Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
JUST A LOAD OF HOT AIR
While traveling through San Juan, especially in autumn and winter, you may become
acquainted - through hearsay if not through experience - with one of the region's
meteorological marvels: el zonda. Much like the chinook of the Rockies or the foehn
of the European Alps, the zondais a dry, warm wind that can raise a cold day's tem-
perature from freezing to nearly 20°C (68°F). The zondaoriginates with storms in
the Pacific that blow eastward, hit the Andes, dump their moisture and come whip-
ping down the eastern slopes, picking up heat as they go. The wind, which varies
from mild to howling, can last several days; sanjuaninos(people from San Juan) can
step outside and tell you when it will end - and that it will be cold when it does. It's a
regular occurrence, giving the region - and the sanjuaninos- severe seasonal vari-
ence, especially during winter.
Sights
If you need a little perspective on things, make your way up the Lookout Tower (cnr Men-
doza & Rivadavia; admission AR$10;
9am-1pm & 5-9pm) for a sweeping view out over the
town and surrounding countryside.
Museum hours change often, so check with the tourist office for updated information.
Casa Natal de Sarmiento MUSEUM
(Sarmiento 21 Sur; admission AR$15; 9am-7pm Mon-Fri, 9am-2pm Sat, 11am-6pm Sun) Casa
Natal de Sarmiento is named for Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, whose prolific writing as a
politician, diplomat, educator and journalist made him a public figure within and beyond
Argentina. Sarmiento's Recuerdos de Provincia recounted his childhood in this house and
his memories of his mother. It's now a museum.
Museo de Vino Santiago Graffigna MUSEUM
( 0264-421-4227; www.graffignawines.com ; Colón 1342 Norte; 10am-7pm Mon-Sat, 10-4pm
Sun) Museo de Vino Santiago Graffigna is a wine museum well worth a visit. It
also has a wine bar where you can taste many of San Juan's best wines. Take bus 12A
from in front of the tourist office on Sarmiento (AR$3, 15 minutes) and ask the driver to
tell you when to get off.
Tours
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