Mendoza

Experience Chile can include Mendoza in your itinerary as a precursor to / or end of the rest of your South American travel trip. Alternatively, if you are a wine lover, you may wish to include a visit to some of the Mendoza wineries. We would suggest a minimum of 3 nights here. The flight from Santiago is around 1hr and from Buenos Aires around 3hrs.

Introduction

The city (population circa 130,000 in 2023) is located almost opposite Santiago de Chile on the other side of the Andes Mountains, making the city almost a neighbour to Santiago, and quite far west from Buenos Aires. The main highway between Santiago and Buenos Aires passes through Mendoza (in reality it clips the outskirts) and is used as a stop-over by most travellers taking this route.

Brief History of Mendoza

It was 1561 when Pedro del Castillo founded the city and named it Ciudad de Mendoza del Nuevo Valle de Rioja after the then governor of Chile, Don Garcia Hurtado de Mendoza. Prior to this the area was home to three indigenous tribes over varying periods: the Huarpes, the Incas and the Puelches.

In 1818, Jose de San Martin, then governor of Mendoza, supported Bernardo O’Higgins in Chile to fight for Chilean independence from the Spanish. The city endured a major earthquake in 1861 that killed around 5,000 people, but was rebuilt in a more robust way with numerous large and small plazas with wider streets and pedestrian areas.

Getting Here

Arrivals by air from Buenos Aires (about 3hrs) and from Santiago (only 1hr) or a road transfer from Santiago (about an 8hrs transfer considering border-crossing bureaucracy both sides.

Mendoza Places of Interest

There are a number of vineyards to visit and within the city Mendoza has a number of museums, including the Museo Cornelio Moyano - a natural history museum; and the Museo del Área Fundacional (Historical Regional Foundation Museum) on Pedro del Castillo Square.

The Museo Nacional del Vino (National Wine Museum), is 17km southeast of Mendoza and focuses on the history of winemaking in the area. There is also the Casa de Fader at Mayor Drummond, about 14km south from the city - a historical, 1890’s mansion that was home to Fernando Fader, an artist of repute.

As with all wine-growing regions, there is an annual Grape Harvest (Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia), which occurs in late March each year.

Specifically, Mendoza is excellent for producing the Malbec varietal wine.

Clothes to Bring

In the summer months (Dec, Jan Feb) light tops and pants as well as warmer tops for cool evenings. Hat, sunglasses and sun-protection cream.

Experience Chile Mendoza Itineraries

Should you wish to visit Mendoza we would suggest an itinerary that includes a minimum of three nights in Mendoza. This will allow time to visit some wineries and do a city tour. Obviously, if you want more or less time this can easily be arranged.

We would suggest a flight from Santiago (or Buenos Aires), whereupon we will include the transfers and accommodation required in Mendoza as well as any tours. Alternatively, we can just arrange your accommodation – it’s up to you.