Mendoza
“The land of good sunshine and wine,” Mendoza is the capital city of the Mendoza Province. It is the center of the wine industry in Argentina and is the largest wine producing area in Latin America with most of the vineyards calling it their home in the Cuyo region. This strategically-situated place on the eastern side of the Andes mountains is a stopover for climbers on their way to the highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere, Mount Ancogua.
Other adventure travelers who are into hiking, skiing, rafting, horseback riding and white water rafting are also drawn to this tranquil and scenic place. Mendoza was founded in 1561 and was populated by three tribes: the Puelches, the Incas and the Huarpes who created an irrigation system that was improved by the Spaniards and paved the way for an economic and population boom in the place. Today, Mendoza is a cosmopolitan city bustling with economic activities such as tourism, wine and olive oil production and mining of oil and uranium.
If you’re planning on visiting Mendoza, be sure to catch the Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia (the National Grape Harvest festival) which takes place on the first Saturday of March. The celebration which actually begins as early as January includes festivals and religious ceremonies to bless the harvest of the grapes and the merriment goes on until April. Other local highlights include several museums like the natural history museum, the oldtimer museum Museo de los Motos Antiguas, the Museo Cornelio Moyano nbear the Hotel Moyano and the Museo del Area Fundacional (Historical Regional Foundation Museum).
Winery tours are offered outside the city limits and visitors can also explore the natural wonders of the area including the natural stone bridge of Puente del Inca and the Uspallata Valley.