Mendoza

The round takes in the vines and the cellar, with a taste drawn straight from the barrel. Wineries sit far apart, and a bicycle or car is arranged beforehand.

No peak in the Americas beats its 6961 metres, and the road passes in sight of it. The route leads to the border, so snow closes it on some winter days.

Minerals from hot springs built a natural arch over the river and stained it orange. The ruins of an old bath house remain beneath it.

It spreads over the west of the city and rowing boats work an artificial lake. Climbing to the monument on the hill puts the city and the vineyards in one view.

Five squares were laid out in the centre as earthquake refuges and this is the middle one. Stalls appear on weekend nights and street performances follow.

A mountain valley was dammed into a lake that holds a deep blue. Rafting boats set off from the shore.

Pools of spring water are set in tiers beside a river between mountains. The uppermost pool scalds and every pool further down has cooled.

Olive plots sit among the vineyards and the oil is pressed and sold on site. Beside the press, bread is dipped in oil that has just come out.

Plots above 1500 metres see a hard temperature swing across the twenty four hours. That gap thickens the skins and deepens the colour.

Channels that predate the Inca were widened into ditches running through the whole city. Crossing a road means watching the foot so it does not drop into one.

A museum standing where the 1861 earthquake flattened the original centre. The old Cabildo grounds were excavated, and you can peer down at foundations left below floor level. Why the city was rebuilt further west after the quake makes sense here.

A street heading from downtown's west side toward the park, lined with bars and restaurants. Tables spill onto the tree-shaded pavement and stay occupied deep into the night. It is the standard evening destination after a day of winery tours.

A long-standing covered market on Avenida Las Heras. Small counters baking empanadas and pizza sit between stalls of fruit, dried fruit and olives. Local office workers pour in at lunch and the counter stools go fast.

A high village of poplar rows halfway along Route 7 to the Chilean border. Its bare mountains and wide valley stood in for Tibet in the film Seven Years in Tibet. Many people stop for lunch here en route to Aconcagua.

A bronze statue raised in 1904 on the border pass at a little over 3,800 m, marking peace between Argentina and Chile. Since the tunnel opened, the old pass road has been left as gravel. Vehicles can only get up in summer, once the snow melts.

Spires of rock line a slope beside the road to Aconcagua. Hooded monks filing up to a cathedral is what people see in them, hence the name, the Penitents. The shapes stand out best when the afternoon sun comes in low.

A reserve up in the mountains north of Mendoza, where the old spa hotel pictured on the mineral-water label still stands. The pass road beyond twists so much that legend gives it one bend per day of the year. On a clear day, Aconcagua shows from the top.

Tandem paragliding off Cerro Arco, northwest of downtown, strapped to an instructor. Once airborne, the city, vineyards and the Andes beyond spread out below together. Whether you fly that day comes down to the wind.

A winery shaped like a Mayan pyramid, set amid the Agrelo vineyards of Lujan de Cuyo. Oak barrels line the cellar below, and tastings are for those who have booked. Up on the pyramid's summit, vines and mountains stretch out on every side.

A leafy old village of country houses in Lujan de Cuyo, south of the city. Cafes and restaurants ring its small plaza, and craft stalls appear on Saturdays and Sundays. It sits close to the wineries, so some visitors stay here instead of downtown.