General San Martín Park, Urban park with narrow-gauge railway in Mendoza, Argentina.
General San Martín Park is a sprawling recreational area with a narrow-gauge railway in central Mendoza, Argentina, covering around 400 hectares. The grounds include several themed gardens, artificial lakes, sports facilities, and winding paths that move through tree-lined hills, with views of the Andes range in the background.
The green space was developed between 1896 and 1908, when the city of Mendoza experienced a phase of intense urban expansion. Landscape architects from Europe, particularly France, shaped the grounds and combined formal gardens with natural hillside contours.
The park honors General José de San Martín, who led independence movements across South America in the 19th century. Locals from Mendoza use the grounds daily for jogging, family outings, and social gatherings on weekends.
The grounds work best for visits in the morning or late afternoon, when heat subsides and more shade becomes available under the trees. Most paths are wide enough for strollers and wheelchairs, though some hillside sections feature steep inclines.
A small train nicknamed the Liliputian Railway carries visitors through selected sections of the park, offering a relaxed way to cross the sprawling grounds. The carriages follow a narrow-gauge track that winds between gardens and lakes, providing views of distant mountain silhouettes.
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