Things to do in Mendoza
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Av Las Heras
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.
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Parque General San Martín
Walking along the lakeshore and snoozing in the shade of the rose garden in this beautiful 420-hectare park is a great way to enjoy one of the city's highlights. Walk along Mitre/Civit out to the park and admire some of Mendoza's finest houses on the way. Pick up a park map at the Centro de Información, just inside the impressive entry gates, shipped over from England and originally forged for the Turkish Sultan Hamid II.
The park was designed by Charles Thays, who designed Parque Sarmiento in Córdoba, in 1897. Its famous Cerro de la Gloria has a monument to San Martín's Ejército de los Andes for their liberation of Argentina, Chile and Perú from the Spaniards. On clear…
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Av Arístides Villanueva
For a great night on the town, walk down Av Arístides Villanueva, where it's bar after bar; in summer, entire blocks fill with tables and people enjoying the night.
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Cerro Aconcagua
Mendoza is famous for Cerro Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Americas, but the majestic peak is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to climbing and mountaineering here. The nearby Cordón del Plata boasts several peaks topping out between 5000m and 6000m, and there are three important rock-climbing areas in the province: Los Arenales (near Tunuyán), El Salto (near Mendoza) and Chigüido (near Malargüe).
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Kato
Tired of the Arístides squeeze? This mellow neighborhood café/bar/restaurant is way hipper than all those places, and there's no fighting for a table. Empanadas, pizzas and sandwiches in a super-chic environment. Those in the know head straight for the lounging action on the sofas out the back.
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Vines of Mendoza
This friendly, central wine bar (where everybody, down to the security guards, seems to speak English) offers flights (tastings of five selected wines) and top-shelf private tastings. It also offers wine-appreciation classes which give you an idea of how to taste wine – a great idea before hitting the bodegas.
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Ampora Wine Tours
A well-established operation that concentrates on midrange and top-end wines. It has tours leaving every day to Luján de Cuyo and Maipú (AR$700) and the Uco valley (AR$730). Tours focus more on tasting than winemaking techniques. Also offers four-hour cooking classes led by famous winery chefs from the region (AR$525).
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La Marchigiana
Mendoza’s most frequently recommended Italian restaurant. The decor may seem stark, but the service is warm and a few Argentine twists to the classic Italian menu keep things interesting.
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La Tasca de Plaza España
With excellent Mediterranean and Spanish tapas (mostly seafood), great wines, intimate atmosphere, good art and friendly service, La Tasca is one of Mendoza’s best.
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Vines Park Hyatt
In the superformal surrounds of Mendoza’s best-looking hotel, this is a relaxed and intimate wine bar offering wine by the glass, cheese platters and tapas.
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Azafrán
It’s hard to figure out what’s the bigger draw here – the rustic-chic decor, the small but creative menu or the extensive wine list. Who cares? Enjoy them all.
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de un Rincón de La Boca
Many argue this is the best pizza in town (it's the crust). The wine list is very average, but there's no corkage charge, so grab a bottle before you come.
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La Barca
There's nothing fancy going on here - just good honest food at reasonable prices. Excellent homemade pastas and a range of super-tempting daily specials.
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Mercado Central
The Mercado Central is a good hunting ground for cheap pizza, empanadas (small, stuffed pastries) and sandwiches.
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Internacional Mendoza
Rents bikes for AR$40 for six hours, including a city map and MP3 player with audio bike tour of the city.
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Parque Provincial Aconcagua
The region's most famous park is Parque Provincial Aconcagua, home of 6962m (22841ft) Cerro Aconcagua, the highest peak outside the Himalayas and a favorite climbing destination. Reaching the summit requires a commitment of at least 13 to 15 days, including acclimatization time. Potential climbers may like to acquire RJ Secor's climbing guide Aconcagua (Seattle, The Mountaineers, 1999).
Non-climbers can trek to base camps and refugios (rustic shelters) beneath the permanent snow line.
From December to March, permits are obligatory for both trekking and climbing in Parque Provincial Aconcagua; park rangers at Laguna Horcones will not permit visitors to proceed up the…
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Alquimia
Alquimia was the hot club at the time of research - it may still be there by the time you arrive.
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Iglesia, Convento y Basílica de San Francisco
Many mendocinos (people from Mendoza) consider the image at this church of the Virgin of Cuyo, patron of San Martín’s Ejército de los Andes (Army of the Andes), miraculous because it survived Mendoza’s devastating 1968 earthquake. In the Virgin’s semicircular chamber, visitors leave tributes to her and to San Martín. A mausoleum within the building holds the remains of San Martín’s daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter, which were repatriated from France in 1951.
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Bus Turístico
If you're here during the summer months, get a route map of the city's Bus Turístico from the Garibaldi municipal tourist office and take in Mendoza's sights from a red double-decker. Good for 24 hours, the ticket allows you to board and reboard at any of several fixed stops throughout the city. The circuit begins at the corner of Garibaldi and Av San Martín, near the municipal tourist office, and goes as far as the summit of Cerro de la Gloria.
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Trout & Wine
Organizes custom-designed full-day tours of Luján de Cuyo (AR$710) and the Uco valley (AR$750) with a maximum group size of eight. From November to March it runs fly-fishing tours in the Valle de Uco for AR$1500, including all gear and a barbecue lunch out in the highlands accompanied by – you guessed it – some very fine wines.
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Decimo
Up on the 10th floor in the middle of town, this modern restaurant/wine bar offers a good range of well-cooked dishes with distinctly un-Argentine ingredients like quinoa, alongside sushi and risotto. If the meals seem pricey, the coffee is a good enough excuse to soak up the views from the sunny terrace. Catch the elevator in the Gómez building on Garibaldi. Don't bother looking for the sign - there isn't one.
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Museo Histórico General San Martín
Honors José de San Martín, the general who liberated Argentina from the Spanish and whose name graces parks, squares and streets everywhere; the Libertador is dear to Mendoza, where he resided with his family and recruited and trained his army to cross into Chile. The museum is in a small arcade off Av San Martín.
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Aconcagua Expedition
22 days (Mendoza)
Climb Cerro Aconcagua, at 6960m, the highest peak in the Southern Hemisphere and one of the 7 summits.
Not LP reviewed
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Museo Fundacional
Mendoza’s Museo Fundacional protects excavations of the colonial cabildo (town council), destroyed by an earthquake in 1861. At that time, the city’s geographical focus shifted west and south to its present location. A series of small dioramas depicts Mendoza’s history, working through all of human evolution as if the city of Mendoza were the climax (maybe it was).
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La Barra
Skip the slow service and mediocre food of the parrillas along Av Sarmiento and head straight for La Barra, where the owner personally tends the grill, cooking his meats with two types of wood (one for flavor, one for heat), while his partner tends to the blissed-out diners in front. The matambre de cerdo (pork) is truly sublime.
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