South America
Welcome Kit
Argentina
Mendoza
Mendoza, the land of the sunshine and good wine is a province to be visited all the year around. Nestled in the foothills of the Andes Mountain Range, it gives shape to an incredible oasis created by man with the help of the Mendoza and Tunuyan Rivers, which have been wisely channeled into a huge irrigation system that gives life to everything it touches.
Highlights
Wine: considered one of the 8 world capital cities of wine, Mendoza surprises with one of the most famous Wine Routes in South America, in a magical environment of vineyards, old “casonas” (houses) and farms, right next to the Andes mountain range. There are about 1200 wineries, and at least 100 of them are open to tourism.
Shopping: Av Las Heras is lined with souvenir shops, leather shops, chocolate stores and all sorts of places to pick up cheap Argentine trinkets. Items made of carpincho (spotted tanned hide of the capybara, a large rodent) are uniquely Argentine and sold in many of the stores.Specialty wine stores stock fine wines, have staff who speak at least a little English and can pack your bottles for shipping. Locally produced olive oil is another fine souvenir.
Nightlife: for those nightlife lovers, Mendoza offers interesanting “boheme” in Chacras de Coria, Challao and plenty of pubs and discos in Arístides Villanueva Street.
Tours: adventure and nature activities are available in the Andes surroundings, such as rafting and kayak, alpinism, skydiving and paragliding.
General Facts
Mendoza is located at 746 m / 2,448 ft above sea level in the region of Cuyo – “the land of the desert”, in the natives’ language –, is the land of the high peaks, the snowy volcanoes and the endless adventures going from the Andes and the Pre-Andean Mountains to the savannah-like lands. In the valleys and among the vineyards, farms and cellars, one can follow the Road of the Wine and taste the internationally recognized elixir.
The City of Mendoza is the most important in the region of Cuyo and is the capital of the province bearing the same name. Famous for lodging Aconcagua Mount, for its Malbec wine and for being the cradle of the heroic deeds of Liberator General San Martín, Father of this nation, it is one of the most beautiful and neat cities in the country.
Map Location
Documentation
A valid Passport.
Most countries in America and Western Europe do not require a visa.
Insurance information.
Best Time to Go
Each season has its particular charm. Mendoza has very extreme temperatures with very hot summers and quite cold winters. This is why our suggestion is to visit this area around Spring or Autumn.
In summer, tourist attractions in Mendoza multiply, and among its better options there’s the Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia (Grape Harvest Festival), the most important festivity in the city, which takes place during the last week of February.
During winter, you can enjoy the Snow season, which begins in July and ends in September.
Clothing
To pack for Mendoza is an easy matter if you follow these tips.
Given the climate features, it is important to pack sunglasses, sun block, lip balm and hat or cap.
For the excursions you can make during the whole year, it is important to take trekking shoes or rubber sole boots and to try to avoid sneakers or shoes with thin soles; these are only suitable for the moments devoted to rest or take a light stroll.
Exercise trousers, since there are horseback riding activities available, water-proof jackets and a warm coat for possible trips to the mountain. During summer you may include a bathing suit and sandals.
Healthcare
Altitude Sickness
It is not unusual in the Andes.
Check with your doctor before coming if in doubt.
Packing
Argentinean flights allow, as their restrictions are limited to 33 pounds (15 kg) per person.
Currency
Peso Argentino.
Major credit cards are widely accepted.
Electricity
Mendoza: 220 V – 60 Hz.
Plugs Type C / I
Local Taxes
Foodie
Although everyone knows what to drink in Mendoza, not everyone knows what to eat!
Here we have the regional delicacies that can accompany the excellent wines.
Mendoza’s cuisine is very diverse, but be it Creole or with the seal of its Italian and Spanish immigrants, what characterizes it is the excellent quality of the raw material used.
What you can’t afford not to try is:
Meats
Goat on a spit accompanied by a Malbec, better if it belongs to a familiar or small winery. As a garnish, if you can get it ask for a Tomaticón, a preparation of farm tomatoes, green onions and egg.
Olives
Prior to the asado, an inevitable tasting of chopped Mendoza olives in its various forms: whole, pitted, seasoned, stuffed with peppers, almonds and blue cheese, or the rarer but exquisite olives “sajadas”.
Empanadas
Mendoza’s empanadas, filled with meat but, unlike their sisters in other provinces, without raisins and with olives.
“Tortilla”
In the afternoon, to pair the mate, tea or coffee, Mendoza pancakes. They come in three versions: scraped, punctured and leaved. More typical, impossible!
Jams
And finally, some of the delicious preserves, jams and preparations made with the delicious Mediterranean fruits grown on local farms: grapes, peaches, pears, apples, melons, alcayota.
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Activities
City Tour
You can start the tour visiting the Foundational Area, the oldest side of the city. The following place could be Independencia Square, situated at the main point of down town considering the location of other nearby squares. Continue the trip visiting the General San Martin Park, which is one of the most important artificial parks in Argentina, not only for its huge extension but also for the proximity to the city. Actually, it has 307 green hectares, 17 kilometers to go, and 821 hectares in expansion. Finish the trip visiting the Cerro de la Gloria’s Monument, which has an amazing and panoramic view of the city.
High Mountain Tour
We will leave Mendoza City to head for the most picture-postcard villages and historical places in the mountain along the international route between Mendoza and Chile.
In this beautiful tour we will visit: The Potrerillos´ Dam with its wonderful panoramic points, the Uspallata valley, the historical Picheuta Bridge, and Penitentes ski center. Then, the tour will lead us to the famous Puente de Inca, a natural stone bridge with hotsprings. Finally, we will stop in the Aconcagua National Park viewpoint to take stunningly captivating photos.
Cerro Aconcagua
At 6,962 m (22,841 ft), Aconcagua is the highest mountain in the Americas, and the highest mountain outside Asia. It is located in the Andes mountain range, in the Argentine province of Mendoza. This peak is located about 112 km (70 miles) west of the city of Mendoza and 15 km (9.3 miles) from the international border with Chile.
Aconcagua is surrounded by the Vacas Valley to the north and east; and the Horcones Inferior Valley to the west and south. The mountain and its surroundings are part of the Aconcagua Provincial Park.
The mountain has a number of glaciers. The largest glacier is the Ventisquero Horcones Inferior
(about 10km / 6.2 miles long) which descends from the south face to an altitude of about 3,600 m (11,811 ft). Two other large glacier systems are the Ventisquero de las Vacas Sur and Glaciar Este/Ventisquero Relinchos system (about 5km/ 3.1 miles long). However the most well-known is the north-eastern or Polish Glacier, a common route to ascend to the summit.
The mountain was created by the subduction of the Nazca Plate beneath the South American plate during the geologically recent Andean orogeny; however, it is not a volcano.
The origin of the name is uncertain. A three versions: one states that it comes from the Arauca word “Aconca-Hue”, which refers to the Aconcagua River and means ‘comes from the other side; another says that it comes from the Quechua word “Ackon Cahuak”, meaning ‘Sentinel of Stone’; and the third version states that it is a Quechua word: “Anco Cahuac” meaning “White Sentinel”.
Puente del Inca
Puente del Inca, Spanish for “the Inca’s Bridge”, is a natural arch that forms a bridge over the Vacas River, a tributary of the Mendoza River. It is located in Mendoza Province, Argentina, near Las Cuevas.
Puente del Inca is also the name of the nearby hot springs. Scientists speculate that interaction of extreme elements like ice and hot springs was involved in the origin of the formation. They suppose that in ancient times ice covered the river and acted as support for avalanches of snow, dust and rocks. The dust on the ice over the river would have served as a path for the sulfurous water and petrified the surface, so when the snow melted, the bridge remained by itself.
Charles Darwin was one of the visitors to this natural marvel, and made some drawings of the bridge with great stalactites.
In the early twentieth century there was a big thermal resort and Spa that used the hot springs to cure some illnesses (a spa still survives further down the river at Cacheuta).
There was a train station that is still standing there, and tourists arrived by train to the resort.
This was one of the last Argentine stations of the Trans-Andean Railway before the train continued to Chile, traveling through a long tunnel in the Andes mountain range.
Villavicencio
We will leave Mendoza City to head for Villavicencio, located at 3.030 meters above sea level.
On our way to Villavicencio, we will stop in a historical place called Plumerillo. It is a very important place for mendocinians because “General San Martin”, liberator of America, stayed there hundreds of years ago. We will continue the trip to the famous Villavicencio Hotel, which