Our Guide to Staying In Mendoza

September 9th, 2022

Mendoza, Argentina

Sasha & Eric Hathaway

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. 

Where We Stayed

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. 




 

Aside from wine tastings, Mendoza is located right near the Andes mountains on the border of Chile and is home to some amazing rock climbing, hiking, and some beautiful drives. 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. 




 

Things to Do

Wine Tours

We ended up only doing 1 wine tour at the vineyard Bodega la Azul. 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). 

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!