Cordoba and Central Sierras

Córdoba, Argentina's second biggest city, has an entirely different character from Buenos Aires. The sparky Cordobeses are known for their quick wit, warm welcome, and are understandably proud of their city's history. The Jesuits established the country's oldest university here in the 17th century, with a centre of learning funded by estancias all over the province. These magnificent estancias, tucked away in the Sierras Chicas, are the main tourist attraction and best visited by car, while the mountains themselves are best explored on horseback. Here, at hilltop Estancia Los Potreros, you can live the real gaucho life in comfort, or steep yourself in presidential luxury at grand Estancia La Paz, before heading north to the remote reaches of Cerro Colorado, where there are amazing displays of rock art in a bizarre rocky landscape.