WELCOME TO
MENDOZA

September 5th, 2022

Our Stay In Mendoza, Argentina

After a few rough nights from red wine in high school, let’s just say I was not a fan of red wine. However, after spending 3 days in Mendoza, the wine capital of Argentina, Malbec quickly became my new favorite drink. With wineries in every direction, the Andes mountains peaking in the distance, and the peacefulness of vineyards, Mendoza was a wine-lover's dream. Sticking to our typical fashion of self-driving areas, which we found is the best way to do things at your own place and get off the beaten path, we rented a car and took off to explore the wine-filled city.

Wine Tour at Bodega La Azul:
Exploring the wineries in Mendoza is a must do while you’re here, but I would highly recommend picking 1 or 2 main ones and doing it on your own rather than through an agency. It gives you more time to enjoy yourself and explore the valleys you're visiting! We ended up going for an afternoon tasting which was paired with a 5-course lunch menu. Located in the Uco Valley which is the farthest away of the three main valleys (Maipu, Luján de Cuyo, and Uco), it was about an hour and a half drive. However, the food, the wine, and the views were stunning. By the time 2pm hit both my dad and I were absolutely hammered, and I was even beginning to pick up catching the unique scents of each wine (just kidding it was the campfire burning next to us, not the “woody” scent of the wine).

Bodega La Azul

Show me the money:
Argentina has an absolutely terrible economy and it is unfortunately getting worse by the day. As I mentioned above the best way to get around in Argentina is with cash because you can get a way better exchange rate using the somewhat “legal” black market. If you’re a fluent Spanish speaker, you can head to a street (honestly no idea where this is) where you can bargain for an exchange with USD. However, the easiest way is to use Western Unions, which are located all around the city. The Western Union App is the best way to find the locations, but beware the opening times are not always correct. Getting cash should definitely be the first thing you do when you get the BA, and be prepared to be carrying A LOT of it with you.

Finding Cash

Drive to Portillo, Chile:
The drive from Mendoza to the border of Chile – Portillo is in our top 5 for most beautiful drives. Passing through crazy diverse landscapes, rich blue lakes with cliff sides that look like they are from Mars, and deep canyons filled with rock climbers, slack liners, and trekkers. We made a day trip out of this and only went about 3 hours up the pass, however, you can make your way all the way to Chile and the last section of the drive is supposedly as heart racing as it is beautiful. 

to the Moon

Our Favorites

Opting to stay outside of the shockingly bustling city of Mendoza we found a very eclectic Airbnb about 30 minutes outside the city in an area called Lujan de Cuyo. Although somewhat difficult to find and the most interesting host we’ve run into, these 2 rustic wooden cabins with wood burning hot tubs were a hidden gem. Waking up in the morning to the quiet valley, with the smell of firewood and a warm bubbling bath waiting right outside your door, made for the picture perfect coffee and definitely cured the wine hangovers. 




 

Where We Stayed

Link to Home/Hotel



 

El Faro Bistro:  we stopped at this stunning rooftop restaurant and bar after I had a slight mental breakdown, and had an amazing meal. 



 

El Mercadito: Chacras de Coria: After attempting to find another restaurant and driving around the center of Chacras de Coria about 5 times, we gave up and stopped at this quaint small restaurant, El Mercadito. Not only did we have our absolute favorite bottle of wine on the entire trip: Hey Malbec wine, the food was unbelievable and all locally sourced! This was an unforgettable meal and would be highly recommended. 




 

The Food

The Other Stuff

Once again we rented a car in Mendoza, which was by far the best option for us as it keeps you away from tour buses or organized tours! We rented it through a local blue-book company called (Mendoza Rental - make sure and search online as the local rental is 1/3 the price of the big boys). 

Transportation

Currency

As with everywhere in Argentina, having cash here is extremely important. The easiest way to get cash in Mendoza is to use Western Unions, which are located in multiple locations in the town. The Western Union App is the best way to find the locations, but beware the opening times are not always correct, and the lines can be extremely long, so plan in advance!