Holiday Experience Volunteer Program in Argentina - Córdoba

Visit Argentina’s capital city, Buenos Aires, on IVHQ’s 2-day & 1-night tour. The tour price includes round-trip transport on a bus, a shared double room in a 3-star hotel and breakfast. Lunch and dinner are not included.

If you want the chance to explore Buenos Aires and all that it has to offer, the local team also recommends that you do a hop on/ hop off city tour by bus which you can book once you have arrived at the hotel or online. For around US$20 (approximately AU$31) the city bus tour will take you to 20+ of the most emblematic neighborhoods of the city of Buenos Aires and you can hop on and off the bus as many times as you would like.

Enjoy a 10 hour guided tour to any of the six different valleys and towns that you have to choose from. You can choose one of the following 10 hour guided tours:

Punilla Valley - Start by visiting La Calera, a hydroelectric power plant, and San Roque Lake, the oldest reservoir in the province. Then pass through Bialet Massé and Santa María de Punilla until you reach Cosquín, the National Capital of Folklore. Continue through Valle Hermoso to La Falda, where you will cross the classic Av. Eden. You will then cross Huerta Grande and Villa Giardino to arrive at Capilladel Monte, at the foot of the mystical Uritorco hill, where you will see the original roofed street, the El Zapato complex and the El Cajón dam. You will then continue visiting Los Cocos (optional Aerosilla ascent) Cruz Grande, Cruz Chica and La Cumbre, with their stately European-style mansions, arriving in the late afternoon at Villa Carlos Paz.

Traslasierra Valley - Pass through the picturesque towns of Villa Carlos Paz, San Antonio de Arredondo, Mayú Sumaj, Icho Cruz and Cuesta Blanca. You will then begin to walk the Camino de las Altas Cumbres, enjoying it’s impressive panoramic views and visiting different points along the way, such as the Lágrimadel Indio waterfall, the Fundación el Cóndor, the Pampa de Achala and the source of the Mina Clavero river. You will then arrive at Mina Clavero, where you will visit the Elefantes spa and the shopping center. In Villa Cura Brochero you will pass by the church where the remembered Cura Gaucho preached. You will then continue through Nono, spotting the typical Ñuños hills and touring the Rocsen Multifaceted Museum. You will then return to Córdoba along the Bosque Alegre road, with views of the earth station and the national observatory.

Alta Gracia and Villa Carlos Paz - Pass by the monument of Miryam Stefford while heading to Alta Gracia, where you will see the most important testimonies of it’s rich cultural heritage: the Tajamar, an old artificial lake built by the Jesuits, the Alta Gracia Jesuit Estancia (Historical Museum Casa del Virrey Liniers), the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Merced, the house where Ernesto “Che” Guevara lived his childhood, the museum of the famous musical composer Manuel de Falla and the Grotto of the Virgin of Lourdes. In the afternoon you will go to Villa Carlos Paz, the most important tourist centre in the province, where you will visit it’s shopping centre and residential neighbourhoods; and visit the classic Cu-Cu clock, an alfajores factory and the Aerosilla complex (optional ascent). You will then return to Córdoba via the Justiniano Allende Posse Highway.

La Cumbrecita - Pass by the monument of Myriam Stefford, Alta Gracia, Anisacate, La Bolsa and Villa Ciudad de América. You will then continue the route crossing the four tributary rivers of Lake Los Molinos and the towns of Potrero de Garay and Los Reartes. From there you will ascend through the Sierras Grandes, crossing a picturesque region of coniferous forests. You will pass through Villa Berna and arrive at La Cumbrecita, a small alpine-style town that has the uniqueness of being one of the few pedestrian towns in the world. You will also visit the La Olla spa, the traditional La Cumbrecita hotel and the ecumenical chapel. Then you get to know Villa General Belgrano, with its particular Central European physiognomy. Return to Cordoba via the Curve of the Wind, enjoying a spectacular panoramic view of the lake and Los Molinos Dam.

Jesuit Estancias - Start by visiting Colonia Caroya, a town inhabited by descendants of immigrants from northern Italy and famous for its artisan salamis. There you will visit the Casa de Caroya Jesuit Estancia, which serves as a summer residence for the students of the Monserrat school. Then you will visit Jesús María, famous for its Horse Training and Folklore Festival, where the San Isidro Labrador Jesuit Estancia is located, a pioneer in wine making in the region. You will continue visiting the historic Posta de Sinsacate and the area of Barranca Yaco, where the caudillo Facundo Quiroga was assassinated, to then arrive at the Estancia de Santa Catalina, recognised for the beauty of its baroque church. You will continue bordering the Sierras Chicas, passing through the picturesque towns of Ascochinga, La Granja, Villa Animi, Agua de Oro, Salsipuedes and Río Ceballos.

Calamuchita Wine Roads - The Calamuchita Valley offers dreamlike landscapes where the imposing mountain ranges are combined with green valleys. In this environment you will visit several family businesses where high quality, healthy and natural wines are produced while getting to know the history of each wine project and the people who carry it out. This is a great experience for those who want to discover a new place with all of their senses, enjoy good company and learn more about the fascinating world of wine. You must be 18 or older to join this tour.

Enjoy a 4 hour guided tour to any of the six different valleys and towns that you have to choose from. You can choose one of the following 4 hour guided tours:

City Tour - Visit the most important points of the city: the Historic Foundational Center, made up of Plaza San Martín, the Cabildo and the Cathedral; the Civic Center, the Palace of Justice, the Plaza Italia, the La Cañada stream and the Plaza de la Intendencia. You will then pass by the Libertador General San Martín Theater and enter the student neighbourhood of Nueva Córdoba where you will visit the Iglesia de los Capuchinos. Continue through the Sarmiento Park, the Government House and the University City. You will also observe the monument to the “Urban Man”, and border the Suquía River Coast, arriving at the popular Alberdi neighbourhood. From there Av. Colón will take you to the Córdoba Olympic Stadium, the Fair Complex, the Free University of the Environment and the City’s Botanical Garden. You will then cross the river and enter the elegant Barrio del Cerro de Las Rosas, where you will see the monument to the “Urban Woman”, Av. Rafael Nuñez and the viewpoint of the Parque Autóctono.

Jesús María and Colonia Caroya - Visit Colonia Caroya, a town inhabited by descendants of immigrants from northern Italy and famous for its artisan salamis. There you will visit the Casa de Caroya Jesuit Estancia, which serves as a summer residence for the students of the Monserrat school. You will then visit JesúsMaría, famous for its Horse Training and Folklore Festival, where you will visit the San Isidro Labrador Jesuit Estancia, a pioneer in wine making in the region.

Villa Carlos Paz - Visit La Calera, a hydroelectric power plant, and San Roque Lake, the oldest reservoir in the province. You will then take the Camino de las Cien Curvas, which borders the lakeside, to arrive at Villa Carlos Paz, the most important tourist centre in the province, where you will visit its shopping centre and residential neighbourhoods; and we visit the classic Cu-Cu clock, an alfajore factory and the Aerosilla complex (optional ascent). You will then return to Córdoba via the Justiniano Allende Posse Highway.

Alta Gracia - Pass by the monument of Miryam Stefford, heading to Alta Gracia, where you will see the most important testimonies of its rich cultural heritage: the Tajamar, an old artificial lake built by the Jesuits, the Alta Gracia Jesuit Estancia (Historical Museum Casa del Virrey Liniers) the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Merced, the house where Ernesto “Che” Guevara lived his childhood, the museum of the famous musical composer Manuel de Falla and the Grotto of the Virgin of Lourdes.

Sierras Chicas - Visit La Calera, a town that keeps historical monuments such as the Old Chapel and the Double Mill. Pass through the Mal Paso Dam and visit a series of picturesque towns that follow one another at the foot of the Sierras Chicas mountain range: Saldán, Villa Allende, famous for its Golf Club, Mendiolaza and Unquillo, chosen by numerous plastic artists as their place of residence and inspiration. You will then arrive at Río Ceballos, a traditional tourist centre located at the foot of the ÑuPora hill, to which you will ascend to appreciate the carving of Christ on its top and enjoy a spectacular panoramic view. Finally you will visit the Quebrada Dam, Provincial Water Reserve before returning to Córdoba.

Northern Wine Trail - Wine arrived in Córdoba from the hand of the Jesuits. At the beginning of the 16th century, the wine populated the ground of the Jesús María ranch, near Colonia Caroya, 54 km from the capital of Córdoba. In the 19th century, immigrants who arrived in the province from Italian Friuli bought with them their own customs and traditions, which lead to a type of artisan wine production that was based on non-traditional wines such as the raspberry grape. Since then, regional wines have been produced there that are part of the Cordovan identity and cultural heritage. The intensity of its flavour is enhanced by that of the cured meats, sausages and cheeses from Colonia Caroya, where most of the local wine production is concentrated. You must be 18 or older to join this tour.