Mendoza is located in the heart of Argentina’s wine district. It’s a great place to study Spanish, especially if you have an urge to travel and learn at the same time.

Mendoza

Accomodation Option

My mother rents a small apartment, which is in a quiet place and nice neighbourhood.

It is located in the area known as “Sexta Sección”. That is 10 blocks from San Martin Park and 15 blocks from downtown.

It is a self-contained apartment in the middle of my patio. My mother lives at the front and I live at the back. In the apartment, there is wi-fi. There is a kitchen, a bathroom with a shower and a very small bedroom with a kingsize bed. In the bedroom there is air conditioning, and heating in the apartment for the winter. There is a small swimming-pool and comfortable chairs and a hammock to relax. In the patio, there are many plants and grape vines. If you are interested, you can contact me. There is a strict Spanish only policy, and you would have to communicate (and probably have to answer a lot of questions in Spanish with my mother only.) Of course, if it is absolutely essential, I would stoop to speaking to you in English on a limited basis. :) I can send you some pictures.

Activities in Mendoza

Congratulations! You’ve bought your ticket, packed your bag and made it to the beautiful city of Mendoza - but now you are faced with a bigger question: what to do, apart from studying Spanish?

Here are some suggestions for things to do in Mendoza.

10 top activies that you can’t miss if you are in Mendoza:

  1. Go to a winery (you choose, there are many!)
  2. Have a barbeque = un asado completo
  3. Try the ice-creams. They are delicous!
  4. Go to the Andes mountains by the local bus.
  5. Have a drink at Arisitides Villanueva Street.
  6. Have dinner at a unique place
  7. Go to thermal hot spring waters in Cacheuta, the hotel Spa or the public swimming-pools.
  8. Try “mate” = the local drink, kind of tea. You need that the locals offer that to you.
  9. Visit San Martin park.
  10. Do some extreme activity like paragliding.

Wine Tours in Vans

Many options, ask me. These can range from 150 to 400 US dollars, depending on the level of luxury.

Thermal Hot Springs

Cacheuta (“catch-AY-oou-tah”) is the name of the nearby spas. For 800 pesos you can have a day at the Hotel Termas there which is great value for poshness, a buffet lunch and very posh facilities. That is if you take an Expresso Uspallata bus (not a tour) from the terminal for about 15 pesos. You should reserve for a place by telephone. Or you could just get out of the bus (be sure to tell the bus driver: “Hotel Termas”) and see if they have space, and if they do not, you could walk for about 45 minutes further to the public springs which are also nice but which cost about 150 pesos for entry. There are restaurants near the public pools. Catch the 9 am bus at the latest if you are going to the hotel, and if you want to be sure, buy the tickets the day before.

The public pools (stay on the bus until the end of the line) is obviously the best budget option, and the best option if you just want to spend a few hours there.

Public Buses, schedules subject to change, buy tickets day before! Micro buses a Cacheuta (“Expreso Uspallata”). Mendoza - Cacheuta, todos Dias: 9:00, 10:30, 13:30, 17:30, 20:00, plus Sabados: 6:00, plus Domingos y Feriados: 7:00. Cacheuta - Mendoza, todos Dias: 10:30, 12:15, 15:45, 18:50, 21:20, plus Sabados: 7:10, plus Domingos y Feriados: 8:10.

Events in Mendoza, Lists

Local Newspaper, in Spanish

Wine Republic Magazine, in English

Ideas for a week’s schedule of activities in Mendoza

Monday

  • Visit the best wineries
  • Horse back riding
  • City tour (Buy a ticket to visit the city at Chile and Sarmiento Street in front of the Hyatt Hotel)

Tuesday

  • Free Gym classes (San Martin Park, 5pm)
  • Rent bikes and visit wineries
  • Linguistic exchange (Buffalo Beer, 330 Arisitiedes Villanueva Street, 9:30pm til late - this is an informal meeting where the locals and natives gather to practice the language they want to, it’s an excellent opportunity to make friends and meet then later on to talk)
  • Tango classes (San Juan Café, San Juan and R. de Siria Street, 9pm)

Thursday

  • Free Gym classes (San Martin Park, 5pm)
  • Wine tasting courses
  • Go to Mercado Central (See a wide varity of typical food, Las Heras and Patricias Mendocinas Streets, shops are open from 9am to 1pm and then 5 pm to 9pm)
  • Cooking class (let’s cook typical Argentinean food, like empanadas, flan, alfajores! And learn informal and funny expressions connected to food. Where: in my house with me as a chef!)
  • Arabian food (If you are tired of eating the bife de chorizo every day, try this delicious Arabian food and enjoy the show watching beautiful belly dancers, Al Yabal restaurant, Moron 249 - Ciudad - Mendoza)

Saturday

  • Full day Spa in Cacheuta Hotel
  • Rafting
  • Cinema (see a movie at Universidad theatre any night)
  • Visit San Rafael, Valle Grande (This is a town in the South of Mendoza. It is about 350km. There are many beautiful cabins to stay for a weekend. In Valle Grande you can do rafting, go horse riding, visit the dams, go camping by the river and relax)
  • Visit Piedras blancas (If you feel like hiking, this is a good place to see the high Andes. You can stay in nice cabins, or in the hostel)

Sunday

  • Andes & Aconcagua Tour
  • Free Gym classes (San Martin Park, 11pm)
  • Hiking Cerro Arco / Paragliding (ask me to send you information)
  • Visit Chacras de Coria (The perfect place to visit on a Sunday. The antique fair’s a great place for a rummage, it has been known to find some real treasure. There is an excellent winery called Clos de Chacras, 2 blocks from the plaza. Chacras is 15 minutes by taxi. To get a bus take the number 115 or 116 from 25 de mayo and Montevideo in the city center.)