THE SOUTHERN ZONE

A vast territory dominated by La Pampa (arid, flat and monotonous plains). However, inside it, we find an oasis formed by two departments: San Rafael and General Alvear.s. Thanks to the Diamante and Atuel Rivers, southern Mendoza is a region of vigorous agro-industrial and tourist development.

SAN RAFAEL
The young city of San Rafael is close to the Diamante and Atuel Rivers. To get there we have to drive about 124 kms from Mendoza, along National Route N° 40 up to Pareditas, and then 115 kms more along National Route N° 143. In both sections of the road, the traveller will not cease to marvel at the highlands, the mountains, and watercourses that make this region be called an agricultural oasis.

San Rafael was given city status in 1922. But before this date it had a series of setbacks because Its origin is really related to the conquest of southern Argentina, when the Rio de la Plata Viceroy ordered in 1805 the construction of a fort to defend the town from sudden Indian raids.

Nowadays it is the main urban centre in southern Mendoza, and a tourist centre that has excellent infrastructure and a diversified service offer.

It has a modern layout, with wide streets full of trees, fed by irrigation channels, which, together with its parks, give a bucolic touch to a city with close to 100,000 inhabitants.

Hipolito Irigoyen Avenue crosses the urban area, north to south dividing the city in two sectors: the east, around the Plaza San Martin Square and the more traditional of the two; and the west, newer and more residential, with the Hipolito Irigoyen Park as its centre.

It is also possible to visit traditional wine cellars with excellent wine, fruit establishments and drying-rooms, vineyards and estates of great interest for rural tourism activities.

WHAT TO VISIT

The Plaza General San Martin Square
Its current layout dates back to 1925 In the centre we naturally find the equestrian monument in honour of the Libertador. It is cast in bronze and rests on a pedestal made of local stones, with sumptuous trees and gardens surrounding it.

The Municipal Palace
It is located between the Comandante Salas and Belgrano Sts. Its main front was inaugurated in 1938 and consists of a tower with the respective carillon clock. The modern building displayed today was constructed in various stages.

The San Rafael Archangel Cathedral
It was open to the public in the year 1952. Its design owes to the Romantic style. In 1961 it was declared the Cathedral of the San Rafael Diocese. (Between the Pellegrini and Belgrano Sts).

The Plazoleta del Inmigrante (Inmigrant Square)
It was built in honour of Spanish and Italian immigrant, and the local authorities could not find a better place for its location than in front of the old railway station. The first locomotive that arrived in town in the year 1903 stands in the square.

The Hipolito Irigoyen Park
It is only ten short blocks from kilometre zero. It is a true green lung offering inside a children's playground area, a multisport facility with a swimming pool, and a small residence for sport lovers. We also find here the Greek Theatre "Chacho Santa Cruz", an outdoors scenario with capacity for 10,000 spectators, where several artistic and cultural shows are presented. The The gratest festivity is the Departmental Vintage Celebration.

The Diamante Island
Leaving Irigoyen Park, going along Sarmiento Av. for about 7 kms, we reach this islet, which is inside the Mariano Moreno Park. It is a picturesque artificial forest. Here we find the Municipal Museum of Natural History, which includes exhibits of Zoology, Palaeontology, Anthropology, Geology, History and Regional Folklore. It also includes a modern library and an astronomical observatory.

The Mariano Moreno Park
It is on Diamante Island. It provides full contact with nature and relaxing recreation to local inhabitants and travellers that visit it. Here we find a lake with the Immaculate Conception grotto, a Zoological Garden, and camping grounds with all services.

The Mariano Moreno Library
It was founded in 1919, and has enlightened generations of San Rafael citizens with its thousands of volumes. Each year, in October, the Library organises the Provincial Book Fair "BIBLOS" on Bernardo de Irigoyen St. N° 148.

San Rafael's Rotonda, the Heart of Mendoza
In is a graphic representation of the logo that identifies San Rafael, it consists of a map of Mendoza Province, with 17 grapes that show the districts and the rays of the rising sun.

The Our Lady of Lourdes Church
It was the first church of the Italian community, and was dedicated to San Ambrosio's cult. It is on Mitre Av, facing the Sarmiento Square.

The Casino
It is a modern construction built on the corner of the Barcala and Emilio Civit Sts. Open from Tuesday to Sunday, 22:00 to 04:00 hours.

Bodega (Wine Cellars)
In this excursion we find important bodegas of national and worldwide fame, olive oil producers and fruit drying-rooms. All of these places can be visited to feel the vigorous rhythm of economic development in this southern oasis.

EXCURSIONS

The Town of Villa 25 de Mayo
It is about 25 kms from the city of San Rafael all full with peace and quiet. It is crossed by shaded muddy streets and peaceful irrigation channels. It was founded after the foundation of the San Rafael Fort, in the year 1805, as a consequence of the need to house immigrants in a populated centre. The fort has is a National Historical Monument. In the old part of town, where XIXth century mansions stand, we find the Our Lady of Carmen Church, which still keeps the images and clothes of the old days.

The Galileo Vitale Derivation Dam
One kilometre away from Villa 25 de Mayo stands the first construction built on the Diamante River: the Galileo Vitale Dam. It is used for irrigation, through a complex system of floodgates and concrete channels. It offers a splendid leafy landscape; and you can practise recreational activities and camping in its borders.

The El Tigre - Los Reyunos Dam
About 27 kilometres from San Rafael stands this hydro complex that consists of two continuous ponds acting in a complementary manner, the most important being Los Reyunos. However, the first to be visited is El Tigre, which functions as a compensation reservoir, allowing the main dam to be fed at night by pumping.

In Los Reyunos water mirror, which extends for 734 has, fry has been sown, allowing for good fishing of Salmon family fish and atherine. On the west edge we find the Fishing Club, an apart-hotel, a restaurant and a storehouse for provisions. It also has weekend apartments, three camping grounds with all services, and you can rent boats, fishing gear, windsurfing boards, or go horse riding, walking, mountain biking, or any other activities. It is 134 m high, and there is a lookout point at the very top.

In El Tigre, downstream from Los Reyunos, we can fish extraordinary specimens of atherine and Salmon family fish, or practise nautical sports and enjoy its natural resorts, rent cabins or go camping with all services included.

The Agua del Toro Dam
About 84 kms from San Rafael and at 1,300 m.a.s.l. Agua del Toro dam is a spectacular semicircular wall made of reinforced concrete. It is 128 ms high. It was inaugurated in 1982 and has a powerhouse fed by a 100-metre-high water jump. This area has a dry climate which extreme historical temperatures are 40 °C in summer and -15 °C in winter.

The local pond is in an area known as Pampa Amarilla. The only access to the 1050 has wide lake, from San Rafael, is at the Hunting and Fishing Club, 3 kms to the right along a consolidated road. Here, the traveller can practise sailing, rowing, water scooter, diving and windsurfing, or fish interesting rainbow trout and Salmon family fish.

The Atuel Canyon
The canyon's tourist area starts 20 kms from San Rafael and runs along Provincial Route N° 173, as well as the imposing panorama of the Atuel River and the enclosing mountains, the true protagonists.

The main area can be found between the Valle Grande and El Nihuil Ponds. The end of the river is in the canyon itself, and along its gorge they have built dikes that store the water to regulate the volume with two purposes: irrigating farming land and generating electric power.

Two artificial lakes, Aisol and Tierras Blancas, enhance the beauty inside the canyon. In this area we can practise nautical sports, and even the Pentathlon, which consists of these competitions: windsurfing, mini motor biking, kayaking, cycling and walking.

The Valle Grande Pond
It is located at about 18 kms from the beginning of the Atuel Canyon, or 38 kms from San Rafael, always along Provincial Route N° 173. It shows intensely blue water mirror surrounded by steep mountains and luxuriant vegetation.

It is a fabulous place to enjoy diving, swimming, water skiing, rowing, kayaking, rafting, water scooter and windsurfing. Along the banks there is a wide range of cabins, hostels and hotels, and even some camping grounds with the basic services.

And naturally we can go sport fishing, trekking, horse riding, four track, and mountaineering: whatever.

The El Nihuil Dam
About 92 kms from San Rafael, we find this peaceful 9,600 has wide water mirror, the largest of the Cuyan ponds and considered the best for windsurfing.

Its waters contain a rich and diverse ichthyologic fauna that will provide great delight to sport fishing lovers. We can also practise swimming, canoeing, water scooters or water skiing.

On the right margin we find Villa El Nihuil town, which has a Town hall, a chapel, a small hospital, telephone service, a police station, a post office and some camping grounds.

El Sosneado
The first polychrome ridges of the Sierra Pintada appear at about 33 kms from San Rafael and, to the south, along National Route N° 144, we start the ascent of Cuesta de los Terneros, which reaches a maximum height of 1000 ms and then descends on the way to El Sosneado.

From San Rafael, there are 142 kms to reach an area of wild nature that allows, in a pleasant and particular climate, walking, horse riding, mountain biking, mountaineering and camping. On the route we find a hostel that is used as a headquarters to organize the activities.

Along a consolidated road that borders the Atuel River we reach El Sosneado Pond, an ideal place for sport fishing and diving; we also reach the Indian Cave, a witness of pre-Hispanic cultures, and outdoor hot spring baths that still preserve their healing properties.

The Overo Volcano
Imposing, with its summit crowned by perpetual glaciers, this dormant volcano in the Cordillera de los Andes Mountain range is surrounded by landscapes of subtle beauty. It is 4629 ms: an ideal place to practice High Mountain mountaineering.
The Atuel Pond
After feeding from thaws, It gives birth to the homonymous river, In its surroundings we could find, if we look for it, a sulphur mine that was abandoned in the year 1976.

Las Vegas
It is a beautiful place on the mountain range itself where we can carry out and enjoy walks through unexplored places. It is essentially, a summer town. There are hundreds of weekend houses, cabin style, which are rented throughout the season.

Natural pastures, transparent water from its rivers and streams, and the Cordon del Plata Mountains as a background, make it a very attractive area for vacationing in summer or at any season, since the place is covered with snow in winter.

There are ample spaces for picnics and camping, some of them with services and tours combining path walks, mountaineering and horse riding.