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Matt Munro

Mendoza & the Central Andes

A long, narrow sliver of desert landscape, the Mendoza region is home to two of Argentina’s claims to fame – the Andes and wine. The city itself is lively and cosmopolitan and the surrounding area boasts hundreds of wineries offering tours – an educational (and occasionally intoxicating) way to spend an afternoon or a month.

If you can put your glass down for a minute, there’s plenty more to keep you busy. Just down the road is Cerro Aconcagua, the Americas’ highest peak and a favorite for mountain climbers the world over. A couple of ski resorts give you the chance to drop into fresh powder while Mendoza’s tour operators offer up a bewildering array of rafting, mountain-biking and paragliding options.

To the north, often-overlooked San Juan province is worth visiting for its small but important selection of wineries, bucolic traditional villages and desert landscapes in Parque Nacional el Leoncito and Parque Provincial Ischigualasto.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Mendoza & the Central Andes.

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    Parque Provincial Aconcagua

    The region's most famous park is Parque Provincial Aconcagua, home of 6962m (22,841ft) 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. Non-climbers can hike to base camps and refugios (rustic shelters) beneath the permanent snow line; easily, the best and most accessible long hike is to Confluencia from the park entrance at Laguna Horcones.

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    Parque Provincial Payunia

    Just over 200km south of Malargüe on the RN 40, the spectacular Parque Provincial Payunia is a 4500-sq-km reserve with a higher concentration of volcanic cones (over 800 of them) than anywhere else in the world. The scenery is breathtaking and shouldn’t be missed. The 12-hour 4WD tours or three-day horseback trips offered by most of the agencies in Malargüe are well worth taking. Be sure your tour stops at all the sites – those combining the visit with Laguna Llancancelo only visit half.

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    Parque Provincial Ischigualasto

    A spectacular, if desolate, landscape of otherworldly rock formations, dinosaur remains and sedimentary mountain ranges. Drivers join convoys on slow-motion tours through the desert valley and canyons of sandstone, clay and volcanic ash. Mountain biking and short treks are also possibilities. There's a small visitor's center with a cafe and campground. Extremely isolated, it involves some dedication to get here; most visitors come from San Augustín de Valle Fertil or San Juan.

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    Parque Provincial Volcán Tupungato

    Tupungato (6650m) is an impressive volcano, partly covered by snowfields and glaciers, and serious climbers consider the mountain a far more challenging, interesting and technical climb than Aconcagua. The main approach is from the town of Tunuyán, 82km south of Mendoza via RN40, where the tourism office can provide info. Many of the outfitters who arrange Parque Provincial Aconcagua treks can also deal with Tupungato.

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    Cristo Redentor

    This monument tops a high altitude pass, once occupied by a rail line linking Argentina and Chile, offering spectacular Andean vistas. The dirt and gravel road from RN 7 to the pinnacle is potentially nerve racking for all but the most confident drivers. Tour companies in Mendoza and Uspallata offer trips here.

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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 Sarmiento/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, which were shipped over from England and originally forged for the Turkish Sultan Hamid II.

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    Parque Nacional El Leoncito

    The 76-sq-km Parque Nacional El Leoncito occupies a former estancia (ranch) 22km south of Barreal. The landscape is typical of the Andean precordillera. The high, dry and wide-open valley rarely sees a cloud, making for superb stargazing. Hence, the park is home to the Complejo Astronómico El Leoncito, which contains two important observatories, the Observatorio El Leoncito (C.AS.LEO) and Observatorio Cesco. Night visits are also possible, but must be scheduled ahead of time by contacting the Complejo's San Juan office.

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    Shrine of Difunta Correa

    Since the 1940s, this shrine, once a simple cross, has metastasized into a village with basic hotels, restaurants and shops, all dedicated to the legend of Difunta Correa. The story goes that during the civil wars of the 1840s, a woman named Deolinda Correa followed her conscript husband’s battalion through the deserts of San Juan, carrying their baby son in her arms. She died when supplies ran out, but the infant was later found still nursing at the dead woman’s breast.

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    Reserva Natural Villavicencio

    Popular with day-tripping mendocinos, this nature reserve occupying a spectacular mountain setting only an hour north of Mendoza is also the origin of Argentina's most popular eponymous mineral water. You can wander the grounds and gardens of the abandoned natural spring resort of the Gran Hotel de Villavicencio, once popular with the Argentine elite during the middle of the 20th century. Hiking is also a possibility. The drive, including a dizzying amount of curves, is part of the appeal of the trip.