In the heart of the province of Mendoza, San Rafael is located. It is a town between two important rivers of this province, the Atuel and Diamante River. Located 235 km from the capital city and due to its landscapes, it offers intense and varied activities to perform.
The city displays a contrast of facets and features. It invites to lead a more calm way of life, but simultaneously it’s far from being small and inactive. It counts on a local airport and important routes, such as National Route 40 and the Provincial routes 143 or 146, leading straight to its heart. While in the city, there are several tours to be made including the Municipal Museum of Natural History, Elena and Fausto Burgos’ country house, the Fine arts Museum, the parks Hipólito Irigoyen, and Mariano Moreno and the General San Martín and Inmigrante squares.
You will be offered the possibility of surrounding yourself by a typical mountain landscape filled with valleys and lots of sun, as well as enjoying the specialty of the province: the wines.
There are many vineyards elaborating wines and champagnes of excellent quality. These open their doors for a visit to their facilities and, the moment longed for by wine lovers, a tasting.
Nevertheless, those inclined to sports and a life outdoors will be invited to venture themselves into the depth of its landscapes through the activities related to the rivers and its diverse tourist spots. This way, there is fishing, diving, scaling, kayaking, photographic safaris, horse rides, paragliding, windsurf, Jet ski and rappel to be done.
You will find Valle Grande (great valley) 37 kilometers away from the city. Here, the canyon of the Atuel River acquires protagonism and takes you to a coexistence with nature through its leafy and abundant vegetation accompanied by the murmur of the river running on the river-bed. On the edge of the river, all the services to perform the mentioned activities can be found.
The canyon is located upstream and is the living presence of the world origins where the wind and rain have conformed, like a chisel and hammer, the most varied natural sculptures in a ceaseless battle against rocks. Among them we could mention The Wax Museum, the Lizard, the Old ones, the Monsters, the Enchanted City, the Homeless and the Hanging Gardens.
During its vertiginous fall, the river generates an enormous amount of power and, because of this, you will find the hydroelectric complex called Los Nihuiles here.
Only 33 km from the city, the ‘Sierra Pintada’ area is found. This conforms the high mountain circuit, located towards the south of the city including visits to places such as: the Diamond Salt mines, the Sosneado, a rustic zone to practice scaling; the Overo Volcano, among other points of tourist interest.
The visitor will find a pleasant climate throughout the entire year. During summer the minimum temperature is 15º C and the maximum is 33º C. While in winter, it oscillates between 1º and 16º C.
San Rafael is located in ‘the heart of Mendoza’ giving continuity to the vital flow of its millenarian traditions and history; an area offering diverse landscapes and varied options for entertainment; a place for retreating from the modern world, and worthwhile to visit.