Andes/Aconcagua

The highest mountains of the Andes are in the Province of Mendoza (the land of sun and wine), near the city of the same name, the capital city of the province.

The tourist circuits in Mendoza are: Aconcagua/ Zona de Alta Montaña (West), East zone, South zone

Thanks to its geographical characteristics Mendoza has developed adventure tourism: rafting in its five main rivers, Mendoza, Tunuyán, Diamante, Atuel and Grande; in its calm reservoirs, kayak, windsurf, water ski, dive in and sailing can be practised. Speleology, the exploration of caverns, can be practised in Malargüe, in the Cueva de las Brujas (Cave of the Witches) and in The Cueva del Tigre. Specialists coincide that the Cueva de las Brujas is the most important cave in the country.

Trekking and mountain bike can be carried out in mountains and hills or one can cross the Andes on horseback.

Other activities that can be carried out in Mendoza are overlanding (use of four wheel drive vehicles to cross tracks and roads in the mountains), photographic safaris, and for the most fearless hang gliding. The oldest sport in the area is mountain climbing. It is not only practised in the Aconcagua but also in the lower hills by people of all ages: the hill Arco in El Challao, El Cocodrilo in Potrerillos, and the Cerro Negro in La Crucesita.

All these sports are prepared according to the physical level and age and contemplating all security measures. .

Scientific tourism can be carried out in the whole territory, especially in the protected areas of parks and reservations.These areas preserve animals, plants, archaeological and palaeonthological material in their primitive state.

One can visit the geologic flaw in Divisadero , in the Department of Lavalle one can visit a forest of locusts: el Bosque Telteca. In Llancanelo (Malargüe), there is a big lagoon with pink flamingos and black neck swans, in Santa Rosa's department, the desert of Ñacuñan. In the department of Malargüe, one can visit Payunia, a volcanic area full of chinchillas and guanacos.

For the fishermen the dikes in Mendoza are ideal. The dike of El Nihuil, Valle Grande, Los Reyunos, and Agua del Toro (San Rafael) and El Carrizal (Luján-Rivadavia), are those that have the best accommodation and service.

For those who want to rest, Mendoza offers the possibility of thermal baths in the following places: Valle de los Molles (Malargüe), Termas de Villavicencio, Termas de Cacheuta, Puente del Inca, Termas del Challao.

Great Mendoza

The city of Mendoza includes the departments of Godoy Cruz, Luján de Cuyo, Maipú, Guaymallén and Las Heras. In this conglomerate 800 000 people live. In the city of Mendoza tours can be taken in order to visit the city (Ruins of San Francisco, Square Pedro del Castillo, Parque O´Higgings, Serpentario and Acuario Municipal, Plaza Chile, (San Martin e Independencia), Parque General San Martin, Cerro de la Gloria, El Challao, wineries and dikes (in the department of Maipú), the Dique Cipolleti, the City Luján the Cuyo (to visit the church of the Virgin of the Carrodilla, Patroness of the vineyards), Villavicencio, Cacheuta, Potrerillos, Uspallata, Los Penitents, Puente del Inca, Aconcagua, Cordón del Plata, Tunuyán, Valle del Sol, Las Vegas.