Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
294
twist on technology. Given their Iberian roots, it's no surprise they hav e excellent Tem-
pranillos. Their restaurant, Urban, is also getting its fair share of praises and has perhaps
the best
bodega
lunch in Mendoza.
Los Indios, La Consulta, Tunuyán.
&
262/245-1579.
www.ofournier.com. Reservations required. Tour $5
(£3.40); tasting ($2.50-$8/£1.70-£5.40). Tour fee waived with purchase of wine or tasting. Daily 9:30am-
5:30pm.
3
SAN RAFAEL
234km (145 miles) S of Mendoza
Sleepy and r ural, S an Rafael is a mini-M endoza minus the hipsters. The main daily
activities here include wor king in a winer y, eating ice cr eam, and riding a bicy cle. It's
definitely off the beaten track; v ery, very few people coming to M endoza actually make
the journey. You'll need a car and a spirit of adv enture to explore the area.
GETTING THERE
San Rafael is a 1
1
/
2
-hour drive south of Mendoza down Hwy. 40. The first half of the trip
goes through lovely rural towns. The second half crosses a desert wasteland. Many buses
leave M endoza's main terminal heading for S an Rafael.
Nueva Chev allier
(
&
2627/
446697
) and
Andesmar
(
&
2627/427720
) are the main bus companies.
Aerolíneas
Argentinas
(
&
0810/222-86527;
www.aerolineas.com.ar) flies fiv e times a w eek (cur-
rently Mon-Fri only) from Buenos Aires to San Rafael.
GETTING AROUND
The town center is compact and easy to explore on foot. Rural areas will require either a
remise
(call Remises Del Sur,
&
2627/430646
), rental car, or bicycle. For rental cars, try
Hertz
(
&
2627/436959;
www.hertz.com) or
Rent A Car San Rafael
(
&
2627/437447;
www.rentacarsanrafael.com.ar).
San Rafael is flat, so biking is a gr eat way to explor e. To rent a bike, tr y
Biciletas
Rosales
(
&
2627/430147
) or
Bicicleteria Dapratto
(
&
2627/427738
). Rates in S an
Rafael generally run about $10 (£6.80) for a day 's rental.
There ar e many companies that offer transfers out to the fer tile Valle G rande and
Atuel River, including
Transportes Iselin
(
&
2627/446463
), which depar ts from the
bus terminal, and
Atuel Travel
(
&
2627/429282
), which also organizes sightseeing and
wine tours.
10
VISITOR INFORMATION
The municipal Tourism Information Office is at Av. H. Yrigoyen 745 (
&
2627/424217;
www.sanrafaelturismo.gov.ar). It's open daily 8am to 9pm.
WHERE TO STAY & DINE
In addition to the establishments listed below, don't miss
La Delicia Helados
(Yrigoyen
and 3 de Febrero;
&
2627/436333
), which is great for people-watching and ice cr eam.
A slightly hipper joint is
Sin Fondo,
Yrigoyen 1710 (
&
2627/15-545553
[cell]), with a
relatively br oad menu for this to wn; pastas and seafood ar e the top draws. A classic
neighborhood joint,
Tienda Del Sol,
Yrigoyen 1663 (
&
2627/425022
), serves pizzas,
homemade pastas, huge sandwiches, and
minutas
—breaded veal or chicken topped with
a choice of ham, cheese, tomato, or all the abo ve.
