Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
source, and their spectacular mountain setting once hosted the prestigious thermal baths
resort of the
Gran Hotel de Villavicencio
( 8am-8pm)
. Popular with the Argen-
tine elite during the middle of the 20th century, the resort has been closed for more than a
decade; promises have floated around for years that it would 'soon' reopen.
Panoramic views from the hair-raising winding turns leading to Villavicencio make the
journey an attraction in itself. There is free camping alongside the attractive
Hostería Vil-
lavicencio
( 0261-439-6487; meals AR$80-130; 10:30am-6pm)
, which has no accom-
modations but serves gourmet meals in charming surrounds.
There is no public transportation to the valley. Nearly every tour operator in Mendoza
offers half-day tours (AR$150) that take in the hotel grounds, the bottling plant and short
walks in the surrounding countryside.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Uspallata
02624 / POP 3800 / ELEV 1751M
A humble little crossroads town on the way to the Chilean border, Uspallata is an oasis of
poplar trees set in a desolate desert valley. The polychrome mountains surrounding the
town so resemble highland Central Asia that director Jean-Jacques Annaud used it as the
location for the epic film
Seven Years in Tibet
.
The town first gained fame as a low-budget base for the nearby ski fields at Los Penit-
entes, but has recently been coming into its own with a few companies offering treks,
horseback riding and fishing expeditions in the surrounding countryside.
There's a post office and a Banco de la Nación, which has an ATM. The
tourist office
( 02624-420009; RN7 s/n; 8am-9pm)
is across from the YPF gas station. It has good
information on local sights and activities and some very basic (but still useful) area
maps.
Sights
A kilometer north of the highway junction in Uspallata, a signed lateral leads to ruins and
a museum at the
Museo Las Bóvedas
(admission free; 11am-5pm)
, a smelting
site since pre-Columbian times. An easy 8km walk north of town brings you to
Cerro
Tunduqueral
(
11am-6:30pm)
, where you'll find sweeping views and Inca rock
carvings.
