Portray of the Destination
Mendoza is a city of vibrant history with pedestrian streets flanked by trees with pergolas and squares built in different styles. This land is the most important viticulturist center in south America and houses hundreds of wineries. Most wineries are open to whoever wishes to discover the secrets of wine-making and taste its wines.
Mendoza is a semi-arid region and needed plenty of work from its inhabitants to turn it into an oasis. That is why the region has reservoirs, dikes, canals and irrigation ditches. Within these water mirror-like surfaces, tourist/sport and recreational activities are practiced all year round. In the south, near San Rafael, the Cañon de Atuel is found. It is the canyon through which the river runs among enormous rock walls. To the west, the Aconcagua hill (commonly called “el coloso de América” – America’s colossus) is located, a mountain of indescribable beauty. Nearby, the Puente del Inca and the Cristo Redentor (Christ Redeemer), a monument to the peace between Chile and Argentina, are found.
We would like to thank the "Secretaría de Turismo" of the Province of Mendoza for the information and pictures provided.
Visit:
www.mendoza.gov.ar
Geography
It is a territory of vast spaces that stretches silently along the smooth land up to the narrow passes and soak and purify within its rivers. This city is located on the foot of the Andean massif, on the west of Argentina. Its ancestors called it “cuyum mapu” (land of sand), an ancient word to define an uneven geography and a semidesert weather. This land holds a valuable secret; when the desert is touched by laboring hands and blessed by water coming from the irrigation ditches, it becomes a garden.
Map
Climate
On the flat area, the weather is continental medium dry temperate mostly, with greater rainfall during the summer.
When to go
All seasons in Mendoza are unique and attractive. The season may be chosen upon your personal interests. Winter is ideal to enjoy skiing, snowboarding, etc. In Autumn the city becomes even more beautiful. In the Spring and during the summer, the weather is mild and there are endless activities to be practiced outdoors, such as trekking, riding on horseback and 4x4 rides.
History
The first settlers lived in the Atuel river valley, hunting and cultivating jcorn, pumpkin and beans. They produced basketry and pottery. In the north of the province, Huarpe culture developed, who were influenced by the “quechuas” (Incas). The Puelches lived between the Barrancas and Diamante rivers. They were hunters and collectors, related to the Pehuenches.
The first Spaniards arrived around the year 1550 from Perú. In 1561, the city of Mendoza was founded, which was then to become the province capital. Mendoza was part of Cuyo and later on of the “Capitanía General de Chile”. With th creation of the Viceroyalty of River Plate it was designated as part of the “Intendencia de Cuyo de Córdoba del Tucumán”. On November 29th, 1813, the “Intendencia de Cuyo” was created, separating it from the rest of the provinces. José de San Martín governed this region, and on January 19th, 1817, Mendoza was the departing point of the Los Andes Army, where General San Martín started its liberating campaign.
Traditions
Tradition is Mendoza is directly connected to the vineyards, the work of the agriculturist that carry out his labor when the Vintage season arrives.
It is the cradle of important artists and men who forged the country.
People from Cuyo are remarkable craftsmen, specially in leather, silver and ceramics.
Gastronomy
Typical dishes: Locro (meat, potato, corn and pepper dish), humita (corn cake), tamales, empanadas (meat pie, the filling usually consists primarily of beef, perhaps spiced with cumin and with onion, green olive, chopped boiled egg and even raisins), carbonada (meat stew with rice, pumpkin, potatoes and corn) and chanfaina (stew made of liver and lungs).
Regarding beverages, the most typical ones are: the chicha (corn flour and water, fermented in clay pots and then boiled), the aloja (obtained from the fermentation of carob beans), the excellent wines from Mendoza, San Juan and La Rioja, and the Calingasta cider (San Juan).
Basic Dictionary
YES: si. NO: no. HELLO: hola. GOOD BYE: adios. GOOD MORNING: buenos días. GOOD AFTERNOON: buenas tardes. GOOD NIGHT: buenas noches. PLEASE: por favor. SORRY: lo siento. THANK YOU: gracias. DOCTOR: médico. PHARMACY: farmacia. NUMBERS: 1: un. 2: dos. 3: tres. 4: cuatro. 5: cinco. 6: seis. 7: siete. 8: ocho. 9: nueve. 10: diez. 11: once. 12: doce. 13: trece. 14: catorce. 15: quince. 16: dieciséis. 17: diecisiete. 18: dieciocho. 19: diecinueve. 20: veinte. 21: veintiuno. 22: veintidós. 30: treinta. 40: cuarenta. 50: cincuenta. 60: sesenta. 70: setenta. 80: ochenta. 90: noventa. 100: cien. 1000: mil. DAYS OF THE WEEK: MONDAY: lunes. TUESDAY: martes. WEDNESDAY: miércoles. THURSDAY: jueves. FRIDAY: viernes. SATURDAY: sábado. SUNDAY: domingo. COMMON WORDS: BIG/SMALL: grande/pequeño. HOT/COLD: caliente/frío. OPEN/CLOSED: abierto/cerrado. GOOD/BAD: bueno/malo. NEW/OLD: nuevo/viejo. PUSH/PULL: empujar/tirar. ENTRANCE/EXIT: entrada/salida. LADIES/GENTLEMEN: señoras/señores. FAR/NEAR: lejos/cerca. LEFT/RIGHT: izquierda/derecha. TAXI: taxi. BUS: autobús. MEALS: BREAKFAST: desayuno. LUNCH: comida. DINNER: cena. MENU: menú. WINES: vinos. DESSERT: postre. THE BILL: la cuenta. COMMON SENTENCES: DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH?: ¿Habla inglés?. I DON'T UNDERSTAND: no entiendo. WHERE IS IT?: ¿donde está? HOW MUCH IS IT: ¿Cuánto es? WHAT TIME IS IT: ¿Qué hora es? COULD YOU HELP ME: ¿Puede ayudarme?
Currency Exchange
1.00 Euro = 3.57434 Argentine Pesos
1.00 USD Dollar = 3.02058 Argentine Pesos
1.00 GBP Pound Sterling = 5.19638 Argentine Pesos
Prices
The official currency is the Argentine Peso. There are 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 banknotes and 1 peso, 5, 10, 25 and 50 cent coins.
VAT refund
In the airport you will be able to recover the amount paid in concept of VAT, if you have acquired national products by amounts over $ 70 (57 €) (by invoice) in the shops adhered to the "Global Refund" system.
Payment Methods
Although American dollars and euros are generally accepted, the currency exchange takes place in banks and authorized houses. The most accepted credit cards are American Express, VISA, Diners and Master Card. It might be difficult to exchange traveler’s checks outside Buenos Aires.
Useful Info
Official nameMendoza
CountryArgentina
Time ZoneGMT -3
Official LanguageSpanish
Surface area150,000 km2
Population130000 inhabitants
Political RegimeFederal Democratic Republic
Public holidays
January 1st : New Year’s Day.
March-April: Holy Week.
April 2nd : Veterans’ Day - Tribute to the fallen in the Falklands War.
May 1st: Labor Day.
May 25th: Anniversary of the First Independent Government in Buenos Aires (1810).
June 20th: National Flag Day. It commemorates the death of Manuel Belgrano (1820).
July 9th: National Independence Day (1816).
August 17th: Anniversary of the death of General José de San Martín (1850).
October 12th: “Día de la Raza” (Columbus Day).
December 8th: Day of the Immaculate Conception.
December 25th: Christmas.
Religion
The official religion is Roman Catholic, although total freedom of cult exists. Protestantism, Judaism, Islamism, Orthodox Greek and Orthodox Russian religions are also practiced.
ReligionRoman Catholic
Arrival / Departure
Mendoza owns a good transport network. Airports where several airlines operate, a vast road network connecting its important tourist centers and passenger transport companies.
Safety
It is a safe city, although certain precautions should be taken. Leave valuable items in the hotel’s safety boxes and don’t carry unnecessary amounts of cash. Take special care of your belongings around crowded areas.
Visa
Entry formalities: Passport is required. Visas may be required depending on your country of origin. For more information concerning entry and customs you can contact your nearest Argentine Consulate. Visitors coming from countries not bordering Argentina are exempt from all taxes on traveling articles and new articles with a value not exceeding US $300 (243 €) and US $600 (486 €) additional if purchased in the duty free shops within the national territories. No vaccination certificate is required to entry into the country.
Clothing
Take a small backpack, comfortable clothes and shoes, a raincoat, sun glasses, a hat and warm clothes according to the season. Don’t forget to take a swimsuit and a towel.
Electricity
220 volts, 50 Hz are used around the country.
Radio and Television
LV 10 - Radio de Cuyo
Provincia de La Rioja 1093
Tel: 420-5100 / 3310
LV 6 - Radio Nihuil
Echeverría 144
Tel: 430-1600
Telephone
Public telephones work either with pre-paid cards that can be bought in kiosks and phone company offices or with local currency coins. There are also stores with pay phones where cash can be used (open 24 Hs.).
When calling to Argentina from abroad, dial the country code (54) and then the area code of the place you want to call. For domestic calls, dial 0 before the area code. For international calls from within the country, dial 00, the country code and city code.
Note that rates are reduced from 22.00 to 8.00 a.m.
Police101
Ambulance107
Fire Brigade100
Newspapers and Magazines
Besides national newspapers, the following local newspapers are available:
Los Andes de Mendoza: newspaper with national, international and local news, together with sports, opinion, politics and society sections.
Diario San Rafael: current news from the south of Mendoza.
Postal Service
CORREO ARGENTINO AGENCY
América and Calle Silva - CP(5501) - GODOY CRUZ (0261) 428 – 1818
Health Care Services
You will need no vaccines to visit Argentina. There are no endemic diseases. Beef, pork, mutton can be eaten safely. Water is treated in water treatment plants. However, to avoid any inconvenient you should drink bottled water, especially in less developed areas.
Argentina has a sophisticated network of hospitals and clinics spread all through the country, most of them having emergency services. Severe health cases are transferred to hospitals in the main Argentinean cities having the highest technology whereas in small towns only basic health care can be obtained.
Airport
There are three important airports in Mendoza:
Mendoza Airport. Phone: (0264) 448-0944.
San Rafael Airport. Phone: (02627) 427103.
Malagűe Airport. Phone: (02627) 470098.
Airlines operating in Mendoza are Aerolíneas Argentinas and Dinar.
Public Transport
There is a taxi-cab and remise (hired car with driver) service available to move around Mendoza city. These sericesa are fast and inexpensive.
Trolley buses are also available around certain parts of the city. Tickets must be bought in kiosks and newspaper stands.
Railway Bus
The area is connected through an important road network, with paved and pebbled roads. Nearly all cities have bus stations.
Mendoza Bus Station:
Phone: (0261) 431- 3001.
The main transport companies in Mendoza are:
Expreso Uspallata: Phone: (0261) 425-7638/438-1092
Andesmar: Phone: (0261) 431-3953
TAC: Phone: (0261) 431-2077
Car
National routes N° 7 and 40 connect Mendoza with the rest of the country.
Car Rentals
Dollar
Primitivo de la Reta 936
Local 6, Mendoza
Phone: (0261) 429-8734
Bugdet
Rent a Car
Primitivo de la reta 923
Phone/Fax: (0261) 425 3114 / 420 5344
Mobile Phone: (0261) 155 450418
mendoza@bugdetargentina.com
Booking and information: 0810 444 2834
Ship Destination Tourism Office in Spain Spanish embassy in the destination
Taking pictures
Pictures can be taken freely.
See climate
www.worldweather.orgCurrency converterwww.xe.com/uccA dinner$40 (10.58 €)
A coffee$5 (1.32 €)
The Bus$1 (0.26 €)
The taxi$10 (2.64 €)
