Cuesta del Viento Reservoir

The Cuesta del Viento reservoir lies in the Iglesia valley of northern San Juan, its intensely turquoise water contained by hills striped red, ochre and purple, and it owes its reputation to something more dependable than the view: from roughly midday through the afternoon a strong, steady wind blows almost every day of the summer, funnelled down the valley with a consistency that has made this one of the recognised windsurfing and kitesurfing spots in South America. Schools and rental operations work from the shore near the village of Rodeo, which has grown a small tourist economy of hostels, campsites and craft workshops around them. Mornings are usually glassy calm, which suits swimmers, kayakers and photographers.

What you actually see

• The turquoise water - the reservoir against striped desert hills.
• The afternoon wind - reliable summer wind that fills the lake with sails.
• The kite and windsurf scene - schools, rentals and riders from Rodeo.
• The calm mornings - flat water before the wind builds.

When to go

November to March, the reliable wind season, with the wind usually arriving early afternoon. Autumn and winter are far less consistent and cold at this altitude. Water levels vary with snowmelt in the Andes.

Honest expectations

Outside the wind season there is not much to do, and Rodeo is a small village with limited services. The water is cold, and the wind that makes the place can also make it unpleasant on shore. Nights are chilly at altitude even in summer.

Nearby

Rodeo village is at the lakeside; the Agua Negra pass road climbs west toward Chile.