook the treasures to be found in other South American cities. Córdoba, Argentina is one such place that’s often overlooked, even though one can find almost infinite attractions in this city at a fraction of the cost of its popular big-city competitors. There are so many reasons why Córdoba is the best city in South America that you never knew about.

Marlo Goldstein, a seasoned veteran of travel throughout Latin America, says: “I hesitate to say it because I’m still so new here, but here goes: I think I could fall in love with this place. There, I said it. My goal now is to do everything possible to get to know it as well as possible in a short amount of time. I like that no one knows I am a foreigner until I speak. The people here dress and look very European/American. I feel very inconspicuous and very safe. I like the changing seasons (which I haven’t ever experienced in a Latin American country. Central America just has wet and dry). I also like that just outside the city is country, with country people. This is a Latin America that I ant to know and love.”

Córdoba, the second most important city in Argentina, is called the “Heartland of Argentina.” It’s located at the intersection of the routes that went from Chile and the Alto Peru (Bolivia) to the port of Buenos Aires, and during the colonial period was Argentina’s most important city. Some 300 years later, Cordoba has retained its rich colonial heritage, as shown by its culture and architecture. The Río Primero, forms Córdoba’s main natural landmark, and its urban center is the Plaza San Martin, named after Argentina’s great liberator and the site of the city’s cathedral. South of the plaza is Calle Obispo Trejo, an easily walkable avenue filled with some of the city’s most illustrious colonial buildings.

Córdoba has so many beautiful parks, historical places, museums and different attractions to admire. For example, there is the colonial architecture of the cathedral on Plaza San Martin; the cabildo (club house) that dates back to the 17^th century; the Obispo Mercadillo House built at the beginning of the 18^th century; the Religious Art Museum, the Monserrat School, the city’s oldest school, dating back to 1685; the Jesus Society, the oldest church in the country; and the prestigious National University of Córdoba, which attracts thousands of students from other parts of the country and the rest of South America.

Because Córdoba attracts so many students to its university, it is not surprising that there are also schools for foreigners who wish to study Spanish. Europeans, particularly Germans, make up the current majority of foreigners studying Spanish. Gus Christensen, an American student who studied for four weeks through AmeriSpan’s program in Córdoba, had the following comments for anyone interested in learning Spanish in Latin America: “It is a very comfortable city. It’s so easy to feel at home and the people are so friendly. It is easy to find culture, good food, and good nightlife. But, you’re reminded that you’re still in Latin America because the bus system doesn’t always work too well. I was also able to go horseback riding and enjoy the countryside about a half hour outside of the city.”