THE SOUTHERN ZONE

GENERAL ALVEAR
In a privileged and strategic intersection of National Routes N° 188 and N° 143, which makes easier the access to different points in the country, in the south east of Mendoza Province, we find the town of General Alvear, an oasis formed by rivers Diamante and Atuel, full of colourful fincas or ranches and extensive farming fields.

With a temperate climate, semi-arid but rather fresh and a population of 45000 inhabitants, General Alvear is 82 kms away from San Rafael. Its attractions are based on rural tourism, and it is an mandatory stop for those arriving to the province from the south.
General Alvear is known for the beauty of its house gardens, which are always decorated with perfumed red rosebushes. Inside them, we find town dwellers of many origins: French, Italian, Spanish, Norwegian, Ukrainian, Japanese and Danish. Many of them came in the migratory waves caused by the First World War.

Colonisation, however, began at the end of the XIX century. The lands were conquered in the Second Desert Campaign in the year 1879, and they were given to a group of landowners who sold them, five years later, to Doctor Diego de Alvear, son of General Carlos Maria de Alvear, whose name was given to the town.

In 1912, Obe Bock, a Dane, traced irrigation canals and in the same year a branch of the D.F. Sarmiento Railroad was inaugurated. Nowadays, there are 30000 hectares irrigated by the Atuel River waters, fulfilling a decisive role in agricultural and cattle raising development in southern Mendoza.

Canalejas, La Mora and Los Huarpes locations were born together with the railroad from the east. When National Route N° 143 was built, Cochi-Có became peopled, and with National Route N° 188 Canalejas Town came north.

West Alvear or Pueblo Luna is included in the urban radius of the City of General Alvear. In that way, its trade is linked to other markets of the rest of the country. Years later, the construction of new routes gave a boost to the commercial growth of the whole region.

The department of General Alvear is divided into three districts: Ciudad, Bowen and San Pedro del Atuel. Among its festivals, the traditional Cattle Growing Festival stands out to, as it is the main activity of the region.

WHAT TO VISIT
To reach the town's commercial centre, we must fallow the Libertador Norte Av. until intersecting the Alvear Av. The Main Square and public buildings will be to the right.

In Roca St. we find the Natural Science Museum.

10 Kms away from the city centre, along Provincial Route N° 188, we find the old Winery El Faraon, which still keeps its original architecture and a fermentation tower.

EXCURSIONS

From General Alvear there are organized tours to the Cerro Penon Tregua Mountain, 1200 m.a.s.l. 70 kms away from the city centre along the cloddy Provincial Route N° 184; to Punta de Agua, 100 kms away along National Route N° 143 and Provincial Route N° 190; and to the Cerro Nevado Mountain, at 3810 m.a.s.l.

These sites are located in wild areas of southern Mendoza plains, and they have an interesting fauna that can easily be photographed and observed.

Tourist Flights
6 kms south of town, along National Route N° 143, we find the Aero Club, which offers flights over town and nearby spots.