Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Capilla del Monte
This otherwise sleepy little hill town is world-famous among UFO
watchers who come here in the hope of communing with the extraterrestrials from
on top of the mystical Cerro Uritorco.
heritage gives it a very European flavor, which really takes off as the beer starts
flowing in Oktoberfest (see boxed text,
Click here
).
this lakeside getaway is dotted with theme hotels (the Great Pyramids, the Krem-
lin) and centered around a massive cuckoo clock.
of Nono, outside of Mina Clavero, the 27,000-plus pieces on display here form
probably the most eclectic collection of trash/treasure you're ever likely to see.
Hotel Eden
(admission by tour AR$30; 10am-6pm)
Take a guided tour of this once-extra-
vagant, now-decaying hotel, built in 1897, where the guest list included Albert Ein-
stein, the Duke of Savoy and several Argentine presidents. Inside the hotel is the
Miniature Train Museum
, a strangely captivating museum devoted to, you guessed
it, very small trains.
SAN LUIS & AROUND
The little-visited province of San Luis holds a surprising number of attractions, made all
the better by the fact that you'll probably have them all to yourself.
The province is popularly known as La Puerta de Cuyo (the door to Cuyo), referring to
the combined provinces of Mendoza, San Luis, La Rioja and San Juan.
The regional superstar is without doubt the Parque Nacional Sierra de las Quijadas, but
the mountain towns along the Valle de Conlara and Sierras Puntanas are well worth a vis-
it if you're looking to get off the tourist trail.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Merlo
02652 / POP 17,000 / ELEV 890M
At the top of the Valle de Conlara, the mountain town of Merlo is a growing resort
known for its gentle microclimate (the local tourist-industry buzzword) in a relatively dry
area. The town is located 200km northeast of San Luis, tucked into the northeast corner
of San Luis province.
