Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Grab some wheels and treat yourself to a tour of the wineries in
Maipú
(
Click
Get away from the crowds and into the stunning Valle de Calingasta in
Barreal
(
Click here
)
Discover dinosaur fossils embedded in bizarre rock formations in
Parque Provin-
cial Ischigualasto
(
Click here
)
Make the scene in any number of hip bars on Av Arístides in
Mendoza
(
Click
Soak those aching traveling bones in the thermal complex at
Cacheuta
(
Click
Touch the roof of the Americas on
Cerro Aconcagua
(
Click here
)
, the highest
peak in the Western Hemisphere
Getting There & Away
With flights to/from nearby Santiago (Chile), Mendoza has the region's only internation-
al airport. There are regular flights to Mendoza, San Juan and San Luis from Buenos
Aires. During ski season there are usually flights to Malargüe, near Las Leñas ski resort.
Bus transportation is excellent throughout the province. If you're heading south to the
Lake District, the fastest way can be to head to Neuquén city, but if you don't mind tak-
ing it slow, a seldom-explored section of RN40 between Mendoza and Neuquén
provinces can be a worthwhile detour.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Mendoza
0261 / POP 1.1 MILLION / ELEV 703M
A bustling city of wide, leafy avenues, atmospheric plazas and cosmopolitan cafes, Men-
doza is a trap. Even if you've (foolishly) only given it a day or two on your itinerary,
you're bound to end up hanging around, captivated by the laid-back pace while surroun-
ded by every possible comfort.
Ostensibly it's a desert town, though you wouldn't know unless you were told -
acequias
(irrigation ditches) that run beside every main road and glorious fountains that
adorn every main plaza mean you'll never be far from the burble of running water.
