Page 225 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Argentina

CUY O AND THE WINE C OUNTR Y  223

r San Rafael
Road map B3. 143 miles (230 km) S
of Mendoza. * 110,000. @ n Ave
Hipólito Yrigoyen 741, (0260) 442-
4217. ∑ sanrafaelturismo.gov.ar
A tidy mid-size city, San Rafael is
known for the many sights that
surround it. Located where Río
Diamante and Río Atuel emerge
from the Andean foothills, San
Rafael has grad ually enveloped
many of the sprawling
vineyards and pros perous Display of rural life in the Museo Regional Malargüe
wineries that once grew around
it. It may lack the provincial explor ing pro vincial preserves y Las Leñas
capital’s fashionable boutique with caves, bird-rich wet lands, Road map B3. 43 miles (70 km) NW of
opera tions, but growers such as and volcanic cones. Malargüe. Tel (0260) 447-1281. @ 0
Bodega Valentín Bianchi and - = ∑ laslenas.com
Suter, both highly respected Environs
names in the wine industry, A wealth of little-visited Located in the Andes,
are located here. In addition nature preserves sur round northwest of Malargüe, Las
to irrigating the vineyards, Malargüe, the most popular Leñas has abundant snow and
Río Atuel is a starter river for of them being Reserva the best infrastructure of any
rafters while the wilder Río Natural Laguna de Argentinian ski resort north
Diamante offers some of Llancanelo. Located of Bariloche (see p242). Some
the most exciting white- 13 miles (20 km) south of consider it the best in the
water rafting in the country. the city, this is a sprawling country. Open from mid-June
155-sq mile (400-sq km) to early October, it enjoys a
wetland with flocks of longer season than Los
 Bodega Valentín Bianchi
Ruta Nacional 143, Las A fine wine from migratory birds. Penitentes, the province’s
Paredes, San Rafael. Bodega Valentín Bianchi Reserva Natural La other popular ski center.
Tel (0260) 444-9600. Payunia is a 1,700-sq The resort has the capacity
Open 9:30am–noon, mile (4,400-sq km) to house almost 3,000 skiers in
2:30–6pm Mon–Sat; 10:30am–noon, vol canic preserve with at least hotels and apartments, and the
2:30–5pm Sun. 8 = 10,000 guanacos and other base clientele at Las Leñas are
∑ vbianchi.com species of wildlife. Reserva mainly porteños and foreigners
Natural Caverna de las Brujas on week-long packages. Still,
is a series of stunning lime stone Las Leñas offers half-price
t Malargüe underground caves that are lift tickets to day-trippers
open to the public. who lodge in nearby Malargüe.
Road map B3. 115 miles (186 km) S of
San Rafael. * 17,710 @ n Ruta E Museo Regional Malargüe Winter is high season
Nacional 40 and Pasaje La Orteguina, here, but Las Leñas remains
(0260) 447-1659. _ Fiesta Nacional Ruta Nacional 40, Km 327. Tel (0260) open over summer for
del Chivo (Jan), Día de Malargüe (Nov). 447-1060. Open 9am–1pm, 5–9pm mountain bikers, hikers,
∑ malargue.gov.ar Tue–Sun. 7 = and other recreationists.
A laid-back town, Malargüe has
one of the most specta cular
landscapes in Argentina. The
town is perhaps best known
for its lively week-long Fiesta
Nacional del Chivo (National
Goat Festival). One of the
sights that the city offers is
Museo Regional Malargüe.
Housed in a colonial building,
the museum has a varied
collec tion that includes clay
pipes required for reli gious
cere monies, jewelry, a
mummified corpse, and
even dinosaur remains. The
small city is also the base for A snowcapped mountain at Las Leñas ski resort in summer

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