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Where Argentina rears up into the foothills of the Andes, lively Mendoza is at the heart of the self-styled ‘land of sunshine and wine’. Spread across the valley of the river of the same name, Mendoza is a pleasant city with wide tree-lined streets, plazas and avenues.

The vast majority of visitors here have come with one thing in mind; the grape, and its world-renowned wines.

Exploring the region

If you have time, this region has other, often overlooked, attractions. Heading west, you can take a panoramic ‘Alta Montana’ route into the Andes to view Mount Aconcagua, the highest point in the Americas, and the statue of Christ the Redeemer, who stands at 4,000 metres as a symbol of friendship between Argentina and Chile.

A road also climbs over the top of the Andes to Santiago, one breathtaking way of travelling between the two countries.

Local produce

Back to wine, and the Mendoza province, while not having exclusive rights to Argentina’s output, does lay claim to at least 70% of it, thanks to its ideal climate and the snowmelt from the Andes.

The sight of the rows of lush green vines against a backdrop of snow-dusted peaks makes this an extremely picturesque outing, before you’ve even begun to sample the wares!

There are a large number of bodegas welcoming tourists with guided tours, tastings and lunches, and wine buffs can make day trips out from Mendoza city into the main areas of Maipu, Tupungato and Lujan de Cuyo or, better still, stay overnight at a winery and explore from there.