Cheap Flights To Mendoza

Lively yet laidback, the compact city of Mendoza lies at the heart of Argentina's malbec-producing wine region. There's more to the city than wine production, however, and days filled with wandering beautiful tree-lined streets turn into balmy evenings where the city's fashionable population come out to fill the plazas with laughter, music, dancing and cheer. Those looking to explore the region will also find the city an ideal base for getting out and skiing, rafting, hiking or trekking in the Andes. The weather here is a desert climate, but a modern irrigation system means that the city is a green oasis. Hot temperatures mean siesta is essential, and this gives you the energy you need to enjoy a long evening out. Festivals are commonplace here, but the Grape Harvest Festival at the start of the year is particularly special.

Things To Do

Despite its compact size, visitors would be wrong to think they need only spend a couple of days in Mendoza. The city alone offers plenty to do, even if much of it is simply relaxing, eating and drinking. The surrounding area, however, is also bursting with activity from wine tours to mountain hiking.

• Pleasant Plazas
  Public squares such as the Plaza Independencia, Plaza Chile, Plaza Italia and Plaza Espana are the heartbeat of this city. Beautiful, meticulously designed squares are home to fabulous fountains as well as important attractions such as the Museum of Modern Art in Plaza Independencia. This is where visitors can enjoy the cosmopolitan café lifestyle enjoyed by locals by day and are the ideal location to dine out on local specialities such as tapas and of course roasted beef. By night, the squares come alive with activity, music and dancing.

• Marvellous Mendozan Malbec
  The Malbec variety actually hails from France, but since being introduced here in the 1800s, the desert region of western Argentina has proved to produce the world's best Malbec and production here is higher than anywhere. The very best Malbec, known as High Altitude Mendozan Malbec, is produced in the valleys of the Andes near the city. Tour operators are multiple in the city and it's easy to find someone to take you to tour a bodega.

• Activity in the Andes
  The city is a major gateway location for the Andes, which straddle the Chilean-Argentinian border. Activities in the Andes include skiing, rafting, kayaking, hiking, trekking, mountain climbing and horse riding.

Calendar Of Events

Festivals, parades and carnivals are common in Mendoza and it's likely that you will encounter some celebration during your stay however the Grape Harvest Festival is certainly the biggest party in town.

• Grape Harvest Festival: Of all local festivals this is celebrated with the most fervour. Expect to see musical concerts, grape competitions, wine parades and the sampling of much local wine from January through until March.

• World Malbec Day: In this city, one wine festival is simply not enough and on the 17th April the city also celebrates World Malbec Day with a series of arts, dance music, food and wine events.

• Wine Rock Tour: An hour's drive south is the town of Tunuyán where a rock festival takes place each year at the Monteviejo winery in May.