Mendoza

MENDOZA

This important city of Argentina, and regional metropolis of "Cuyo" area, has a strong commercial, industrial and cultural development. It is also a tourist center towards "Los Andes" mountain chain and  the "Aconcagua" hill, the highest hill of the american continent. With wide wooded streets, irrigation ditchs and important parks, it is considered one of the cleanest cities in the country. In the "Great Mendoza", there's an industrial area that is located apart from residential zones. This satisfies all needs regarding the province progress. It's a wine-producing area par excellence and has a lot of wine cellars for wine production. A wide variety of a high quality wine are exported wordly. Most of them can be visited  by tourists. As it is located close to the Andes mountain chain, it becomes one of the best places for adventure tourism: trekking, rafting, mountain climbing  and wonderful landscapes, to make photo safaris, among other activities. Other options for tourist are: ski practise for winter season and thermal water activities along in the year.

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Distances from Mendoza
Buenos Aires: 1042 Km
Salta: 1268 Km
S.M.Tucumán: 964 Km
Ushuaia: 3255 Km
San Rafael: 234 Km
Penitentes: 165 Km
Puente del Inca: 177 Km
Uspallata: 105 Km
Villavicencio: 51 Km
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Wine-producing

The wine-producing is the most important activity of Mendoza.There´s more than 1221 wine cellars that are currently producing more than 10 million hectoliters per year. This area includes "Godoy Cruz", "Guaymallén", "Luján de Cuyo" and  "Maipú" districts and is the most prestigious wine-producing center in Latin America. It is located 750 to 1.100 meters above sea level, and "Mendoza" river coming from "Los Andes" snow, feed their vineyards.
Main wine varieties that are produced in "Mendoza" are: "Cabernet Sauvignon", "Malbec", "Merlot", "Syrah", "Barbera", "Chardonnay", "Sauvignon Blanc" and "Chenin", among many other.  

Aconcagua Hill

It is located in "Parque Provincial Aconcagua" (Province Park) and its 6.960 meters high become the highest mountain of the American Continent. The 71.000 park acres belong to Mendoza and are located close to the front line of the Republic of Chile . The park houses great glaciers which constitute an important hydric reserve. The origin of the name "Aconcagua" come from the word "Qichua ACKON-CAUAK", which means "centinela de piedra" (stone sentry); it is one of the most wonderful protected areas of The Republic of Argentina. This region is extremely dry and stony with high snow covered tops.  The vegetation is extremely poor covering up to 4.000 meters hillside high. The fauna is also poor showing special conducts to face up with this arid region. One of  the most frequent birds in the area is the one called "Cóndor".

San Rafael

It is the second important city of the province. From the beginning,  its geography and production were always characteristic qualities. In this "oasis" mostly cultivation are: corn, alfalfa, olive, vine, fruit trees (peach, plum, pear); also cow and sheep breed. There's also industries derived making dried preserve products such as custard cream, liqueur and others. The wine cellars are also very important in this area. Its streets are wide and wooded, with irrigation ditchs. The major landscape attraction is "El Cañón del Atuel".

Cañon del Atuel

It is located 37km far from San Rafael city. It's a geomorphologycal curiosity dugged by Atuel river, with incredible walls. It has a great seniority: 60 million years. There are different kinds of wind and pluvial  erosions that molded this amazing landscape with different colors and forms. It suffered several change process suchs as vulcanism and andean elevation. It goes west to east from "el Nihuil" 'til "rincón del Atuel" with 300 meters deep, 20 meters wide and 70 km long.