Mendoza

Mendoza is a big city in Mendoza Province, Argentina, positioned at the base of the Andes range. Wide streets run through the center, flanked by rows of sycamores and open water channels that carry runoff from the mountains.

A powerful earthquake destroyed the original settlement in 1861, forcing residents to rebuild the city at a new site. The reconstruction followed an open grid plan with wide boulevards designed to reduce damage from future tremors.

Public squares throughout the urban center serve as gathering points where locals spend afternoons under the shade of tall trees. Weekend markets often fill these spaces with vendors selling regional products and families sharing mate among benches.

The main square offers a good reference point for walking through the center, as streets radiate outward in all directions from there. Many vineyards in the surrounding valleys lie within an hour's drive, and guided excursions depart daily from the downtown area.

The water channels running alongside sidewalks date back to the Huarpe people, an indigenous group that developed irrigation techniques before European settlers arrived. These open channels still supply more than one hundred thousand trees and form a living heritage that continues to shape the streetscape.

Location: Mendoza Province

Inception: 1561

Founders: Pedro Castilla

Elevation above the sea: 769 m

Website: https://ciudaddemendoza.gob.ar

GPS coordinates: -32.88942,-68.84462

Latest update: December 4, 2025 19:00