
Aside from the obvious draw (wine!), the Mendoza region in Argentina is gorgeous, friendly, cultured, and full of activities for visitors. Here are ten of the best reasons to visit Mendoza – though I could list many more!
- The wine is on point. Mendoza is Argentina’s wine country, which is a huge tourist draw in itself. If you’re a wino, there’s no shortage of options for you from restaurants to tasting rooms to vineyard tours. Our tour and tasting at Trapiche (a label commonly found in the United States) was especially memorable.
- You have easy access to the mountains and the endless activities they offer. Like rafting, hiking, hot springs, and #7 on this list.
Does staring at the mountains in awe count as an activity?
- You can stuff your face with fresh empanadas. And they come with all kinds of fun fillings, including corn! But beef empanadas won me over every time.
I’ll take ALL THE EMPANADAS, thank you.
- You can buy artisanal goods in the heart of the city. The weekend art market in Plaza Independencia has a host of unique handmade goods that you can purchase as souvenirs. I bought handmade bone knives for the men in my family and mate sets for the women. Leather goods are also common in Argentina – I couldn’t resist buying a leather jacket during my visit.
An artist doing his thing at the art market in Mendoza.
- You can relax in the massive Parque General San Martín. This park is worth a dedicated trip for the serenity of the lake and surrounding mountains. It’s great for a stroll or for renting bikes if you want to cover more ground. Bonus: there is a fresh fruit juice stand in the middle of the park where you can customize your own juice blend!
- You can rent bikes and ride to Cerro de la Gloria for impressive views of Mendoza. The incline is steep, but the payoff is worth it. Rent bikes in the Parque General San Martín and ride over to the foot of Cerro de la Gloria. The peak of the large hill offers unparalleled views of the city and surrounding mountains. The hilltop is home to the large monument to the Army of the Andes, famous for marching across the Andes to help liberate Chile from Spanish rule during Chile’s fight for independence in 1817. The monument is also accessible by car.
- You can get in touch with your inner gaucho and ride horses in the Andes. By far my favorite activity in the Mendoza region. Read more about my horseback-riding experience here.
- You can experience a good old-fashioned asado. Asados are Argentina’s version of a backyard barbecue, and they are awesome. It consists of cooking a ton of meat on a big grill, toasting cervezas and vino, and stuffing your face with delicious local food. Who wouldn’t want to do that?
- You’ll get to experience Argentinian hospitality first hand. You may have heard tales of people in South America being nice. Well, it’s true. Between Santiago, Mendoza, and Buenos Aires, I can’t recall encountering a single ill-intentioned person (not that they don’t exist somewhere).Our host family was especially hospitable. My friend, Adam, was staying with them for the duration of his Fulbright Scholarship, and they happily opened their home to me for nearly a week. We ate dinner together nearly every night, drank local wine, talked about anything and everything, danced, laughed, cooked together, and had an all-around great time. I think of them often and hope to be able to return their hospitality one day.
- It can be relatively inexpensive to get there – depending on the time of year you go. Argentina isn’t exactly a budget destination for air travel, but there are workarounds that can make it affordable. For instance, booking a flight into Santiago de Chile and taking the bus over the Andes into Argentina can save hundreds of dollars on travel. Santiago can be a very affordable destination from the United States, while flights connecting through Buenos Aires tend to be more expensive. I recommend following The Flight Deal which frequently posts deals to Santiago (just the other day I saw a deal for a $365 roundtrip flight from D.C. to Santiago – less than it costs to fly many places in the U.S.!). Your options from there include the aforementioned bus journey, or booking a separate flight into Mendoza (it’s a quick hour over the mountains).
Are you convinced yet? What else would you add to the list? Let me know in the comments!
Hey Marissa, I totally agree with your first point – wine is always an added bonus to any place! The mountain activities all sound amazing, especially the hot springs and rafting! I’m glad that you were able to experience Argentinian hospitality – the people are the heart behind any place. Loved the post!
Thanks Hope!
I am convinced!! I have a friend from Argentina and I can’t wait to go and visit her! I will buy my own mate set and their cheap version of tom toms. I will try and do as much hiking as possible and can’t wait to attempt Mt. Aconcagua! Looking forward to their BBQs and friendly locals too! I might add the horseback riding on my to-do-list as well! Thanks for putting this together! I’ll be pinning this for the future!
I am convinced!! I have a friend from Argentina and I can’t wait to go and visit her! I will buy my own mate set and their cheap version of tom toms. I will try and do as much hiking as possible and can’t wait to attempt Mt. Aconcagua! Looking forward to their BBQs and friendly locals too! I might add the horseback riding on my to-do-list as well! Thanks for putting this together! I’ll be pinning this for the future!
I hope to make it to Mt. Aconcagua when I go back, too! So much to love about Argentina (and South America in general)!
I traveled to Mendoza about 2 years ago and loved it! It has such a great small town vibe without being overly touristic. The wine helps too 😉
Such a great city! I agree that it has a wonderful smaller-city vibe that feels very authentic. I look forward to going back one day!
I love wine! I am a big fan of Sauv Blanc but I don’t think I have ever tried any from Argentina. I would also love to give the hot springs a go.
They have some interesting whites in Argentina, definitely worth a try. I wish I would have been able to go to the hot springs – my friend who lived there said they were great, so I will have to go back and experience them for myself one day!
I haven’t been in Argentina, but you just made me so hungry! We often went to a fabulous Argentinian restaurant in Mexico city and I can smell again that wonderful meat and empanadas. Hopefully one day we will try the real deal in Argentina as well!
The empanadas alone might be my reason to go back! 😀 I don’t think I had a single bad meal there… the food was one of the highlights of my trip!
I’ve only been to Buenos Aires (I did go to a ranch though). I don’t drink wine (I know!) but I would definitely head to the artisan’s market – this region looks absolutely beautiful!
The natural beauty in the Mendoza region is stunning – I still dream of the mountains! I hope you are able to make it there one day! Though B.A. is fantastic as well. 😉
I’ve never been to anywhere in South America but it’s on the dream bucket list! Shame the flights from Europe can be a bit pricey 🙁 Everything on this list is absolutely perfect, I love South American food and the mountains look stunning.
I would imagine flights from Europe are very expensive to South America! I hope you’re able to make it one day, it is a really special place to explore!
Mendoza looks incredible and not just because of the wine – although that does help! We will deffo try the Trapiche tour when we eventually do visit! I didn’t realise there was such a beautiful park in Mendoza so I will add that to my list of things to do!
You definitely should, it is a really lovely city that gives you a true taste of the Argentinian lifestyle!
The empanadas in your picture look so inviting. I think I would love as many as I could eat! I would also love to have some of the wine and the fresh lemons from the trees. Argentina looks like a fab place to visit.
The food and wine might have been the highlight of my trip to Argentina… everything was so delicious! 🙂