Mendoza

Mendoza - just like that, through the “c” in the Spanish manner, and not through the “z”, as in the Latin spelling Mendoza. I don’t know about you, but the name reminds me of the name of some heroine of a soap opera, something like a Mercedes. Before my trip to Argentina, I had hardly heard anything about the city.

So, Mendoza - the city and capital of the province of the same name, is located west of Buenos Aires at a distance of about 1000 km. from it, in the foothills of the Andes at an altitude of 746 m. from sea level. So, unlike Santiago de Chile, you can not worry about mountain sickness.

Mendoza amazed me with the beauty of nature and scope, truly endless vineyards are located here, such are rarely seen in the Old World. And the diversity of heights surprised me with how you can walk in shorts and sweat, and after an hour and a half drive to see the snow! For me it was a unique experience.

In the city of Mendoza itself, you can comfortably stay in a hotel for every taste and size of your wallet, taste the best wines collected from all over the province, evaluate the colonial architecture, and see the main squares of the city. And of course, just watch the locals leading a slightly provincial, way of life.

In general, for Argentines and travelers, Mendoza is the second “mast si” after Buenos Aires.

How to get there

You can get to Mendoza from different points, for example, from Moscow you will definitely have to fly, and from Argentina it is most convenient to get from Santiago de Chile, not from the capital, Buenos Aires, and I recommend taking a bus - it’s cheaper and the views from the windows are truly magnificent.

It will take longer to travel from the capital to the land, so it is better to use an airplane, which is many times more expensive!

By plane

There are no direct flights from Moscow to Mendoza, as well as to Buenos Aires or Santiago. You can read about how to get to the capital of Argentina here.

Air traffic in Argentina is very well developed. Direct flights to Mendoza from Buenos Aires are operated every day by the airlines:

Aerolineas Argentinas - is a member of the SkyTeam alliance, as our Aeroflot, you can buy a ticket for miles.
LATAM Airlines - Oneworld Alliance - our S7.
Austral Aerolineas.

Important! When booking tickets from Buenos Aires, pay attention to the airport of departure, it should be Aeroparque Internacional Jorge Newbery (AEP code) which is located within the city, in case of departure from Ezeiza International Airport (EZE code), the cost of a taxi will be huge.

There is still an erroneous opinion on the Internet that Argentina still has a black dollar exchange rate, and it’s more profitable to buy tickets for cash pesos on the spot, this is not true. The black course was canceled by President Macri in December 2015. If you are planning a trip to Mendoza, and across Argentina as a whole, and have “caught” cheap tickets, feel free to buy on the map, it won’t be cheaper.

The normal fare for this destination is around 300 USD round trip from buenos aires, travel time 2 hours.

From Santiago de Chile tickets are somewhat cheaper, you can catch a share and fly for 100 USD in both directions, the journey takes 1 hour. Below you will find out why it is better to take a bus.

You can also see flight ticket options and their price here.

How to get from the airport to the city center

Upon arrival in Mendoza you will find yourself in the modest airport of El Plumerillo, its official link.

You can get from the airport by official taxi or Uber, so it's cheaper. The collectivo línea 60 city bus stops at the airport and takes you to the center, for a penny - you will have to sacrifice comfort and time, the trip will take about 40 minutes. The price of the trip is 0.4 USD (6 pesos).

By bus

In Argentina, as in South America as a whole, everyone travels on buses - it's comfortable, but not fast. From the beginning I was scared by the idea of shaking for 12-17 hours, but then it turned out to look out the window, sleep and watch TV shows, in general, it’s not so bad. As a bonus, you should not worry about the advantage, although the bus ticket often says that the maximum weight of a suitcase allowed in luggage is 20 kg :).

In case you start your journey to Mendoza from Buenos Aires, then you need to go to the Retiro Central Station. From the first time it seemed to me that buying a bus ticket to Mendoza was not an easy task, but it’s really simple: go to the official website of the bus station and choose the direction of Mendoza. Here is a list of bus companies with the numbers of the necessary ticket kiosks. The trip from Buenos Aires to Mendoza takes from 13 to 17 hours depending on the chosen carrier, the price ranges from 50 to 100 USD. Classes in Argentinean buses are briefly mentioned here. There are a lot of buses, go often, choose the most suitable option for you in time / price and go!

Important! I strongly do not recommend that you go to the Retiro train station in the evening, at night, literally a step from the bus station, a dangerous slum, do not risk it.

How to get from the bus station to the city center

Upon arrival in Mendoza you will find yourself at the central station.

If you travel with a small amount of luggage, you can walk to the center, it will take about 20-30 minutes. In the evening, I recommend that you take an official taxi by meter or Uber.

The central bus station also serves flights to / from Mendoza:

10 hours: Cordoba;
14 hours: Tucuman;
36 hours: Puerto Iguazu;
42 hours: Rio Gallegos;
7 hours: Santiago de Chile (but actually 8-9 with border crossings);
7 hours: Valparaiso, Chile (similarly);
60-74 hours: Lima, Peru (via Santiago);
26 hours: Montevideo, Uruguay;
18 hours: Bariloche, there are daily direct buses, even in winter;
18 hours Salta.

Important! Remember that in winter, the tunnel on the border with Chile can be closed from a couple of hours to several days due to bad weather conditions. The current status of the tunnel can be checked here. Pay attention to this when buying bus tickets or traveling by car.

By car

On our journey, we traveled to Buenos Aires by plane through Istanbul, and then we traveled by rented car. In total, the journey to Mendoza took 12 hours.

The choice fell on Ruta 7, in translation of highway number 7. The path runs through the pump, endless fields, somewhat reminiscent of the Russian landscape. I can’t say that the road from the capital to Mendoza seemed particularly remarkable.

Observe the speed limit, cameras are also present on Argentine roads. Features of Argentinean behavior on the roads and car rental in Argentina can be read in a separate post.

If you are planning to travel to / from Chile to Mendoza, I highly recommend choosing land transport. Mountain road between countries of stunning beauty! In our car trip we found such a stunning sunset in the mountains.

hint: Mendoza - time now 10: 0113 OctoberDifference in hours: Moscow & plus; 6 Kazan & plus; 6 Samara & plus; 7 Yekaterinburg & plus; 8 Novosibirsk & plus; 10 Vladivostok & plus; 13

When is the season. When is the best time to go?

Long days, plenty of sunny days - a great reason to visit Mendoza at any time of the year. Can the weather stop you from traveling to an amazing and distant corner of our planet? I think no. This land is amazing wine, and as a result, the climate here is amazing. Great weather, wine, what could be better?

The period from October to April is traditionally considered the best for visiting Mendoza: from the planting season to the grape harvest. Spring (October, November) and autumn (March, April) are warm, the fresh air of the foothills of the Andes, everything is in bloom, and all around it are pleasant + 21-25 ° C. At this time, winemakers are especially active. You can take great pictures of people at work in endless vineyards. This season is also especially attractive because it is already cold in our homeland :).

Mendoza in the summer

The official boundaries of the summer season are from December 21 to March 21. In summer, the region is dominated by hot sun and dry air, daytime temperatures of +40 ° C are not uncommon, especially in January and February. Do not forget sunscreen! Also in summer, the weather can be rainy, with heavy rainfall in the evening, ending as abruptly as it began.

We arrived in Mendoza just at this time of the year, and I want to immediately make a reservation that summer for the Argentines is an excuse to go where it is not so hot, and by the way, that's why you will not find crowds of tourists (like at a harvest festival). I believe that we were just lucky, it was hot, but only (!) Around +28 ° C during the peak day.

Mendoza in the fall

Autumn lasts from March 21 to June 21. If you want to avoid the crowds during the traditional Vendimia grape harvest, April and May are wonderful months to visit Mendoza. In the fall, many wineries complete the time-consuming collection process. I think this is a great time to try grapes and take a direct part in the wine making process.

Mendoza in the spring

In November and December you can feel the approach of summer and heat. In December, the average temperature fluctuates between + 30-40 ° C. As in the summer, I advise you to bring a swimsuit, sunglasses and a high SPF sunscreen. The sun in the southern hemisphere is very strong!

Mendoza in winter

From June 21 to September 21 in Mendoza, winter is the season for pruning vineyards. It is the driest and sunniest time of the year with cold nights and late sunrise in the morning. The temperature averages around +14 ° C during the day and can drop to 0 ° C at night. Light snow may even fall, and early in the morning you can observe a thin crust of ice in the puddles. During this period, I will emphasize that you definitely won’t be bothered by warm clothes, do not underestimate the Argentine winters.

Mendoza - monthly weather

hint: Mendoza - weather for the months of January January ± 24.6 February ± 23.4 March ± 20.2 April ± 16.0 May ± 11.4 June ± 7.6 July ± 7.5 August ± 10.1 September ± 13.1 October ± 17.8 November ± 17.8 21.3 December & plus; 23.9

Areas. Where is better to live

Mendoza is a relatively small city, much more compact and safer (as much as possible in Latin America) Buenos Aires.

Many, including myself, choose Mendoza as a stop for a couple of weeks: here you can also sign up for language courses or sommelier courses, which is slightly cheaper than in the capital.

As a habitat area, I recommend Microcentro (Microcentro, on the map the area is highlighted in red) between the streets of Av. Belgrano and Av. San Martin in the square of parks. This is the richest (I'm talking about the abundance of local residents and the number of attractions) part of the city with quiet but safe streets, and all this is within walking distance of the coolest bars and restaurants.
Can also be considered av.Lavalle and areas northeast of the "square of parks" - walking nearby and already cheaper. The main hotels, B&B and hostels are located right there.

In the very center you can easily find a decent double room with a shower starting from 25 USD per night. Hostel prices start at 10 USD. You can view the room rate at the hotel via the link, and book through Booking.

When writing this guide, an Internet search for a short request from Departamento Mendoza - an apartment in Mendoza - gave me a lot of options with agency phones. These same agencies are located there, in the Microcenro area. If you prefer this booking option or with the help of an agent (even a tourist), be careful with prepayment. Let's be honest: tourism fraud is common in any country.

I prefer to rent apartments through popular services on the Internet: reliable, convenient and you can always find accommodation options for any wallet and taste. By the way, life hack: if you are going to stay longer, you can always try to negotiate with the owners for a discount, I always try to do it, the attempt is definitely not torture, but a real chance to save. As a guarantee of the reservation, you can pay the first 3 days, and pay on the spot in cash for the entire stay, which will avoid a large fee for services. In Argentina, they still love cash, more than cards. Compare apartment prices here.

Important! When choosing a place to live in Mendoza, just like in Argentina, I do not recommend saving on location and choosing remote areas. For any pretty-looking street, a visage can be hidden - a slum in our own way. If you rent a house for a long time in advance, use the Google Maps service and take a virtual tour.

What are the prices for vacation

In general, everything is very similar to the capital, so you should not count on a super budget vacation. Maybe a little cheaper.

The difference is noticeable in daily rental housing: in Mendoza it is still cheaper than a hotel.

One bus ride will cost 0.4 USD (6 pesos). A tram costs about 0.5 USD (7.65 pesos). The official taxi is ~ 1 USD (14 pesos) for landing and 0.06 USD (0.78 pesos) every 80 meters.

Food prices start from 0.5 USD (7 pesos) for empanada, a small pie with meat or other filling of your choice. Quite expensive water - a bottle of water is also from 1-1.5 USD (14-20 pesos), it is more profitable to buy large ones.

How to go on a free tour with a professional guide to Mendoza, I will tell below.

hint: Cost of food, accommodation, transport and other currency: Euro, € US dollar, $ Russian ruble, rub Argentine peso, $ Prices in restaurants and cafes

Eating (lunch / dinner) in a reasonably priced restaurant	282 rub
Lunch / dinner for two, 3 course, middle class restaurant	902 rub
McMill at McDonald's or similar combo lunch	226 rub

More details

The main attractions. What to watch

Here we are in Mendoza. Let us recognize that the main, most interesting and culturally significant tourist attractions are located outside the city. Therefore, if possible, feel free to rent a car.

At first, nothing came to my mind except VINA, I had to carefully scan the Internet to find some sane information, what else should I do in Mendoza.

It turned out that if you just break away from the wine, then in the end we will see amazing mountains, because it is only 112 km away. from Mendoza is the highest point in South America - Mount Aconcagua, if suddenly you are an experienced climber :). The city also has several very interesting museums of modern art. And it’s just that the town itself is so charming and provincial in the best sense of the word! I will tell all the details below.

Top 5

Winery Bodega Estrella de los Andes, on site you can dine al fresco. Address: 255, Olavarría, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza.
San-Martin Park, I advise you to visit it at sunset at sunset. In my opinion, this is the best park in the city, it works every day from 8:00 to 18:00.
The main square of the city is Plaza Independencia. Relaxing after a day of sightseeing, here you can watch ordinary citizens, watch a performance of street performers.
Ankongaua Peak. Well, when will you still be so close to the second largest peak on the planet? About how to get to the place, I will describe in detail below.
Azafran is one of the city’s best restaurants, where perhaps the best selection of wine and food is well worth the money. Address: 765 Sarmiento, Mendoza. Average bill is 40 USD / 550 pesos.

Churches and temples. Which are worth a visit

I'm generally not a big fan of churches and cathedrals, but the truth is, for the most part they are similar in my opinion. But since we are tourists in another part of the world, we must look!

We go towards San Martin Square to see St. Francis Basilica (Basílica de San Francisco Av. España 1418), which dates from 1875. Pay attention to the image of the Virgin Cuillo. Virgo was the patroness of the army of General San Martin, who crossed the Andes in 1817. There is also a grave with the remains of the daughter of San Martin and her family.

Museums Which are worth a visit

Mendoza is not so rich in museums as the capital, the region itself is a large museum of wine and everything connected with it. But underestimate the proud is also not worth it. In general, in Argentina, as it seemed to me, they pay great attention to contemporary art, so we go to museums of modern art:

Museo Municipal Arte Moderno on Independence Square. (Av. Rivadavia y Av. Miter) The best place to get acquainted with contemporary art in Mendoza, the masterpieces of local young artists are collected, exhibitions of the best collections of art from all over the country are held.
Opening hours - from Monday to Saturday from 9 to 13 and from 17 to 22 hours, Sunday from 17 to 22; Tuesday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Closed on Mondays, excluding holidays.
An entry ticket is also valid for entering the Museo del area Fundacional. Total ~ 1USD (16 pesos), children under the age of 12 years, accompanied by adults and students with ID - 0.5 USD (7 pesos). For seniors over 65, disabled people and children under 3 years old - free of charge. Wednesday admission is free.

Museo del Área Fundacional (plaza Pedro del Castillo) - in Russian it would sound like a local history museum, everything about Mendoza history from the founding of the city to the present day, geographical features, of wine, of course.
Opening hours: from Tuesday to Saturday from 9 to 20, on Sundays from 12 to 20. Holidays from 11 to 19 hours. Closed on Mondays.
The price is the same as the Museum of Modern Art, you can save a ticket and go through it.

The Espacio Contemporáneo de Arte Gallery is more likely not a museum, but a cultural space for various performances, it is better to watch the schedule by reference. Address: 9 de Julio & Gutiérrez.
Opening hours: from Wednesday to Saturday from 14 to 20 hours. Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Free admission.

Another thing worth paying attention to is Fader’s house, converted into the Museo Casa Fader Museum (San Martín 3651, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza). It is located in an interesting building of the XIX century, where the artist himself lived, who left France for the sake of Argentina, which he was inspired by. You can get acquainted with creativity here.
The only thing that bothers you is the cost - 4.5 USD (70 pesos), free for children under 12 years old

Parks

San Martin Park Good for hiking or cycling. There is even a mini-zoo in the northwest corner of the park, be sure to take a walk there with the children. Behind the zoo begins the path to Cerro de la Gloria, on the top of which an impressive monument dedicated to the Andes Army is erected and a magnificent view of the city and mountains opens, he especially impressed me at sunset, but such entertainment, I think, for once .
Those who are interested in imbued with the spirit of the city, feel its real life, I recommend visiting a less tourist Central park, El Parral and Vendimiadores (Parque Central, El Parral & Vendimiadores 10 blocks north of Independence Square). A modern city park, contrasting with the traditional and more famous San Martin Park. Perhaps this is not a must see Mendoza, but in the park there are several very interesting fountains and wonderful green hills, it is nice to lie there in the sun.Often local young artists are located here with their easels.

Tourist streets

In this section about Mendoza, it is more appropriate to write not about the streets, but about the squares and streets that connect them. The whole center is filled with cafes and the most comfortable are located in the squares. You definitely will not miss out on your journey:

Independence Square. The central, main square of the city is like 0 kilometer in Moscow, you can go in any direction: you will find the attraction and look at the center. Around the square there are many historically significant buildings, fashionable and expensive restaurants are concentrated here (and this is not always a synonym for quality), and on the square itself in the evening in the amphitheater you can see performances of various amateur groups. Under the square is a museum of modern art, so don’t be afraid that the address of the museum is just Plaza Independencia. It was very pleasant to take a walk here at night before or after a hearty dinner: it is safe, crowded, everything is highlighted with bright lights. I was interested to watch the life of ordinary citizens and Argentine tourists.

Plaza España. Perhaps the most beautiful square of the city, it seems to me, is much more comfortable there than Independence Square. This square is a kind of symbol of a special relationship (like much more in South America) with Spain. She can remind you of many parts of Spain, as it is framed in Andalusian and Catalan motifs. I think everyone who was in Barcelona will notice a resemblance to a mosaic almost like from the Park Guell :). The central wall of the park talks about Spanish colonization and is crowned with an impressive statue.

What to see in 1 day

It is very advisable to call in Mendoza for at least one day on the way from Santiago to Buenos Aires or vice versa, in general, it is real to get to know the city in the same day. Rememberthat you need all day from early morning to late evening to visit the winery.

The best option that I recommended to my friends when planning a trip is something like this:

Check in at the hotel in the evening.
Take a stroll through the 5 main areas: the center is pretty safe, so it's okay if you walk there in the evening. It's crazy to read that from safe Europe, right? About security below. The main route is something like this, it can vary from the location of the hotel. If you stay in Mendoza for one day, I highly recommend not to save on the location of the hotel, but to choose the central part of the city.

Having a good walk, you are hungry (this is a prerequisite for any restaurant in Argentina), so go have dinner at the restaurant. Anyone will do, but I insist on Azafran.
In the evening, you can book a wine tour at the tourist office that you like, the prices are approximately the same. Or act like a real traveler (as an author, for example), getting up early in the morning, tasting very good coffee in the beautiful Silla 14 restaurant on Piazzale Italia, authenticly ride to the last tram stop (Gutiérrez) and visit the large (and famous) Bodega Lopez winery . Free tours start at 11:30 and 15:00 (closed on Mondays)
In the early evening of the same day, you can visit the San Martin Park, just in time for sunset, if you have time.
Remember, the most important thing that needs to be done in Mendoza is to buy a bottle or more than one wine: not to yourself so close as a gift.

What to see in the surroundings

I think it has already become clear to you that wine lovers do not belong here, this is not a region, but a song to Dionysus. So in this section I won’t even try to tell you about anything other than the peculiarities of visiting wineries, they are also bodega or finca.

Bodega is the place where wine is made and stored, Finca is the entire estate along with the vineyards. Almost all wineries in Mendoza, in addition to producing wine, earn on tourism, which means that you can listen to an excursion, try wine and even stay in the wineries.

Many Finns have small mini-hotels. I must say that this type of relaxation is also practiced by the Argentines themselves, most often these are well-equipped designer hotels, quite secluded. And nature is around incredible beauty. Here you are sitting on the veranda with a glass of wine and looking at the endless vineyards and mountains on the horizon. This is not a cheap vacation option, but if you are tired of the bustle of the city, you are tortured by calls and mail, consider it as an alternative to the beaches.

All bodegas are beautiful, but it seemed to me that the most beautiful ones are still in a distance from the city, at a distance of about 100 km, on Argentine roads it is less than an hour's drive, so do not be alarmed.

On our trip, we visited the bodega Azul.

We were recommended it as a stop for lunch, it was Monday, and we, without suspecting anything, drove off. The situation was saved by the Argentine slovenliness: we quietly drove to Finnish (this, by the way, is private property), drove to the hotel, took photos of peach fields, walked and only then met the owners who said that they were actually closed and that nothing works today, but since we are here they can treat us to wine and cut the jamon, there we also bought a couple of bottles of wine. Of course, this is not quite what we expected, but you must agree that it’s still nice.

In general, I can give advice on visits to the bot: beware of Mondays, choose your favorite and not very advertised, prices will be lower there. In any case, pleasure is guaranteed, the nature is magnificent everywhere.

tip: Routes to neighboring cities Mendoza - Lujan de Cuyo 17 km Mendoza - Tupungato 60 km Mendoza - Inca Bridge 100 km Mendoza - Santiago de Chile 179 km Mendoza - Valparaiso 260 km

Food. What to try

This is my favorite section when writing any guide or story about my travels. I like to have fun, and especially eat. Everyone probably heard about Argentinean meat and asado, if not, more details, you can read here.

I repeat, food prices in Mendoza are not very different from the capital, lunch will cost you around 6 USD per person (about 100 pesos) and often this is a special offer: for example, spaghetti or traditional Milanese (schnitzel - meat in crackers). Lunch with asado and without an offer will cost a lot more. Dinner with wine, starting at 30 USD or 500 pesos.

Choripan - chorizo + pan, sausage and bread - the Argentinean version of the hot dog, which is sold everywhere and usually costs 2 USD (30 pesos), can help budget travelers. Or if you have the opportunity, you can always cook your own meals. Mendoza has a large central market (Mercado central).

Of course, it is a bit touristy and maybe not the cheapest, but worth a visit. It works every day from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 16:00 to 19:00. It is worth remembering that the Argentines are very reluctant to bargain, and with proper pressure, they are even offended. There is also a food court on the market, which does not close for siesta - you can combine shopping with lunch.

By the way, according to the humble opinion of the author, McDonald’s in Argentina is expensive and tasteless, which is very strange.

Recommended Places

I really like to eat, even when not hungry :). For me, food on the trip is an integral part of it, it seems to me that only at the table (preferably with the locals), while talking and drinking, can you really penetrate to one place or another on the planet.

I cannot miss this section of the trip, so I want to tell you about the best place where I managed to eat, perhaps, for all my 12 months in Argentina. For me it turned out to be the restaurant at the bodega Estrella de los Andes, it is located 23 km from Mendoza.

We stopped by pure chance on the way to some Finnish place, I don’t even remember which one, and noticed a small restaurant with a large number of cars parked (a good sign). My companions and I were just super NOT hungry, it’s even hard to imagine no longer hungry people, we just had lunch. The restaurant turned out to be wonderful, everything is fine in it: the old steam locomotive on the territory, the porch, the atmosphere, and the vineyards around.

Well, how not to eat here? We decided to order wine and dessert, and then they carried IT past. Leg. A beautiful baked leg of some animal that we identified as a kid. The dessert was immediately canceled, white wine mercilessly drunk as an aperitif. As it turned out, it’s chancho - Google translate says that it’s a pig, but I definitely know that a pig in Spanish or Argentinean is a cerdo. To taste, the meat was a little like pork, it was very very tasty ...

We were trying to prove that, no, it’s not a pig, but it turned out that it’s still a chancho leg from the nearest Finnish cooked in the oven. And with a bottle of local wine, which, by the way, I also appreciated, our lunch was simply magnificent. May the readers forgive me, I don’t remember at all how much this feast cost us. I know that a bottle of top red cost about 13-15 USD (200 pesos), but wine in Mendoza is not expensive at all. If you will be in the city, I highly recommend this place, believe me, it is impossible to leave disappointed, if only because of the views around.

Budgetary

Pizzeria Vicente "5ta Sección".
La Patrona.
Belgrano Sandwich.
Zitto.

Mid level

Silla 14 is a great place to have breakfast author recommends.
Fuente y Fonda.
El Palenque.
Ituzaingo Resto.

Expensive

Azafran - the best place in the city, reservation is required, author recommends.
Maria Antonieta.
Patancha.
Ocho Cepas Grill Gourmet.
Cordillera vinos y fuegos.

Holidays

The geographical location of Mendoza gave the region fertile land and excellent weather for growing grapes. The pride is not only the total amount of wine produced in the region, but also the highest mountain wineries in the world and grape varieties such as Cereza, Criola Grande, Tempranillo and, of course (!), Malbec, which gained a new birth here thanks to the skill of Argentine winemakers. And what could be better than getting to know this variety directly at the harvest festival? So it seems to me that nothing ... By the way, I personally didn’t get to the holiday, but Argentine friends talked a lot about this really grand event, which, according to National Geographic, ranks second in the Top 10 World's Harvest Festivals!

Vendimia (New Harvest Festival) takes place every year in early March. And the blessing of the fruits takes place already on the last Sunday of February.

Various entertaining events and festivities take place during this period, closest to comparison, it seems to me that Maslenitsa is suitable. Here they choose the harvest queen (Who is the queen of the fields? Ku-ku-ru ... No!), And cowboys on horseback perform, and artisans from all regions come to the fair, arrange concerts with stars of various sizes, and fireworks are launched, and, of course empty out stocks of wine :). In general, perhaps this is the best time to visit Mendoza, but be prepared: the city during the festival will lose its provincial charm and become a huge venue for the celebration.

Security. What to watch out for

I highly recommend reading this article, it is relevant for any Argentinean city. Don’t spoil your vacation! Of course, here is a little calmer than in the capital, but remember: the problem of unemployment in Argentina is very acute and constantly changing. A tourist always remains a "tidbit" for bandits who specially come to tourist areas. Please take photos of architectural monuments with care, look around.

Well, of course, you should not trust some people who promise to take you out of the city and show all the best bodega, remember also that kidnapping for ransom is also not uncommon.

The Mendoza Police Telephone is 911.

Things to do

Somewhere at the beginning of the article, I promised to talk about a tour of Mendoza in order to immediately kill several birds with one stone, and so.

Free walking tour Mendoza is available to anyone who wants to learn more about the life of the city first-hand (and this is the best and most reliable information without museum dust). We go to the site, book your favorite tour and go on a journey to explore the city, interesting, and most importantly, for free! Guided tours are available Monday through Sunday at 11:00 and Monday through Saturday at 15:00 in English and Spanish. Even if you don’t speak, go anyway, you can always find a way to explain yourself + some tours include a visit to a cafe (of course at your expense), which means trying something new and really authentic!

Ride on horseback. What associations does Argentina have for you? Wine, meat, and I don’t know about you, but I have horses! Argentina is known for its gaucho shepherds. What could be better than feeling gaucho? If you are embarrassed that you are far from a rider, then I will tell you a secret: before this trip I never sat astride (it’s not considered small at the circus on Tsvetnoy). And, frankly, I'm afraid of these proud and intelligent animals. I immediately informed the organizers of the tour about this. I was afraid in vain, the Argentinean saddle was designed for long slow trips, and they picked up a mare very calm, so that nothing prevented me from relaxing and enjoying the incredible beauty of the scenery!

Shopping and shops

Let’s do this: there is no shopping, as such, in Argentina, and even more so in the tourist region. I recommend you get some wine here if you are driving in the direction of Buenos Aires by car. If you fly by plane - too, there is no problem with this. Just tell the store right away that you will fly, they will help you pack the wine properly.

And one more small addition regarding the cost: if you are sitting in a restaurant or bodega and you like a bottle, feel free to buy. The price difference between the store and the restaurant is usually minimal. Have a great wine discovery!

Bars Where to go

Of the bars, I highly recommend you Cachita's Bar - very good and high-quality cocktails for the money (about 6 USD), who are tired of wine - happy hour from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., 2 cocktails for the price of one. There is a bar opposite the Azafran restaurant, which I mentioned above, and, if there is a line, the very place to wait it out without unnecessary pathos.
Good wine selection at Wine O'clock.

I also recommend the Espacio 348 (Bar).

Clubs and nightlife

The clubiest city street is Av. Aristides Villanueva.

Choose an institution to your taste, there is no dress code, most of the youth hang out here. "Refueling" the public with alcohol for special. offers like 1 liter of fernet + 2 liters of Coca-Cola for 6 USD (100 pesos).

Extreme sports

Of course, a million agencies will offer you tours. But there is a budget way to look at the highest peak in the world outside the Himalayas: visit a national park. To do this, take the bus from Mendoza to Puente De Inca (cost 6 USD or 90 pesos, 4 hours on the road, performed by Buttini). The official agency of the park offers trekking routes from 1 to 7 days through the valleys of the peak and even climbing the peak itself.

For the entrance to the park you will pay only 1.5 USD (20 pesos) per person. Read more about climbing and trekking prices here.

Souvenirs. What to bring as a gift

All the same as relevant for the capital. You can bring leather goods: good quality belts 26 USD (~ 400-500 pesos). About wine is written above.

How to get around the city

The center of Mendoza is relatively compact and walkable: for example, from Independence Square to San Martin Park you will walk 20-30 minutes, however, I do not recommend walking on foot to the vineyards in the south, as they are located about 10 km from the city. How to get to the bodega nearest to the city is described above.

Taxi. What features exist

Taxis are plentiful and fairly cheap.

A trip around the city from the bus station to the center of Independence Square will cost about 5 USD or 60 pesos. Nevertheless, the Uber service will be cheaper. The only negative: for this you need a local SIM card or Wi-fi.

Bicycles

You can bike in the city: most hotels and hostels provide rental services. The prices are negotiable (that is, they will charge as much as they think you are willing to pay), but you should not pay more than 6-10 USD (100-150) per day. You will need an identity card to leave it as collateral. Ask to test the bike before giving the money, many of them are already very old, and this is your safety.

Still in the city launched free En la Bici city rental service, for this you need to visit the site and register in the system, as well as have a local phone number. If you are in Mendoza for a long time, this option is for you!

Trams

Metrotranvía Mendoza is a kind of hybrid of tram and metro - our metro is a lightweight, popular and convenient form of transport, thanks to it you can easily reach the suburbs without fear of getting lost in the endless interweaving of bus routes. The cost depends on the distance of the trip and ranges from 0.3 to 0.7 USD (from 4.5 pesos to 10 pesos). Payment is made using the Red Card.

The detailed schedule is here, please note: the schedule and opening hours are different on weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Important! Be careful, in the subway and buses try not to stand near the doors with bags in hand, they can snatch and run away. I also do not recommend using metro tram in the dark.

Buses

Buses are cheap and there are a lot of them, so as not to get confused and not get into the system, I used this site: just enter your address and destination address and voila. Now you do not need to pay for the bus in cash, but rather buy a plastic Red Bus card at any kiosk in the city and recharge it there. The trip costs 0.4 USD (6 pesos).

The list of recharge points here.

There is also a hop-on hop-off bus in Mendoza. If you like this type of transportation and exploring the city, there is a schedule and stopping points. Cost - 11 USD (170 pesos) for an adult for 24 hours, I think it's a little expensive. Unfortunately, there is no Russian language.

Trolleybuses

There are 5 trolley buses that are part of the same transport system and have the same price, use the same Red Bus cards. A popular scheme is where you can get to the large gates and the gates of the green park of San Martin, flights run approximately every 10 minutes. I rode because of nostalgia for our trolleybuses :).

You can catch the bus going there at 9 de Julio (9 de Julio), Colon (Colon) or Aristides Villanueva (Aristide Villanueva) in the center. From the gate you can also return to the center from the same stop. In fact, it’s clear that this is the same bus, it’s just nice to see something familiar on the streets on the other side of the earth.

Vehicle rental

We rented a car in Buenos Aires: for a long time we chose an office, in international Hertz, Europcar, Avis it is incredibly expensive, the service is mediocre. In private even more mediocre, they can easily not respond to letters (this is generally normal practice for Argentina), and sometimes to phone calls. You always need to go negotiate, usually no one speaks English.

Summing up the auto travel, I come to the conclusion that if you are traveling for a short time in the company of two people, I do not think it is advisable to rent a car at all. If you travel in a large company, then I recommend contacting a large car rental office, for example, Localiza. This is a South American analogue of the promoted companies listed above, only the prices are lower and you can catch special offers. The company has offices in airports and cities.

Please note that cars with automatic gearboxes are much more expensive and, frankly, there are few of them. Petrol prices are also not small: from 0.8 to 1.2 USD per diesel (from 14 pesos to 16), and for our 98 by 0.06 USD or 1 peso more.

The price of a car depends on the period and class of the car, but for a normal car they ask from 80 USD per day. You can see the options here. But think twice before renting.

Tips for motorists

Attention, on the road cameras! Argentines drive strangely, with unreasonable accelerations and as many unreasonable sharp braking, so keep your distance.

Mendoza - holidays with children

I can’t name or come up with any obvious reasons why the children here may be interested. In case you are going to travel with children, you definitely need to rent a car. I don’t think that long bus rides are a good idea. And in general this is a wine region - entertainment is purely adult.