Mendoza and the winelands

The city of Mendoza is 710 kilometres northwest of Buenos Aires or 721 kilometres southwest of Cordoba and is geographically quite remote, in the centre of the Cuyo region that comprises Mendoza, San Juan and San Luis. Founded in 1561 by Spanish colonialists, the town is filled with tree-lined boulevards and plazas with fountains. The main square of Plaza Independencia is the city’s focal point with concerts, puppet shows and craft fairs that fill the space from Tuesday to Sunday. Four smaller squares of Italia, Espana, Chile and San Martin satellite the main square, each with its own character and style.

The Maipu region is the most renowned and its vineyards or ‘bodegas’ often passionate, individual family run businesses, set on country roads or alongside olive factories.

West of the city the Alta Montana takes you toward the highest point in the Americas at Mount Aconcagua, whose Christ the Redeemer statue stands at 4,000 metres; a symbol of friendship between Argentina and Chile offering some of the region’s most stunning scenery.