South & Central America

Mendoza

La Tierra de Sol y Buen Vino’ or ‘The land of sun and fine wine’ is the local name for Mendoza, which lies in the shadows of the Andes mountains and enjoys a favourable climate and plenty of pure mountain waters, which have combined to make the city’s vineyards famous throughout the world.

Founded in 1562, the city of Mendoza is a charming and lively place with its shady colonial plazas and bustling markets and is a natural base from which to enjoy a variety of outdoor activities such as trekking, rafting, skiing and even climbing the continent’s highest peak of Mount Aconcagua at 6960 metres. But it is for the wine, first grown in the 16th Century, that this area is best known with over two thousand bodegas (wineries), which produce 80% of the country’s wine. Tours of the vineyards to see the production of the wine and inevitably plenty of winetasting is highly recommended and the week-long Wine Harvest Festival in late February is always a highlight.

The central area of the city is pretty with its bustling streets lined with shady sycamore trees and a very friendly, laid-back atmosphere. Centred around the old Plaza Independencia, the modern is juxtaposed with the beautiful old colonial and there are a number of delightful churches; museums and ruins that merit investigation.

Our preferred hotels & lodges are:

Cavas Wine Lodge  (Agrelo)
Park Hyatt Hotel  (Mendoza city)  
Posada Salentein  (Uco Valley)
Finca Adalgisa (Chacras de Coria)
Club Tapiz   (Lujan de Cuyo)