Cosquín

Cosquín is a small city in the province of Córdoba, Argentina, located about 52 km from Córdoba City and 783 km from Buenos Aires. It has about 19,000 inhabitants as of the 2001 census [INDEC]. It is the head town of the Punilla Department, and lies beside the river of the same name (Río Cosquín) and on the foot of a small mountain (Cerro Pan de Azúcar).

Cosquín is the oldest town in the Punilla Valley. The region was populated already in the 16th century. Cosquín was officially founded with the title of villa (village) on 4 August 1876, and declared a city on 26 August 1939.

In the past, the region of Cosquín was appreciated for its benign climate, recommended by physicians for pulmonary diseases, and a whole industry of hospitals and hygiene establishment appeared in order to provide services to patients from Argentina and even other countries. As the popularity of this kind of treatment decreased, the economy of Cosquín became more focused on tourism.

Since 1961 Cosquín hosts an annual National Folklore Festival, which receives about 100,000 visitors.