A major festival
In March every year, Mendoza holds its great festival. At this time, the whole city is alive with preparations, mysteries and emotions. It is the Wine Festival. For the people of Mendoza, a festival of work, a time to give thanks for the vines that the earth has produced. The tradition dates back to the end of the last century, when workers used to celebrate the end of the grape harvest to the sound of two typical beats of the region, the “cueca” and the “gato cuyano”. The celebration took on the nature of a formal festival in 1936, and since that time has become a major tourist attraction. The festivities begin on the Friday With the Blessing of the Fruit and the Offering of the New Wine; these are followed by a parade of decorated and brightly-illuminated floats through the streets of the city centre, another parade of gaucho groups in their traditional costumes, dance groups representing all the different immigrant races, and the great closing ceremony at midnight on the Sunday in the Greek Amphitheatre in San Martín Park, where hordes of locals and tourist alike come together. During the months of January and February, there are departmental festivities where the candidates for the Beauty Contest on the final night of the celebrations are elected.
What to Visit
As has already been mentioned, Mendoza was destroyed by an earthquake in 1861, when it was a city three hundred years old with interesting colonial architecture. Obviously, therefore, the tourist today will find no traces of its colonial past, but what he will find is an attractive and welcoming modern city of which the inhabitants are immensely proud.
The main street is the Avenida San Martín, the true commercial heart of the city. The Paseo Peatonal Sarmiento, literally roofed over by the foliage of its abundant trees, is the ideal spot to carry out the ritual of any Argentinian town worth its salt, namely relaxing over a coffee at any time of the day in one of the smart bars tht line the street. And in the adjoining streets there will always be the chance to do some shopping. If it is regional goods that you are looking for, then the place to go is the Avenida Las Heras, where you will find plenty of shops offering a wide range of products, from hand-woven clothing to sweets, dried fruit, spirits and wines of such high quality that even a teetotaller would be tempted.
But there are a number of other places that should not be missed. These include General San Martín Park, with its monumental iron gateway welcoming visitors to the green paradise within. It covers an area of 512 hectares and was designed by the architect Carlos Thays, inside can be found works by the renowned sculptor Lola Mora, and by Marly. The avenues in the park are named after the different species of trees to be found there, and it is a delightful experience to ride a bicycle or simply wander through the park.
The exploits of San Martín are recalled in the wonderful bronze figures by the Uruguayan sculptor Juan Manuel Ferrari at the Monument to the Army of the Andes, on the top of the hill known as the Cerro de la Gloria. Also inside the park are to be found the Zoological Gardens and the Frank Romero Day Amphitheatre, principal setting for the Wine Festival. Other attractions of this beautiful park include a number of private clubs, the Malvinas Argentinas Stadium, the University Centre of the National University of Cuyo, and El Rosedal Drive, which follows the shore of a large artificial lake.
Squares abound, but among the best are the following:
Independence Square, heart of the “new city”. Here are to be found the Municipal Museum of Modern Art and the Julio Quintanilla Theatre.
Plaza España, or Spain Square, where there are scenes depicting the founding of the city, painted on Spanich majolica.
Plaza Italia, built in honour of the Italian immigrants.
Paseo de la Alameda, where are to be found the San Martín Museum and the General José de San Martín Public Library.
The San Francisco Ruins are the sole reminder of the old city. There is to be found Foundation Square, today rechristened with the name of the city’s founder, and opposite this a Jesuit church dating back to the 18th century survives.
The Enoteca Giol Museum of Wine was the first wine vault-school in Mendoza. On display are oak casks from Nancy, prizes awarded at international competitions, and ancient machinery. The museum is in Civic Park, alongside the Government Palace, the Municipal Building and the Palace of Justice.
Other interesting museums include: the Museum of Cuyo Past, the U:N:C: Archaeological Museum, and the Mineralogy, Natural Science and Anthropology, and Emiliano Guiñazú Museum, together with the Aquarium.
Places of interest in the surrounding area
Las Heras
This is to the west of the provincial capital, part of Greater Mendoza; its wester limit is the impressive barrier of the Andean range, which rises to its highest peaks in this area. A number of mountain passes connect this department with Chile and Las Cuevas international tunnel is particularly worthy of note.
Las Heras has a glorious past, because this was where San Martín’s army made its preparations, and the name it bears today recalls one of that army’s most loyal and heroic generals, Juan Gregorio Las Heras.
The following should not be sissed:
Aconcagua Provincial Park, a protected area of natural beauty containing the fabulous Aconcagua, which at 6,959 m above sea level is the highest mountain in America. Puente del Inca (186 km from Mendoza) is the nearest town to Quebrada de los Horcones, the main access point to the park which takes you to Plaza de Mulas (4,200 m), the base camp for those wishing to try and climb Aconcagua by its shout slope. Punta de Vacas (161 km), is the village nearest to Quebrada de Vacas, the normal route to Plaza Argentina, the base camp for climbing it vía Los Polacos Glacier, Plaza de Mulas has a hotel, one of the highest anywhere in the world.
A special permit is needed to enter the park, and this can be obtained from the Undersecretary of tourism in Mendoza.
The same Route Nº 7 will take you to Potrerillos, the Uspallata Valley, Villa Vicencio and Cacheuta, all areas of outstanding natural beauty with majestic scenery. The Statue of Christ the redeemer, a giant stone monument built at the friendship between. Argentina and Chile, marks the exact frontier between the two countries.
The Ranchillos Ruins are worth visiting, and ancient, fortified, indigenous town.
El Plumerillo used to be a training ground for the army of the Andes, and still today contains a chapel where religious services are held.
In winter, ski lovers can enjoy the Los Penitentes Winter Sports Complex, which boast good hotel and apartment facilities, modern ski lifts, and slopes of varying difficulty.
Godoy Cruz
This is part of what is known as the Wine Trail. Many of the most famous vineyards in the country are to be found here. Names like Bianchi, Arizu and Escorihuela, to name but a few, have brought it this fame. The vineyards are open to the public, and apart from seeing how the different wines are produced, visitors can also enjoy wine tasting. This is the smallest, but at the same time the most industrialized, of the departments that make up Greater Mendoza.
Maipú
This department was colonised after the earthquake of 1861 by settlers seeking safer lands. It lies on a plain on the banks of the Mendoza river, one of the principal sources of water in the province. Although it is the main producer of olives, being responsible for fifty percent of the production from the entire province, it is better known for its vineyards.
With 167 top-class establishments, it is also part of what is known as the Wine Trail. Here are to be found the Giol Vineyards, founded in 1896 and recognized as being the largest in the world. Peñaflor ad López, are two others, equally famous. In the San Felipe Wine Museum you can appreciate the evolution of the most important industry in the province, through various items of machinery and working objects.
Also to be found in this area is Barrancas Chapel, dedicated to the Virgin of the Rosary; one of the oldest in the region, it has been declared a Historic National Monument. There is also the Maipú Archaeological Museum, which contains important archaeological remains of the indigenous peoples from the Barrancas district.
Luján de Cuyo
This is one of the most fertile departments, also boasting many beauty spots. Among these is the Cipolleti Dam, built on the foundations of what was the first artificial drainage system made by the Huarpes long before the arrival of the conquistadors. Since 1983 it has been the setting for the annual Feriagro, and exhibition organized by the agricultural producers of the region to promote their products in international markets. It is also home to an oil refinery which at one time marked the first oil exploitation anywhere in Latin America.
Attractions which should not be missed include:
The Emiliano Guñazú Museum, in the house formerly belonging to fader, and which contains important plastic art collections; the surrounding are particularly attractive, a tree-lined road that forms a natural tunnel.
Chacras de Coria and Vistalba, two summer resorts particularly favoured by inhabitants of Mendoza as places to relax at weekends.
Potrerillos, which has areas with abundant aquatic vegetation, since it is the source of numerous streams; it is an ideal spot for photographing the many varieties, of birds that live there.
Cajón de Cacheuta is an ideal place to go rafting on the Mendoza river; those of a more sedentary nature may opt for the peaceful thermal spring of a modern spa.
In March every year, Mendoza holds its great festival. At this time, the whole city is alive with preparations, mysteries and emotions. It is the Wine Festival. For the people of Mendoza, a festival of work, a time to give thanks for the vines that the earth has produced. The tradition dates back to the end of the last century, when workers used to celebrate the end of the grape harvest to the sound of two typical beats of the region, the “cueca” and the “gato cuyano”. The celebration took on the nature of a formal festival in 1936, and since that time has become a major tourist attraction. The festivities begin on the Friday With the Blessing of the Fruit and the Offering of the New Wine; these are followed by a parade of decorated and brightly-illuminated floats through the streets of the city centre, another parade of gaucho groups in their traditional costumes, dance groups representing all the different immigrant races, and the great closing ceremony at midnight on the Sunday in the Greek Amphitheatre in San Martín Park, where hordes of locals and tourist alike come together. During the months of January and February, there are departmental festivities where the candidates for the Beauty Contest on the final night of the celebrations are elected.
What to Visit
As has already been mentioned, Mendoza was destroyed by an earthquake in 1861, when it was a city three hundred years old with interesting colonial architecture. Obviously, therefore, the tourist today will find no traces of its colonial past, but what he will find is an attractive and welcoming modern city of which the inhabitants are immensely proud.
The main street is the Avenida San Martín, the true commercial heart of the city. The Paseo Peatonal Sarmiento, literally roofed over by the foliage of its abundant trees, is the ideal spot to carry out the ritual of any Argentinian town worth its salt, namely relaxing over a coffee at any time of the day in one of the smart bars tht line the street. And in the adjoining streets there will always be the chance to do some shopping. If it is regional goods that you are looking for, then the place to go is the Avenida Las Heras, where you will find plenty of shops offering a wide range of products, from hand-woven clothing to sweets, dried fruit, spirits and wines of such high quality that even a teetotaller would be tempted.
But there are a number of other places that should not be missed. These include General San Martín Park, with its monumental iron gateway welcoming visitors to the green paradise within. It covers an area of 512 hectares and was designed by the architect Carlos Thays, inside can be found works by the renowned sculptor Lola Mora, and by Marly. The avenues in the park are named after the different species of trees to be found there, and it is a delightful experience to ride a bicycle or simply wander through the park.
The exploits of San Martín are recalled in the wonderful bronze figures by the Uruguayan sculptor Juan Manuel Ferrari at the Monument to the Army of the Andes, on the top of the hill known as the Cerro de la Gloria. Also inside the park are to be found the Zoological Gardens and the Frank Romero Day Amphitheatre, principal setting for the Wine Festival. Other attractions of this beautiful park include a number of private clubs, the Malvinas Argentinas Stadium, the University Centre of the National University of Cuyo, and El Rosedal Drive, which follows the shore of a large artificial lake.
Squares abound, but among the best are the following:
Independence Square, heart of the “new city”. Here are to be found the Municipal Museum of Modern Art and the Julio Quintanilla Theatre.
Plaza España, or Spain Square, where there are scenes depicting the founding of the city, painted on Spanich majolica.
Plaza Italia, built in honour of the Italian immigrants.
Paseo de la Alameda, where are to be found the San Martín Museum and the General José de San Martín Public Library.
The San Francisco Ruins are the sole reminder of the old city. There is to be found Foundation Square, today rechristened with the name of the city’s founder, and opposite this a Jesuit church dating back to the 18th century survives.
The Enoteca Giol Museum of Wine was the first wine vault-school in Mendoza. On display are oak casks from Nancy, prizes awarded at international competitions, and ancient machinery. The museum is in Civic Park, alongside the Government Palace, the Municipal Building and the Palace of Justice.
Other interesting museums include: the Museum of Cuyo Past, the U:N:C: Archaeological Museum, and the Mineralogy, Natural Science and Anthropology, and Emiliano Guiñazú Museum, together with the Aquarium.
Places of interest in the surrounding area
Las Heras
This is to the west of the provincial capital, part of Greater Mendoza; its wester limit is the impressive barrier of the Andean range, which rises to its highest peaks in this area. A number of mountain passes connect this department with Chile and Las Cuevas international tunnel is particularly worthy of note.
Las Heras has a glorious past, because this was where San Martín’s army made its preparations, and the name it bears today recalls one of that army’s most loyal and heroic generals, Juan Gregorio Las Heras.
The following should not be sissed:
Aconcagua Provincial Park, a protected area of natural beauty containing the fabulous Aconcagua, which at 6,959 m above sea level is the highest mountain in America. Puente del Inca (186 km from Mendoza) is the nearest town to Quebrada de los Horcones, the main access point to the park which takes you to Plaza de Mulas (4,200 m), the base camp for those wishing to try and climb Aconcagua by its shout slope. Punta de Vacas (161 km), is the village nearest to Quebrada de Vacas, the normal route to Plaza Argentina, the base camp for climbing it vía Los Polacos Glacier, Plaza de Mulas has a hotel, one of the highest anywhere in the world.
A special permit is needed to enter the park, and this can be obtained from the Undersecretary of tourism in Mendoza.
The same Route Nº 7 will take you to Potrerillos, the Uspallata Valley, Villa Vicencio and Cacheuta, all areas of outstanding natural beauty with majestic scenery. The Statue of Christ the redeemer, a giant stone monument built at the friendship between. Argentina and Chile, marks the exact frontier between the two countries.
The Ranchillos Ruins are worth visiting, and ancient, fortified, indigenous town.
El Plumerillo used to be a training ground for the army of the Andes, and still today contains a chapel where religious services are held.
In winter, ski lovers can enjoy the Los Penitentes Winter Sports Complex, which boast good hotel and apartment facilities, modern ski lifts, and slopes of varying difficulty.
Godoy Cruz
This is part of what is known as the Wine Trail. Many of the most famous vineyards in the country are to be found here. Names like Bianchi, Arizu and Escorihuela, to name but a few, have brought it this fame. The vineyards are open to the public, and apart from seeing how the different wines are produced, visitors can also enjoy wine tasting. This is the smallest, but at the same time the most industrialized, of the departments that make up Greater Mendoza.
Maipú
This department was colonised after the earthquake of 1861 by settlers seeking safer lands. It lies on a plain on the banks of the Mendoza river, one of the principal sources of water in the province. Although it is the main producer of olives, being responsible for fifty percent of the production from the entire province, it is better known for its vineyards.
With 167 top-class establishments, it is also part of what is known as the Wine Trail. Here are to be found the Giol Vineyards, founded in 1896 and recognized as being the largest in the world. Peñaflor ad López, are two others, equally famous. In the San Felipe Wine Museum you can appreciate the evolution of the most important industry in the province, through various items of machinery and working objects.
Also to be found in this area is Barrancas Chapel, dedicated to the Virgin of the Rosary; one of the oldest in the region, it has been declared a Historic National Monument. There is also the Maipú Archaeological Museum, which contains important archaeological remains of the indigenous peoples from the Barrancas district.
Luján de Cuyo
This is one of the most fertile departments, also boasting many beauty spots. Among these is the Cipolleti Dam, built on the foundations of what was the first artificial drainage system made by the Huarpes long before the arrival of the conquistadors. Since 1983 it has been the setting for the annual Feriagro, and exhibition organized by the agricultural producers of the region to promote their products in international markets. It is also home to an oil refinery which at one time marked the first oil exploitation anywhere in Latin America.
Attractions which should not be missed include:
The Emiliano Guñazú Museum, in the house formerly belonging to fader, and which contains important plastic art collections; the surrounding are particularly attractive, a tree-lined road that forms a natural tunnel.
Chacras de Coria and Vistalba, two summer resorts particularly favoured by inhabitants of Mendoza as places to relax at weekends.
Potrerillos, which has areas with abundant aquatic vegetation, since it is the source of numerous streams; it is an ideal spot for photographing the many varieties, of birds that live there.
Cajón de Cacheuta is an ideal place to go rafting on the Mendoza river; those of a more sedentary nature may opt for the peaceful thermal spring of a modern spa.
