Argentina

Mendoza

Mendoza is a popular spot for its excellent wines, climbing and superb adventure tourism options. The city itself is lovely and has young and fresh vibe, with great nightlife. And the surroundings offer everything from tours to lovely vineyards, to horseback riding or hiking up mountains, and more.

What to Do?

• Mendoza has some lovely plazas (squares) to walk around and stop for some people watching at a café. At the heart of the city is Plaza Independencia with the Museo Municipal de Arte Moderno in the middle. Two other pleasant squares are Plaza España and Plaza Pellegrini.
• Parque San Martin, on the west side of the city, is Mendoza's equivalent of Central Park. A huge green gem, completely artificial but does the job well in providing you the perfect location for a picnic, jogging or just strolling along the lake. You can rent bicycles at the park and just enjoy the day!
• Bodegas (vineyards) – Mendoza is surrounded by many bodegas, responsible for Argentina's magnificent wine. These bodegas usually offer tours (that include free tastings, of course). You can get to the bodegas with a tour, independently by bus, or (the funnest way, in our opinion) – rent a bike and ride there! Most hostels have a bike rental service or can point you to one.
• Outside of Mendoza – Puente del Inca is a (very) small village with two main reasons for why it should be part of your itinerary. It is on the road from Mendoza to Chile (a gorgeous road with breathtaking views of the Andes). 4 hours, about 5 USD. Visit the bus terminal in Mendoza for a time table. Puente del Inca is named after a natural bridge  the crosses the Rio Mendoza and is made of sulphur. There are hot thermal baths that are free (and therefore very popular, but completely empty if you spend the night). The second reason to visit Puente del Inca is that it is the base for trekking in the Aconcagua – the highest mountain in the Americas at 6,959 meters (22,381 feet) (highest in the world outside of the Himalayas).
• Climbing the Aconcagua – you can climb all the way to the top for 21 days, but you need to have serious experience for that. The other option is to climb to the base camp, a 3 day trek. Climbing in the heights is not easy, and there is serious lack of oxygen. Also, the arid surroundings in combination with the height (and lack of rivers) make it easy to get dehydrated. Bring lots of water. A permit to climb is necessary, and the price varies for time of year and number of days. The short trek will cost you around 30 USD. Permits can be obtained in Parque San Martin in Mendoza (buy before you leave). It is possible to climb independently (provided you are in good shape, and preferably experienced and not alone), but you can also hire mules and guides at Puente del Inca. Bring LOTS of warm clothes as temperatures drop sharply at night. Also sunscreen, a hat and (as said before) lots of water, as the sun can be a killer during the day. The views are gorgeous.

Facilities:

The main tourist office in Mendoza is in Calle San Martin, opposite Peatonal Sarmiento. There are banks, exchange offices and many fast internet places in the center of the city. In Puente del Inca there is nothing, absolutely nothing, but a small Almacen (grocery store). Bring cash.

Where to Stay?

In Mendoza - A great hostel is Hostel Uvas. It is located in a central location, is clean, friendly, a lot of backpackers, and they will give you all the information you need about tours, bike rentals, Aconcagua, etc.

In Puente del Inca there is a Refugio (mountain cabin) that is cheap and has bunk beds. It's not much but it's there. Bring a sleeping bag.