Mendoza: a vineyard city in Argentina

From September 19-22, I went with three friends to Mendoza, Argentina, which is a 35-minute plane ride from my study abroad location of Santiago, Chile.

Since Mendoza is located east of the Andes mountains (which are easily visible from the city), the city bypasses almost all of the cloudy/ambiguous weather of Santiago. It was a very hot weekend, with plenty of sunshine.

Mendoza is an important city because of it’s desert or California-esque terrain. That makes it a prime location for vineyards, and thus it’s a strong wine-producing region. My group and I visited four wineries, and since they are all very close together, we rented bikes to travel between them.

Each winery, for about ARS 100, affords you approximately 3-4 samples of their products. I tried, but to no avail, to master the art of swirling the wine. I guess I’m not coordinated enough 🙂

The inflation in Argentina is real. For just about USD 10.00, I purchased an elegant, Italian-style dinner, including a generous portion of lasagna, with a calamari appetizer, a glass of wine, and bread for the table. It also included the suggested tip of 10%.

We also went on a free walking tour of the city. Our guide led around the entire city, focusing on its 5 plazas, or squares. 4 of the 5 are fairly small, but equidistant from each other. Our AirBnb was near the Plaza Independencia, located near el centro, and we were pleased with the location.

It’s mostly a cash city. Some venues do accept credit card, but there’s no uber. The taxis accept cash only. So, when we arrived at MDZ airport, I kindly asked our taxi driver to take us to an ATM near our apt. so I could pay him.

Although, the city is generally fairly walkable, so you’ll only need a ride for longer distances. Catch ya on the flipside!