Argentina - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 104

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Hostel La Caverna Cte Rodríguez 445 Este T 0260 447
2569, W lacavernahostel.com.ar. This hostel has a spacious
common area and plenty of dorm beds. The self-catering
apartment out back is ideal for groups. F ree laundry and
internet. Dorms AR$60 , doubles AR$230
Ecohostel Colonia Pehuenche I, Finca N. 65, 5km south of
town (free transfer from the Choique Turismo Alternativo
o ce on San Martín, at Rodríguez) T 0260 15 440 2439,
W hostelmalargue.com. There's some serious star-gazing
and R&R to be had at this rustic HI hostel set on an organic
farm. Home- made m eals an d horser iding excursions
offered. Dorms AR$72 , doubles AR$221

Continuing along the RN40, you'll
reach the entrance to LA PAYUNIA at
El Zampal. This expansive, wildlife-rich
reserve spans 4500 square kilometres.
Flaxen grasslands, black lava flows and
eight hundred threatening-looking
volcanoes (the highest concentration of
volcanic cones in the world) provide
a starkly wild backdrop for the guanaco,
puma and condor that call it home.
The best way to see La Payunia is on
an organized day-trip from Malargüe
(see p.107) that takes in the Caverna de
las Brujas along the way.

EATING AND DRINKING
El Bodegón de Maria Rufino Ortega, at General
Villegas. Trout and pizza get all the attention at this
welcoming rustic-style restaurant. Set lunch AR$45. Daily
noon-2.30pm & 7-11pm.
Cuyam-Co 8km west of Malargüe in El Dique. Catch your
own meal and have it cooked to perfection at this trout
farm. AR$65 for full menu and AR$29 to fish for your dish
and then have it cooked. Daily noon-10.30pm.
Río Grande RN40 Norte T 0260 447 1589. The restaurant
in this upmarket hotel serves decent steaks (AR$40),
pastas (AR$45) and trout ($AR35). Daily for breakfast,
lunch & dinner.

SAN JUAN
SAN JUAN is a modern, low-rise
provincial capital. In 1944, one of South
America's most powerful earthquakes
(8.5 on the Richter scale) razed the city,
killing more than ten thousand people.
Essentially a poorer, smaller and less
attractive version of its southerly
neighbour Mendoza, San Juan is unlikely
to capture your imagination. It does,
however, make a convenient base for
sampling the fruits of nearby wineries
as well as for excursions to some of
Argentina's most iconic natural wonders
- the sculptural desert landscapes of
Parque Provincial Ischigualasto and
the surreal rock formations of Parque
Nacional Talampaya .
Try to avoid visiting in the summer,
when Sanjuaninos cope with the midday
heat by taking long, sluggish siestas.

AROUND MALARGÜE
Some 65km southeast of Malargüe is
the nature reserve of LAGUNA DE
LLANCANELO , a vast lakeland area famous
for its abundant birdlife. Alongside the
flamingos that flock here in their
thousands, herons and black-neck swans
can be easily spotted. Also look out for
the coipo , a rodent similar in appearance
to the capybara but a little smaller in size.
The best way to visit the reserve is with a
guided tour (see p.107).
he CAVERNA DE LAS BRUJAS (“Witches'
Cave”) is an incredible limestone cave
filled with mesmerizing many-coloured
rock formations, including stalactites
and stalagmites . The cave, located 73km
southwest of Malargüe and 8km along
a dirt road off the RN40, is within
a provincial park and is staffed by
guardaparques . Guided visits (AR$30)
are restricted to nine people at a time
and are the only way to see the various
underground chambers. he temperature
inside the grotto can be 20°C lower than
outside, so be sure to wrap up.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
he leafy Plaza 25 de Mayo, flanked by
a couple of inviting cafés, marks the city
centre. On its northwestern side, the
modern cathedral's 50m-high brick
campanile is a nod to St Mark's in Venice.
If the mood takes, climb the bell tower
(daily 9am-1pm & 5-8pm; AR$5) for
great city and countryside vistas. Not far
away at Sarmiento 21 Sur, opposite
the tourist office, is the whitewashed
childhood home of former Argentine
president Domingo Faustino Sarmiento
(1811-88), now a museum (Tues-Fri
9am-1.30pm & 5-9.30pm, Mon & Sat
8.30am-1.30pm; AR$3; guided tours