Mendoza – Wine and Snowcapped Mountains
There are many different reasons why you might visit the delightful city of Mendoza in western Argentina, not least of which is its thriving wine industry. Mendoza is located on Ruta Nacional 7 which stretches the width of Southern South America between the capital cities Buenos Aires and Santiago. It is also easily accessed by air via Governor Francisco Gabrielli International Airport also known as El Plumerillo, which is just eight kilometres from the city.
Founded in 1561 by Pedro del Castillo, the city was originally named Ciudad de Mendoza del Nuevo Valle de La Rioja after the governor of Chile at the time. Mendoza is the fourth largest city in Argentina and the centre of the country’s wine industry thanks to a boom in the popularity of Malbec, the predominant grape grown in the cities many vineyards. Home to literally hundreds of wineries, the region is fast becoming one of the worlds most popular wine regions. Mendoza is also widely known for the production of olive oil and as one would expect has a thriving nightlife and dining scene.
Perhaps lesser known is Mendoza’s wide range of adventure activities; the city is a popular stop for those wishing to conquer South America‘s tallest mountain Aconcagua. Its proximity to the Andes Mountain range in which Aconcagua can be found gifts it a propensity for a wide range of adventure activities including paragliding, white water rafting, rock climbing and even windsurfing. Mendoza is not just a summer destination either, the Andes mountains provide some of the best skiing destinations on the planet and this region is also popular with ice-climbers and many companies offer guided tours and lessons.
Furthermore, the region offers four distinct seasons and it technically classed as a semi-arid desert, although you wouldn’t know just by visiting the region. Found in the southern hemisphere, Argentina experiences summer from December to February where temperatures can reach the low 30s. Winter, on the other hand, runs from June to August with temperatures averaging just above freezing. This gentle continental climate makes Mendoza a perfect location to visit at any time of year and we thoroughly recommend putting in firmly at the top of your bucket list!
