Mendoza is
beautiful the Andes, the
wine, the food, the people and the scenery are some of what makes this place
what it is. I first visited Mendoza in 2016 with a friend to see his family,
and I returned in 2019 during my second trip around Argentina. On return, I
couldn’t wait to soak up more of what this city gives and I hope that this post
will help you to do the same!
Mendoza city
Mendoza is the
capital city of the Mendoza Province and it is located on the eastern slopes of
the Andes. The city is like many others in Latin America with beautiful
central plazas and cobbled streets. It is much different to Buenos Aires,
in Mendoza a slower-pace of life exists and you’ll feel that instantly when you
arrive. You will find there is an abundance of things to do both in and
outside the city.
How to get to Mendoza
Bus and plane are
the two most likely ways you will arrive in Mendoza. Both the bus and
airport terminals are easily accessible from the city centre, it just
depends where you are coming from or maybe your style of travel that will
influence whether you travel by plane or bus. You can also hire a car to drive
to Mendoza but remember that the distances are huge and you must stop often.
Flying
Mendoza International Airport (MDZ or El Plumerillo International Airport) is located just 5 miles northeast of Mendoza city centre and alongside the main motorway to the city.
Mendoza airport
has daily arrivals from and departures to many cities across Argentina
including Aeroparque Buenos Aires, Ezeiza, Puerto Iguazú, Córdoba and San
Carlos de Bariloche. International destinations include Santiago de Chile,
Lima, São Paulo and Panama City, although, destinations could change as a
result of the coronavirus pandemic. There are no direct flights to Mendoza
outside of Latin America so if you are arriving from anywhere else, you’ll most
likely stop in Buenos Aires or Santiago de Chile, be sure to stop in either for
a couple of days to explore!
Bus
Thousands of people use buses to get across Argentina and South America every day and it is a popular and comfortable way of travelling. Unlike buses you might have taken in Asia or even Europe, most in this part of the world have reclining beds, food service and a toilet! All of the journeys that I have taken by bus in Argentina have been faultless.
You can reach
Mendoza by bus from most cities across Argentina, including Buenos Aires (16
hours), Cordoba (10 hours), Neuquén (13 hours), Rosario (13 hours), Puerto
Iguazu (32 hours) and Salta (18 hours). There is also a direct bus from
Santiago de Chile which takes 8 hours and is a beautiful journey through the
Andes.
When to visit Mendoza
In my view, Mendoza is an all-year-round destination and I have always enjoyed the quietness of the winter months! Most people say that the best time is from October to April, the Autumn, Summer and start of Spring months. In these months the city is full of colour and is busiest. The hottest months are January and February when temperatures often exceed 40 degrees Celsius, so avoid these if you can’t cope with the heat.
The cooler months
from April to October are less popular. But you’ll often see snow-capped peaks
in the Andes and maybe some snow in the surrounding city region! Even though
these are the shoulder months, most days are dry with cloudless skies, and as
long as you wrap up warm, you’ll still have fun!
Recommended activities in Mendoza
If you want to know everything you can do in Mendoza, click here and we will show you in the following note all the places, trekkings and walks that you can do in this wonderful destination.
Which wineries to visit
Andeluna - Valle de Uco
A relatively young winery, Andeluna was founded in 2003 near the city of Tupungnato in the Uco Valley. The soil below the surface produces a wine of higher minerality that generates more intense and concentrated wines.
The winery was founded in 2003 by Ward Lay (North American businessman who decided to partner with the renowned Rutini family and now, in the hands of the prestigious Barale family as of 2011, due to Lay's passing) and the building that accompanies it has the style of a French castle, with high ceilings and even an open kitchen to see how meals are prepared.
The "Pasionado Cabernet Franc" is one of the must-sees of the place. In turn, it has an international expert: Hans Vinding - Diers, in his work as Chief Winemaker.
Zuccardi - Valle de Uco
Salentein - Valle de Uco
Salentein is one of the largest producers in the region, It houses a winery with a capacity of 5000 barrels! The winery is designed in the shape of a cross with two floors, one for making wine from grapes and the underground one nine meters below the surface is where the wine is aged in oak. The home of the Killka Art Gallery and Cultural Centers is located in Salentein, where Dutch and Argentine artists exhibit their work. This winery is extremely interesting and produces top quality wines that you have to try.
Trapiche produces more than 3.5 million cases of wine per year and is one of the most most popular places in Mendoza since its foundation in 1883! The grapes used by Trapiche come from vineyards of the highest quality in Mendoza, the Italian-style winery is located in Maipú and can be visited with the different tours that are offered ( Visits are from Monday to Sunday with reservation previous).
What typical foods to try
The gastronomy of Mendoza is very varied but either of Creole roots or with the Italian and Spanish stamp of its immigrants, what characterizes it is the excellent quality of the raw material with which it is made.
The Mendoza products such as vine, olive and fruit trees are added to the Goat, lamb and cow meats and farmed salmonids to provide an unmistakable gastronomic identity.
During your visit to Mendoza, I recommend that you try :
The mendocino grilled goat accompanied by a malbec, if any family or craft winery to the best. As a garnish, I ordered a tasty tomatican. It is a preparation of farm tomatoes, green onion and egg.
Before roasting, a minced with the inevitable olives Mendoza in its various options: whole, pitted, seasoned, stuffed with bell peppers, almonds or Roquefort cheese, or the rarest but exquisite "sajada" olives.
The Mendoza empanadas with meat filling but, unlike their sisters in other provinces, without raisins and with olives.
And finally, some of the exquisite preserves, jams or preparations made with the delicious fruits Mediterranean that are grown on farms: grapes, peaches, pears, apples, melons, alcayotas.
The largest concentration of restaurants and places to eat are in Arístides Villanueva, Colón, San Martín avenues and the Chacras de Coria area. Among the most popular are:
- Rosell Boher: A complex located at 45 km from the City of Mendoza , in Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo. It is surrounded by vineyards and beautiful landscapes that invite you to live unforgettable experiences at the foot of the Andes. Los menus of the restaurant are made mainly taking into account the local ingredients and paying attention to seasonal products. They work with a wide variety of producers in the area and also in the country, obtaining fresh and first-rate raw materials. Food is prepared in an artisan way , from kneading bread and pastry to ice cream homemade.
- Seven Kitchens: the menu covers seven gastronomic regions of the country. The star dishes are the goat ricotta ravioli with lent from NOA, the quinoa salad, the San Juan squash, the "chivo de Malargüe" and the rabbit milanesa.
- Fountain and Fonda: a food house that found the charm of serving large platters to share. They leave you these large dishes with spatulas and each diner is served. The most popular dishes are the potato pie and the corn and ricotta cannelloni tank.
- María Antonieta: the proposal is of Argentine and Italian cuisine; Humita, Neapolitan Milanese, lamb meatballs, homemade pasta, salads and sandwiches are served. For brunch, tourists often pounce on croissants, homemade granola, sweets, cakes and puddings.
Where to stay in Mendoza
Here we will
explore the options of where to stay in Mendoza. There are many to choose and
depend on what you want to get out of your trip to Mendoza. If you have plenty
of time, then we’d recommend staying in a couple of different locations
throughout the city and the surrounding region to get a full taste of the area.
If you have a lot of time, we recommend that you stay in a couple of different places in the city and the surrounding region to get to know the area fully. If what you are looking for are the best hotels to spend a romantic night, I recommend our note, the 5 hotels for your honeymoon.
Mendoza City Centre
The ideal location
if you want shops, fantastic restaurants, wine bars and a city centre feel. You’ll
find some nice accommodations in this area but try to stay central so you don’t
have to walk too far in the evenings when you don’t know the city. Staying in
the centre will probably be enough for 3 days, that gives you enough time to
explore before you want to escape to the countryside.
Park Hyatt
Usually, I will
try and stick to recommending family-owned rather than chain hotels, but this
is an exception. The Park Hyatt without doubt, the best located and the best quality
and styled hotel in the centre of Mendoza. The building is impressive with
its French façade and situated right alongside Plaza Independencia, the largest
in the city. The rooms aren’t particularly traditional, but they do have
outstanding views across either the city or towards the mountains. Three
restaurants serve the hotel and all serve traditional Mendocino food.
Sheraton
Amerian Executive
Hostels
The city has many
hostels as it is a major crossing point between Argentina and Chile. Lots of
these hostels are centrally located, such as the Gorilla Hostel or Hostel
Alamo. They cater for all budgets and often provide breakfast and an
information desk to help you explore the city.
Gorilla Hostel
Gorilla hostel is located 2 blocks from Aristides Villanueva street, a meeting point for nightlife in Mendoza, where you will be able to find a wide variety of gastronomic offer, as well as many bars and breweries.
In its facilities it has rooms with capacity for six people and double rooms. In the included services you will have breakfast, a fully equipped kitchen, air conditioning and heating and Wi-Fi in all the hostel.
Gorilla also offers swimming pool, grill, games: foosball and ping pong. You can also relax in the spaces with omunes that have satellite tv and netflix. Outside there is a parking lot.
Events such as barbecue parties, pizza parties are organized in the hostel and they get free tickets for the different discos in the city.
Hostel Alamo
En a family residence run by its own owners, has 14 rooms distributed in a beautiful, spacious and modern house. The hostel has a colonial style, an internal garden, terraces and balconies. On cold nights you can enjoy a fireplace in the main room of the house.
The accommodation was built in 1944 by the renowned architect Daniel Ramos Correa, who contributed significantly to the architectural physiognomy of Mendoza. We can mention as an example his participation in the design of the Plaza Independencia (Mendoza's main square) and the Frank Romero Day Amphitheater, where the National Harvest Festival takes place every year.
Alamo Hostel Suites is located in the heart of the city of Mendoza, just a few blocks from numerous shops and restaurants. A few meters away you will find a supermarket, a bank, cyber cafes, phone booths, laundry and dry cleaning, regional goods stores, kiosks, and a service station.
To know the three best hostels in Mendoza, I recommend that you read our full note by clicking here.
Chacras de Coria
Located south of
Mendoza, Chacras is a compact neighbourhood that consists of tree-lined
streets, a small plaza, beautiful old houses and of course vineyards. It is
a bustling village that has plenty of going on without feeling touristy or
over-developed. The town is perfect for those who wish to be close to the city
but out of the hustle and bustle, whilst also being in a more natural and green
space. It is easy to access the famous wine district Luján de Cuyo by
road and also along the cycle lanes!
Lares de Chacras
This small
family-run hotel is centrally located just a few minutes-walk from the main
Plaza of Chacras and it is beautiful. Many rooms overlook the pool (you’ll be
thankful for this!) and grass area where you can soak up the Mendoza sun. The rooms of Lares de Chacras are traditional, with stone walls and beams and are characteristic of the
houses which surround Chacras.
Casa Glebinas
Another
locally-owned hotel, Casa Glebinas prides itself on the quality they offer. The rooms are decorated traditionally and
have a warm and welcoming feel. The well-established gardens provide shelter
from the blistering summer sun and are the source of many fruits that are
shared at breakfast time. The restaurant is the home of breakfast and dinner,
where the chef prepares high-quality meals which are served with local wines
from the cellar.
Plaza Paradiso Petit Hotel
Maipu
If you want to
stay right where the famous Mendocino wine is grown, then Maipu is a good
choice. Being close to the city means it is easy to reach for a couple of
nights and the smaller size of the area makes it easy to explore on foot or by
bike.
Posada Cavieres Wine Farm
This is the perfect
base for exploring Maipu’s wineries. The lodge has its own vineyard, olive
grove and a large garden with a pool. It is simple but provides everything you
need. They serve breakfast and offer traditional dinners for those that would
like them. Many vineyards are within 5km making them easily accessible by bike
or foot, so you can enjoy a tasting and get home easily!
Posada Verde Olivas
The Posada Verde Oliva is located in an olive grove in Coquimbito just 16 kilometers from the city of Mendoza, It offers a garden, a swimming pool and modern rural accommodation. The accommodation built in the 19th century has vineyards and olive trees, produces its own wines and olive oil.
The rooms at the Verde Oliva Posada are elegant and have large windows overlooking the garden. All have air conditioning, heating and cable TV.
A buffet breakfast is served each morning. Welcome drinks are also provided.
Guests can relax on the sun loungers by the pool or in the garden, which features a shaded veranda. Wine and olive tastings are organized upon request. In addition, you can participate in the tasks of harvesting and collecting olives.
Wine tours and horseback riding are organized at the inn.
Valle de Uco
The newest wine
region in Mendoza, Valle de Uco is home to some of the best hotels in the
Mendoza province. Valle de Uco is the perfect place to stay if you have
plenty of time on your trip, it is a place of relaxation and wine. The
accommodations here are more expensive than elsewhere in the region but are
worth it.
Casa de Uco Wine Resort and Spa
One of the newest in the region and leading the way in sustainability! With panoramic views of vines from every room, you won’t be disappointed with the room you are given. Casa de Uco is situated on a large estate where you can stroll amongst the vines, explore on horseback and bike and just relax. The hotel has its own vegetable garden free of pesticides and herbicides where much of the restaurant’s food is grown. The solar panels soak up the constant sun and the surrounding lagoon is fed by the run-off from the snow. If you are planning to visit the Uco Valley region, this hotel has to be the top of your list.
Estancia Mendoza Wine Hotel
Postales Hotel Boutique
Mendoza will not disappoint you, there are a wealth of
activities to do and you won’t be bored. If you want to plan a trip to Mendoza
then send Tangol a message and someone will get back to you and help you! We
can help you plan a visit as part of a longer tour, or exclusively to Mendoza.