The old colonial section of Mendoza, Argentina, was destroyed by fire and earthquake in 1861, so there's little of historical interest to see in this city 610 mi/980 km northwest of Buenos Aires. It is, however, a bustling place with leafy boulevards and a wonderful climate, thanks to its location at the foot of the Andes. Its main draw for tourism is its wine industry.
The city's main attractions are the weekend artisans market on the Plaza Independencia and the 170-acre/69-hectare San Martin Park. However, the surrounding area also is worth seeing—beautiful Andean scenery (including Aconcagua, which at 22,835 ft/6,960 m is the highest peak in the Americas).
The country's best ski resort, Las Lenas, is in Mendoza province but is actually six hours away from Mendoza city. Nearby is the Christ the Redeemer Statue and the Puente del Inca, a natural stone bridge 150 ft/45 m long and about 90 ft/25 m high. Mendoza is also the wine capital of Argentina (there are hundreds of vineyards), and winery and tasting tours range from routine bus itineraries of the most commercial wineries to intimate top-shelf tastings in historic bodegas.
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