San Rafael

San Rafael is the second city of Mendoza province, built on irrigation from the Atuel and Diamante rivers, with wide streets, poplar-lined canals and a cycling culture that suits the flat grid. It sits at the centre of a wine region known particularly for chenin blanc and for sparkling wines, with wineries open for visits on the outskirts, some of them large and long-established. The reason most visitors come, though, is the country around it: the Cañón del Atuel an hour southwest, rafting and kayaking on the river, the Valle Grande reservoir with campsites and beaches, and roads leading further south toward Malargüe, the Payunia lava fields and the caves.

History

Spanish expeditions under Francisco de Villagra came from Chile in 1551, found settled farming peoples, subdued them and took the land; displaced Pehuenche fought back until a treaty with Viceroy Rafael de Sobremonte in 1804 ceded land, and the completion of Fort San Rafael del Diamante on 2 April 1805 marks the town's founding. It stayed isolated long after independence until, in 1871, the engineer Julio Balloffet was commissioned to develop it, with civic buildings, schools, squares, a hospital, a cathedral and irrigation works, and by 1900 its orchards had drawn many Italian and French immigrants; it became the department seat in 1903, and the railway arrived that November (Wikipedia, San Rafael, Mendoza).

What's there

• The wineries - cellars around the city, strong in chenin blanc and sparkling wine.
• The canal streets - poplar-lined irrigation channels through the grid.
• The Atuel access - the road southwest to the canyon and Valle Grande.
• The river activities - rafting, kayaking and beaches on the Atuel.

When to go

September to April for the rivers and the canyon; the grape harvest and its festivities fall around March. Summer is hot and dry, with afternoon storms possible. Winter is cold and much of the river activity stops.

Good to know

The city itself is pleasant but unremarkable, and its attractions are all out of town, so a car or tours are needed. Distances in southern Mendoza are long. Summer heat is severe, often above thirty-five degrees.

Nearby

The Cañón del Atuel lies southwest; Malargüe is far south on the RN40.

Key facts