HISTORICAL FIGURES

DAY 1 ARRIVE IN CÓRODOBA, THE HIDDEN GEM OF ARGENTINA.

Upon arrival at the Córdoba airport, you will be greeted by one of our guides and transferred to Hotel Azur Real. After check in we start a 2 1⁄2 hours walking tour. We will visit the Jesuit Block. It contains the core buildings of the capital of the former Jesuit Province of Paraguay: the church, the Jesuit priests’ residence, the university, and the Colegio Convictorio de Montserrat. We will visit Museo Histórico Provincial Marqués de Sobremonte. Which is the oldest museum in town and it keeps the urban architecture of colonial times. It was used for both domestic and commercial purposes back then, and it is the only house of the time period kept in modern Córdoba. For this reason, and the cultural things kept in it, it was declared a national and provintial historical museum. The walls were made with lime, the masonry used adobe, and used colonial roof tiles. The floor is made of creole tiles in the inside, and boulder in the courtyards. 

Evening at your leisure to explore the city and try the local cuisine, an interesting mixture of different backgrounds. 

Night at Azur Real Hotel Boutique

DAY 2: CORDOBA – ALTA GRACIA - ASCOCHINGA

After breakfast we leave the city south direction heading to Alta Gracia following Che Guevara ́s frootprints. Alta Gracia is located 50km south from Cordoba and it ́s the home town of several historic buildings: Jesuit Estancia, Manuel de Falla Museum and Che Guevara`s Museum. 

In the 1930s, the family of young Ernesto (Che) Guevara moved to Alta Gracias because doctor recommended the dry climate for his asthma. Though Che lived in several houses – including one in Rosario, where he was born – the family’s primary residence was Villa Beatriz, which was purchased by the city and restored as this museum. Its cozy interior is now adorned with a photographic display of Che’s life. Two huge photographs commemorate a visit from Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez. 

Manuel de Falla y Matheu a Spanish musician and composer born in 1976 in Cadiz, Spain. He was one of Spain’s most important musicians of the first half of the 20th century. He moved to Buenos Aires in 1939, following Francisco Franco’s victory in the Spanish Civil War. During his exile in Argentina, he spend some time teaching and he was director of Cordoba symphony orchestra. His health began to decline and he moved to Alta Gracia in 1942 where he was tended by his sister María del Carmen de Falla (1882-1971). He died of cardiac arrest in 1946 in his house. 

Drive to north direction till reach Ascochinga. 

Lunch included. Night at Pueblo Estancia La Paz. 

DAY 3: ASCOCHINGA

After breaksfast we start our journey driving north direction 140k till reach the Natural and Cultural Reserv Cerro Colorado. 

Cerro Colorado along with Cave of the Hands (Cueva de las Manos) in the Province of Santa Cruz, is one of the most important cave paintings places in Argentina. Cerro Colorado has more than a hundred spots in which ancients inhabitants represented their worldview in cave paintings. Archaeological investigations concluded that the area was not inhabited permanently by the aborigines (comechingones and sanavirones) who occupied the surrounding areas. The cave paintings were made in different periods, from the fifth to the sixteenth century AD. The colors used, like other cultures from Latin America, were white, black and red, leaving few inscriptions with this last color. There are some 3000 parietal and cave paintings that date from a period that goes from about 1500 years before the present to about 400 years ago. Few kilometers away from the Reserve we will visit Atahualpa Yupanqui ́s house. He is one of the most important folklore musician of the 20th century. Yupanqui ́s music emerged with the New Song movemente (nueva canción) that swept Latin America in the 1960s. Lyrics often dealt with social and political themes. Then we continue to Tulumba, one of the oldest villages in the region and we will discover the colonial stations (postas reales) where spanish conquistadors stayed over on their way to settle down in the region coming from Alto Peru (now Bolivia). On a unique historic spot we will have an authentic meal: fryed bread (tortas fritas) and mate. Our last stop is in Villa Totoral, historic town where we will have a look at about one dozen of antique houses dating from colonial times. 

Lunch included at Casa Pozo La Salamanca. Drive back to Ascochinga. Night at Pueblo Estancia La Paz

DAY 4 ASCOCHINGA – LA CUMBRE

After breakfast we depart to La Cumbre. Once there we will visit the iconic Hotel Eden which is a former hotel and historic site located in La Falda. The hotel dates from 1897 and was constructed by German army officer Roberto Bahlcke. Notable guests that frequented the hotel include families of the Argentine aristocracy such as the Martinez de Hoz, Tornquist, Bianchi, Roca, Bunge, Anchorena, Blaquier, and Peralta Ramos. Other famous guests include Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío, scientist Albert Einstein and Berta Singerman, among others. 

Then we will visit Museum Mujica Lainez. He was an Argentine novelist, essayist and art critic. He was also a great translator. He translated Shakespeare’s Sonnets and works by Racine, Moliére, Marivaux, and others. The house is recognized by the architecture, the gardens designed by Carlos Thays and the art pieces collected by Mujica. 

We continue our journey to Miguel Ocampo ́s house. His work as artist and architect is recognized beyond Argentina ́s borders. 

Our last stop is at Matias Mischung atelier. He is a remarcable sculptor who moved from Buenos Aires to La Cumbre. Along the years his work has been exhibited in both indvidual and collective exhibition in Argentina and abroad. Night at Patios de la Cumbre. 

DAY 5. CUMBRE TO ARIPORT.

Transfer out.