The oldest university in Argentina is a block in the middle of Córdoba. When the Jesuits arrived in 1599 they began what became the Manzana Jesuítica, a whole city block with a church, a college and a university, and in 1613 they founded the Colegio Máximo, which developed into the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, one of the oldest in the Americas. The Iglesia de la Compañía, begun in the 1640s and finished some decades later, has a wonderful wooden ceiling shaped like an upturned ship's hull, built by craftsmen who knew about boats, with beams of local timber joined without nails. The block, together with the Jesuit estancias in the countryside, was listed by UNESCO in 2000.
The estancias were the economic engine. These were farms and ranches run by the order, with churches, workshops and mills, which supplied the city with food and funds, and the one at Jesús María, a short drive north, now produces wine and holds a museum. Alta Gracia, in the hills south-west of the city, is another, and has the house where the young Che Guevara lived as a boy. When the Jesuits were expelled in 1767, the estancias were sold or abandoned.
Córdoba has a million and a half inhabitants and is a big, loud, student city, with fuel and parking of every kind, though the historic centre has narrow streets and heavy traffic, so give yourself time. The local drink is Fernet with cola, which is drunk everywhere, and the local food includes empanadas and a meat sandwich called lomito. Malvinas Argentinas, to the north, is a suburban town.
For riding, the Sierras de Córdoba are the pleasure. The road from Villa Carlos Paz toward Mina Clavero, called the Camino de las Altas Cumbres, climbs to high grassland over two thousand metres, with long, flowing bends, views over rocky valleys and condors circling above, and it is one of the best mountain roads in central Argentina. Wind and fog can arrive without notice, and the temperature falls sharply at the top, so wear layers. Go in autumn or spring, when the days are mild, and avoid weekends in January, when the road is crowded.