Cuyo and the Ruta 40

Mendoza, San Juan and La Rioja: the dry side of the Andes, where the Ruta 40 runs for a thousand kilometres between vineyards and red rock. Talampaya and Ischigualasto hold the canyons and the fossil beds; Barreal and Zonda hold the quiet end of Argentine wine, still worked by families rather than brands.

Best time to go

March to May for the harvest and the clearest skies; September to November for warm days before the summer heat.

What the days hold

Wine and food, Road trip, Landscape, Stargazing

Good for

Couples, Self-drivers, Photographers

Highlights

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  Talampaya and Ischigualasto

  Two parks either side of a provincial line: red sandstone walls 150 metres high, and the grey badlands where the earliest dinosaurs were found.

• 

  Wine at altitude

  Maipú and the Uco Valley near Mendoza, and the smaller family bodegas of Zonda and Barreal that rarely see a tour bus.

• The clearest skies

  El Leoncito is one of the least light-polluted places in the country; the observatory runs public nights.

• 

  Ruta 40 driving

  Long empty stretches between Barreal and Villa Unión, with the Andes on one side the whole way.

What you can do there

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  AventuraActivity · Cuyo

  Talampaya canyon

  The classic run into Talampaya by bus, four stops across two to three hours between walls of red sandstone. An optional two and a half kilometre walk adds two balconies looking down the canyon and stretches the visit to most of a day.

  Half a dayPrice on request
• AventuraActivity · Cuyo

  Rafting the Río Mendoza

  An hour and a half on class II and III water out of Potrerillos, with two guides in the boat and a third following in a kayak. Helmets, wetsuits and a jacket provided, lockers at the base and a shower afterwards. Not luxurious, run properly.

  Half a dayPrice on request
• 
  CulturaActivity · Cuyo

  Olive groves at Zonda

  A local producer walks you through his own olive oil from tree to bottle, alongside a grape paste and other things he makes himself. Ten minutes from the posada and it pairs naturally with a vineyard visit.

  Half a dayPrice on request
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  CulturaActivity · Cuyo

  Stargazing at El Leoncito

  Ninety minutes under some of the cleanest skies anywhere, from 21:30. Telescopes for the planets, clusters and galaxies, and the Milky Way plain to the naked eye.

  Half a dayPrice on request
• CulturaActivity · Cuyo

  Maipú by bicycle

  A bicycle, a map and a day: three or four bodegas at your own pace on flat ground thirteen kilometres out of Mendoza, with technical help if you need it and the bike yours until the evening.

  1 dayPrice on request
• 
  AventuraActivity · Cuyo

  Ischigualasto, the Valley of the Moon

  You drive your own vehicle in convoy behind the guide, who marks each stop, explains what you are looking at and gives you time to photograph it before moving on. The landscape is what the name promises.

  Half a dayPrice on request

Frequently asked questions

• How many days for Cuyo?+

  Five to seven if you want both the parks and the wine. The drive between Talampaya and Barreal alone is most of a day.

• Do I need my own vehicle?+

  It is the easiest way: distances are long and buses are infrequent. We can also put a driver with you for the Ruta 40 stretches.

• Is Talampaya worth it with Ischigualasto?+

  Yes, they are genuinely different: Talampaya is a red canyon you enter, Ischigualasto a grey basin you cross. Most people do both in two days.