With world-class vineyards, rafting, hiking, horseback riding, rock climbing and great nightlife, Mendoza is enough to keep a traveller busy for days. It was by far my favourite Argentinian city and one I would love to return to. Mendoza is located in the centre of Argentina, in an arid, mountainous region, famous for wine production.
With so many available activities in the area, it was hard to choose so we opted for a few easy day tours. The first day, we went on a fabulous half-day tour which included visiting a small family-run vineyard, an olive oil factory, a large production winery and a chocolate and liqueurs shop. It was a great overview of the delights of culinary Mendoza and interesting the see the variety of production between the large and small wineries. The wines were of course fabulous.
The following day, we opted for more adventure by taking a whitewater rafting and canopying (aka zip lining) tour in the nearby canyons. We did 8 zip lines, the longest reaching 450 meters long over a river! Rafting included class 3 and 4 rapids, and while I wouldn’t say the water was very ‘white’, it certainly was an adrenaline rush!
The city just has an incredible vibe to it. Lots of beautiful little parks, plazas and a rocking nightlife to boot. Most restaurants have outdoor patios which are great for an evening glass of vino. We ended up (as most do) staying longer than originally planned and took yet another day trip out to a nearby day spa to spend a day basking in the sun by the pool. Termas Cacheuta is a beautiful outdoor pool and spa, and a wonderful place to relax.
Wine is a pretty serious in Mendoza – another reason why I love it! They are a big producer of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec which goes great with the football-sized BBQ’d steaks you get for dinner every night. Not to mention the fact that wine is almost cheaper than water. Wine, outdoor adventure and open-air spas – I’m pretty certain Mendoza is the greatest place in Argentina.
