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.
Hiking -- Serious hikers will want to head into the hills with a private local mountain guide like Pedro Rossell from Discover the Andes Expeditions (tel. 261/424-5142; www.discovertheandes.com). 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 (£17), 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 (£27).
Horseback Riding -- For those looking to release their inner gaucho, Cabalgata Mendoza (tel. 261/15-536-2033 [cell]; www.cabalgatamendoza.com.ar) specializes in trips from 2 hours to a 12-day crossing of the Andes. Argentina Rafting Expediciones and Ríos Andinos, RN 7, Km 64, 5549 Potrerillos (tel. 261/431-6074), offer 2-hour horseback rides ($23/£16) and full-day rides ($40/£27) 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 (£17) and full-day rides for $35 (£24).
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 some of 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 11 and underare 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 $35 (£24) for 1 hour, and both agencies also offer kayaking ($100/£68 for a full-day kayaking course), horseback riding, trekking, and mountain biking. 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.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
