We took a bus from Córdoba to the small, peaceful town of Alta Gracia to visit the childhood home of Ernesto “Che” Guevara, and it turned out to be a fascinating and memorable day out.
The house itself is now a museum dedicated to Guevara’s early life and legacy, offering a glimpse into his formative years before he became one of the most recognisable revolutionary figures in history. The exhibits include family photographs, personal belongings, letters, and even the famous motorbike that inspired his epic journey across South America, the one that would later be immortalised in The Motorcycle Diaries.
Walking through the rooms, you get a real sense of the man behind the icon, a curious and intelligent boy growing up in a comfortable, middle-class Argentine family, unaware of the historical path that lay ahead.
Alta Gracia itself is a lovely place to spend a few hours, with its leafy streets, colonial architecture, and relaxed pace of life providing the perfect backdrop to this piece of modern history. If you’re visiting Córdoba, I can highly recommend taking the short trip to Che Guevara’s childhood home, it’s both interesting and unexpectedly poignant..
Trip date
21/12/2011
A bronze statue of a young Che Guevara sitting on a wall greets you as you enter his childhood home.
The man himself.
Yes, that’s the famous green uniform and beret.
And yes, that’s the famous motorbike ala ‘The Motorcycle Diaries’.
One of Che Guevara’s motorised bicycles.
Diary entries.
Che Guevara’s family were very keen photographers hence the large amount of family photographs that documented Che’s early years.
Just checking to see if there are any Bourbons left.
Just admiring the artexing.
A close up of our note.
A young Che Guevara sits on the wall outside his childhood home. Who’s that handsome man standing next to him?
