mendoza & the central andes - lonely...
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Mendoza & the Central Andes
Why Go?A long, narrow sliver of desert landscape, the Mendoza re-gion is home to two of Argentina’s claims to fame – the An-des and wine. The city itself is lively and cosmopolitan and the surrounding area boasts hundreds of wineries offering tours – an educational (and occasionally intoxicating) way to spend an afternoon or a month.
If you can put your glass down for a minute, there’s plenty more to keep you busy. Just down the road is Aconcagua, the Americas’ highest peak and a favorite for mountain climbers the world over. A couple of ski resorts give you the chance to drop into fresh powder while Mendoza’s tour operators offer up a bewildering array of rafting, mountain biking and paragliding options.
To the north, often-overlooked San Juan province is well worth a visit, as much for its small but important selection of wineries as for the surreal desert landscape of the Parque Provincial Ischigualasto.Best Wineries
¨¨ Di Tomasso (p332)
¨¨ Salentein (p337)
¨¨ Viñas de Segisa (p347)
¨¨ Pulenta Estate (p337)
Best National & Provincial Parks¨¨ Parque Provincial
Aconcagua (p336)
¨¨ Parque Provincial Volcán Tupungato (p338)
¨¨ Parque Provincial Payunia (p342)
¨¨ Parque Provincial Ischigualasto (p352)
When to Go
Dec–Mar Hot, dry weather makes this the perfect time to climb the region’s highest peaks.
Apr–Jun Autumn is spectacular, thanks to the colors of Men-doza’s trees and grapevines.
Jul–Sep Ski season paints the Andes white – breathtaking sight, even for nonskiers.
F DNOSAJJMAMJ
Mendoza°C/°F Temp Rainfall inches/mm
2/50
10/250
4/100
6/150
0
8/200
20/68
10/50
0/32
40/104
30/86
-10/14
Mendoza .....................317Uspallata ...................334Los Penitentes ........... 335San Rafael .................338Malargüe ....................341Las Leñas ..................343San Juan ....................344Valle de Calingasta .... 347San José de Jáchal ....350San Agustín de Valle Fértil ..............351
©Lonely¨Planet¨Publications¨Pty¨Ltd
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50 miles0100 km0 Mendoza &
the Central Andes Highlights1 Carve tracks in fresh powder on the world-class slopes of Las Leñas (p343)
2 grab some wheels and treat yourself to a tour of the wineries in Maipú (p332)
3 get away from the crowds and into the stunning Valle de Calingasta in Barreal (p348)
4 discover dinosaur fossils embedded in bizarre rock formations in Parque Provincial Ischigualasto (p352)
5 Make the scene in any number of hip bars on Av Arístides in Mendoza (p328)
6 Soak those aching traveling bones in the thermal complex at Cacheuta (p333)
7 touch the roof of the Americas on Cerro Aconcagua (p336), the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere