Golf -- There are three golf courses in the Mendoza area and a few more in the outskirts. The Club de Campo, considered the best, has great views of the Andes and opens to the public from Tuesday through Friday. Fees are a bargain at $18 (£9.90) for 18 holes. Club Andino is a course in the middle of the Parque San Martín. The local guides at TosoBoehler (tel. 261/154-549-005; www.tosoboehler.com.ar) will help you organize a 1-day or multiday golfing adventure in the Mendoza area. The $75 (£41) admission price covers greens fees, club rentals, a caddy, and a lovely lunch.
Hiking -- Huentata, Las Heras 680, Mendoza (tel. 261/425-3108), arranges single- or multiple-day hiking trips. Two-hour treks offered by Argentina Rafting Expediciones, Primitivo de la Reta 992, office 4 (tel. 261/429-6325), extend from Potrerillos to the waterfall at la Quebrada del Salto, where rappelling is possible. The 2-hour trek costs $25 (£14), including transfer from Mendoza, which adds another 2 to 3 hours to the outing. A full-day hike with transfer and lunch included is $40 (£22).
Horseback Riding -- For those looking to release their inner gaucho, TosoBoehler is a small operator with deep roots in the area's estancias. Tours combine a day of horseback riding in the Andes with a gourmet Argentine barbecue. Argentina Rafting Expediciones and Ríos Andinos, Ruta 7, Km 64, 5549 Potrerillos (tel. 261/431-6074), offer 2-hour horseback rides for $23 (£13) and full-day rides for $40 (£22) from their bases on Potrerillos.
Mountain Biking -- In February, cyclists from around the world participate in La Vuelta Ciclista de Mendoza, a mini Andean Tour de France, around Mendoza province. Argentina Rafting Expediciones runs 2-hour mountain bike adventures in the rugged Potrerillos area for $25 (£14) and full-day rides for $35 (£19).
Skiing -- Perhaps the best place to ski, not just in Argentina but also in South America, is Las Leñas. Closer to Mendoza, the small resort of Los Penitentes offers 23 downhill slopes as well as cross-country skiing. Portillo is a much larger and better-equipped ski resort just on the other side of the Chilean border. Eighty kilometers (50 miles) south, Vallecitos is the smallest and closest ski resort to Mendoza, but it can be difficult to reach in heavy snow conditions. Obtain information on the province's ski areas from Mendoza's Subsecretaría Provincial de Turismo.
White-Water Rafting -- Mendoza affords the best white-water rafting in Argentina. During the summer months, when the snow melts in the Andes and fills the Mendoza River, rafters enjoy up to Class IV and V rapids. Rafting is possible year-round, but the river is colder and calmer in winter months. Potrerillos, 53km (33 miles) west of Mendoza, has two professional tour operators offering half-day, whole-day, and 2-day trips on the Mendoza River, including direct transfers from Mendoza. These are Argentina Rafting Expediciones and Ríos Andinos . Be sure to bring an extra pair of clothes and a towel because you are guaranteed to get soaked. Children under 12 are not allowed to raft. Argentina Rafting has a small restaurant and bar where you can eat and defrost after soaking in the river. Rafting starts at $20 (£11) for 1 hour, and both agencies also offer kayaking ($70/£39 for a full-day kayaking course), horseback riding, trekking, and mountain biking. The 2-day, 60km (37-mile) rafting trip is a Class III and IV excursion offered November through April. It costs $165 (£91), including all meals, camping gear, and transfer from Mendoza. Farther south in San Rafael, there is Class II/III rafting on the Atuel River and perhaps the most extreme rafting in all of Argentina on the wild Río Diamante.
