Getting There

San Rafael is a 1 1/2-hour drive south of Mendoza down Hwy. 40. The first half of the trip goes through lovely rural towns. The second half crosses a desert wasteland. Many buses leave Mendoza's main terminal heading for San Rafael. Nueva Chevallier (tel. 2627/446697) and Andesmar (tel. 2627/427720) are the main bus companies. Aerolíneas Argentinas (tel. 0810/222-86527; www.aerolineas.com.ar) flies five times a week (currently Mon-Fri only) from Buenos Aires to San Rafael.

Getting Around

The town center is compact and easy to explore on foot. Rural areas will require either a remise (call Remises Del Sur, tel. 2627/430646), rental car, or bicycle. For rental cars, try Hertz (tel. 2627/436959; www.hertz.com) or Rent A Car San Rafael (tel. 2627/437447; www.rentacarsanrafael.com.ar).

San Rafael is flat, so biking is a great way to explore. To rent a bike, try Biciletas Rosales (tel. 2627/430147) or Bicicleteria Dapratto (tel. 2627/427738). Rates in San Rafael generally run about $10 (£6.80) for a day's rental.

There are many companies that offer transfers out to the fertile Valle Grande and Atuel River, including Transportes Iselin (tel. 2627/446463), which departs from the bus terminal, and Atuel Travel (tel. 2627/429282), which also organizes sightseeing and wine tours.

Visitor Information

The municipal Tourism Information Office is at Av. H. Yrigoyen 745 (tel. 2627/424217; www.sanrafaelturismo.gov.ar). It's open daily 8am to 9pm.

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