Rose Garden Promenade and Lake in Parque San Martin
Mendoza is a city in western Argentina in the foothills of the Andes and Cuyo desert region. It is both an emerging ecotourism destination and the largest wine producing area in Latin America for which it is world-renowned. Although it is has an arid and desert like climate, , Mendoza has used a simple flood irrigation technique for centuries that has only required a few extensions and minor modifications over the years to provide enough water for the growth of over 100,000 trees that line every street, a variety of urban green spaces, as well as the growth of grapes used to make its wines. This system consists of irrigation channels in all the streets with flood gates to control the distribution of water diverted from the surrounding rivers and mountains as needed.
Starting with bike wine tasting tours to local vineyards, there are quite a variety of outdoor activities for eco-tourist to enjoy in Mendoza. When in the city itself, perhaps the best place to visit would be the 971 acre Parque General San Martin. It consist of tree-lined hiking and biking trails, gardens, a lake with regatta’s for sculling boats, fields with outdoor exercise equipment, a zoological park, soccer (football) stadium, playgrounds, equestrian center, tennis club and an amphitheater where the international wine festival is held annually. A few of the other natural attractions to visit in the Mendoza area include tours to Mount Aconcagua the highest peak in the western at 22,000 feet, Atuel Canyon where there is an oasis that is over 100 feet deep, the hot springs of Cacheuta. and Luna valley ( moon valley) where there are many mystic geological formations. At these and other locations nearby you will find many outdoor adventure activities such as white water rafting, mountain biking, trekking, horseback riding, rock climbing, canopy zip lines, hang gliding and kayaking.
Eco-Tourism Experiences 