Welcome to Mendoza
Your packing list for Mendoza should contain the following: hiking boots, swim suit, sunscreen, fishing rod, winter coat, dinner attire, bottle opener, empty stomach, open mind. And that’s just for your carry-on.
Things to do in Mendoza
Top 10 attractions in Mendoza
#1
Aconcagua Provincial Park
Watched over by the mighty peak of Aconcagua Mountain—among the highest peaks in the world outside of the Himalayas at 22,837 feet (6,961 meters)—Aconcagua Provincial Park is a dream for hikers, with remote valleys, glacial lagoons, and towering peaks, all with sweeping views of the Andes Mountains.More
#2
Potrerillos
Potrerillos is a town with an artificial lake outside of Menzoa that is a destination for rafting, kayaking, hiking, and fly-fishing. Visitors can also opt to go horseback riding or do some mountain biking. Surrounded by snow-capped mountains and cypress forests, Potrerillos is a particularly scenic location for an outdoor adventure.More
#3
Lujan de Cuyo
Luján de Cuyo is another part of the Mendoza wine-producing region (in addition to Maipú), and was the first Argentine wine-producing region to establish its own appellation of origin. It has a long history of wine production, and is best recognized for Malbec, which is made from a grape that is originally from Bordeaux. In Luján de Cuyo, they also produce Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, San Giovese, Barbera and other red wines including Pinot Noir. Among whites, there are several for which they are well known, including Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling.In the area of Luján de Cuyo, there is also cultivation of olives and almonds, and there is some adventure tourism, including rafting, rappelling, horseback riding, parasailing and hiking, though of course some of the main activities here is visiting wineries and enjoying the local foods. Luján de Cuyo has a high concentration of vineyards, and has more than 35 wineries that are open to the public.Most wine tourism to Luján de Cuyo starts in Chacras de Coria, a town popular with wine and food lovers, which maintains its traditional character, including wide boulevards overhung with old trees.More
#4
Trapiche Winery (Bodega Trapiche)
With a history dating back to 1883, Trapiche Winery(Bodega Trapiche) is one of the oldest and most prestigious in the Mendoza wine region. Along with its award-winning malbecs—exported to more than 40 countries around the world—the winery produces a wide variety of wines including sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, syrah, and chardonnay.More
#5
Andeluna Cellars
The name Andeluna comes from a combination of the words Andes, in the foothills of which these grapes are grown, and luna (moon), which the winemakers say impart magic and inspiration to their winemaking. Andeluna harvests Argentine grapes from vineyards originally planted 125 years ago by early Italian immigrants. These are brought to a 48,000 square foot winemaking facility for the de-stemming, crush and fermentation. Andeluna was started in 2003 under the tutelage of one Argentine and one American investor, H. Ward Lay, of the Lays potato chip fortune.The winery is located in Tupungato, Argentina, near Mendoza, and here they grow Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc, all at altitude, in this case at up to 4300 feet above sea level. The winery features classic architecture with views of the Andes Mountains, over some of the area’s prime grape vines. There is a bar, tasting room, reserve tastings in the wine cellar where they also store 1,200 barrels of wine, and a kitchen and dining room for gourmet lunches.More
#6
Puente del Inca (Inca Bridge)
This natural stone bridge, once used by local Inca communities to cross the Río de las Cuevas in Mendoza, stands above the ruins of an old hot springs spa. It was formed by glacial melt, with sediments from the ice creating bright orange and yellow hues that make it a photogenic pit stop on the way to Aconcagua Park.More
#7
Uco Valley
Argentina’s answer to Napa Valley, Mendoza ranks as the largest winemaking region in Latin America, with more than 800 wineries. Some of the best wines come from Uco Valley, an area with 250 annual days of sun, little rain, and a cool microclimate that's known for malbec, cabernet sauvignon, syrah, and tempranillo grape varieties.More
#8
Achaval-Ferrer Winery
The Achaval-Ferrer Winery traces its history back only to 1998, shortly after the beginning of the Malbec boom in Mendoza. The winery is Argentine and Italian owned, and the winemakers all have decades of experience extending back to far before this project began.The boutique winery has four different vineyards on which grapes are grown, representing four different terriors with flood irrigation that decreases the chances of phyloxera. In some cases, there are cherry or olive trees lining the vineyards. Grapes are harvested by hand, and in the early morning hours. In case of hail damage (which happens occasionally), damaged grapes are removed from the plants to keep bitterness at bay in the final product. These practices, as well as several others (such as low density of plants), keeps production low, but quality high.The Bella Vista Estate in Mendoza’s Luján de Cuyo is on the south bank of the Mendoza River, and this is where Achaval Ferer receives visitors for tastings and winery tours.More
#9
Cacheuta Thermal Spa (Termas Cacheuta)
On the banks of the Mendoza River and surrounded by the rugged peaks of the Andes Mountains, the Cacheuta Thermal Spa (Termas Cacheuta) offers a picturesque setting for a spa retreat. Fed by natural hot springs, the spa features various thermal baths and hydrotherapy pools, along with mud baths, saunas, and spa treatments.More
#10
Uspallata
This small town of less than 3,500 inhabitants mainly receives visitors who are on their way between Chile and Argentina, as it is either the first or the last population center between the countries, which are separated by the nearly 4,000-meter mountain pass at Los Libertadores. Uspallata had a flash of fame as Seven Years of Tibet was filmed here, due to the similarity of the area to parts of the Himalayas. But that was years ago, and Uspallata has since turned back into the quiet, oasis town that it once was, with access to both Santiago several hours to the west, and Mendoza, 60 miles to the east.From Uspallata, there are a few main attractions, and these include Bóvedas Históricas Uspallata, an area containing egg-shaped kilns that were used for metallurgy (gold, silver, zinc, copper, etc) in the 17th century. Another human intervention is the presence of the disused railroad station, which was in operation as part of a TransAndean line until 1984. At nearby Cerro Tunduqueral there are pre-Columbian petroglyphs. Uspallata is also a good point from which to take a trip to the Cerro de Siete Colores, a very colorful spot in the Andes, at which you can see seven different colors in the rock, though most visitors report seeing more.More
