On the eastern slope of the Andes, comprising the provinces of Mendoza [1], San Juan [2], San Luis [3], and La Rioja [4], the Cuyo region can claim two world-class features: mountains and wine. At 6,962 meters, Cerro Aconcagua [5]’s soaring summit is the highest of countless peaks that trap the snowfall in winter whose spring thaw irrigates the sandy soils of three-quarters of Argentina’s underrated—but rapidly advancing—vineyards.
Under bright desert sun, the same snowmelt fills the rivers where rafters and kayakers battle white-water waves and rapids, and the reservoirs where windsurfers race across the surface and fishers troll for trout.
Cuyo is a year-round destination. As the western hemisphere’s highest peak, Aconcagua [5] draws climbers from around the world, but exploring the Andes on foot or saddle is not just for peak-baggers. The provincial capital of Mendoza [6], for its part, is one of Argentina’s most livable cities, its numerous wineries and fine food a bonus.
In winter, skiers frequent international resorts such as Las Leñas [7], and others explore fossil-filled desert parks like San Juan Province’s Ischigualasto [8] and La Rioja’s Parque Nacional Talampaya [9] (both UNESCO World Heritage Sites) and San Luis’s Las Quijadas [10]. All of these have seen major paleontological discoveries but can be deadly hot in summer.
To the east, San Luis Province shares Argentina’s central sierras with Córdoba Province [11], whose namesake capital is arguably Argentina’s “second city.” Relatively few foreigners stop here, but overland explorers will enjoy the province’s Jesuit ruins, as well as off-the-beaten-path places like Parque Nacional Quebrada del Condorito [12].
The Best of Cuyo and Córdoba [13]Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/argentina/cuyo/mendoza-province
[2] http://www.moon.com/destinations/argentina/cuyo/san-juan-province
[3] http://www.moon.com/destinations/argentina/cuyo/san-luis-province
[4] http://www.moon.com/destinations/argentina/cuyo/la-rioja-province/la-rioja
[5] http://www.moon.com/destinations/argentina/cuyo/mendoza-province/parque-provincial-aconcagua/cerro-aconcagua
[6] http://www.moon.com/destinations/argentina/cuyo/mendoza-province/mendoza
[7] http://www.moon.com/destinations/argentina/cuyo/mendoza-province/malarguee/sights/las-lenas
[8] http://www.moon.com/destinations/argentina/cuyo/san-juan-province/parque-provincial-ischigualasto
[9] http://www.moon.com/destinations/argentina/cuyo/la-rioja-province/parque-nacional-talampaya
[10] http://www.moon.com/destinations/argentina/cuyo/san-luis-province/parque-nacional-sierra-de-las-quijadas
[11] http://www.moon.com/destinations/argentina/cuyo/cordoba-province
[12] http://www.moon.com/destinations/argentina/cuyo/cordoba-province/parque-nacional-quebrada-del-condorito
[13] http://www.moon.com/destinations/argentina/cuyo/best-cuyo
[14] http://www.moon.com/destinations/argentina/cuyo/san-juan-province/san-juan/sights/difunta-correa-shrine
[15] http://www.moon.com/destinations/argentina/cuyo/cordoba-province/cordoba/sights/iglesia-catedral
[16] http://www.moon.com/destinations/argentina/cuyo/cordoba-province/cordoba/sights/manzana-jesuitica
[17] http://www.moon.com/destinations/argentina/cuyo/cordoba-province/sierras-de-cordoba/alta-gracia