Cordoba Attractions

When it comes to things to do, as in so many Latin American cities the first port of call should always be the central square - in Cordoba's case it is called Plaza San Martin, after the country's much revered liberator. One side of this tree-lined plaza is taken up by the impressive cathedral and the elegant Cabildo - which would have been the colonial HQ under the Spanish. A hop to the south brings you to our second pick, the Manzana Jesuitica, a whole block of the city that in colonial times was handed over to the all-powerful Jesuits - they built their fabulous temple on part of the site. Go inside to revel in the severe beauty of the church's nave, in particular its unusual boat-shaped ceiling. The city's influential university also has its main building here. The third pick lies in the new part of the city - or at least it was new in the early twentieth century. The Paseo del Buen Pastor is a complex of buildings where among other things you can see dancing fountains. Pick number six is a little further away from the city center - a fabulous Art Nouveau villa has been given a new lease of life as a spectacular art museum named after Evita: the Museo de Bellas Artes - check out the new exhibition as well as the fascinating permanent collection of local landscapes, portraits and sculptures. The Jesuits who made Cordoba big in the eighteenth century also built wonderful church and estancia complexes in the surrounding countryside. No visit to Cordoba is complete without an excursion to see the Jesuit estancias of Jesus Maria and Santa Catalina, both of which lie to the north of the city and are our number four and fives picks respectively.

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