Tunuyán, at the Foot of Cordón de Plata

Upon entering Tunuyán, National Route 40 becomes the main artery in this agile and cosmopolitan City in Valle de Uco, Mendoza. That is the first impression visitors get.

San Martín Avenue boasts amazing traffic and crowded sidewalks, as it concentrates the commercial life and public offices of the district. Walking along its streets is enough to see its vertiginous pace among stores selling clothes, footwear and top brand home appliances.

Two squares lying opposite one another stand out to both sides of San Martín Avenue. One of them -called José de San Martín- contains the civic life of the city and features a fantastic water fountain in the middle. The other –named José León Torres- contains the ancient and simple parish known as Our Lady of Carmen and is the most popular recreational spot for both children and adults.

We stopped to have a cup of coffee as soon as we identified Carlos Pellegrini Pedestrian Street. It goes along for two blocks, crosses San Martín Avenue and its sidewalks are broader than the rest. This means there is only one lane for vehicles. Thus, the coffee houses have put tables and colorful parasols in the street and tinged the area with the typical hustle and bustle we enjoyed for a while.

We had a chat with the waiter and noticed something we had already figured out from the brochures we had seen: Tunuyán lures a great deal of tourists. The Tunuyán River, other waterways and especially the nearby mountain range scenes with their microclimate make this an ideal holiday destination for those who enjoy contact with nature in all its expressions.

The Fishing Club lying on the river shore has a special venue with an artificial lake where sports are practiced and a camping site with fire pits to make asados. It is known as "Poli acuático".

The surroundings of the city offer the chance to practice adventure sports for all tastes. The most passionate rock climbing takes place at Cajón de Arenales. There are several paragliding, river rafting and mountain biking circuits. And those in search of quieter activities will find the wineries and estancias are an extraordinary option to enjoy horse riding, grape and fruit harvest.

There is a true road network containing the best-known wineries which produce wines that are exported abroad. Some of them are open to visitors, who can enjoy guided tours and tasting sessions and complete these options with a gourmet lunch including regional dishes prepared by renowned chefs.

The city has traditional gastronomic venues where customers may taste a spectacular regional tray of assorted products known as picada, a typical parrillada from Mendoza or just a plentiful delicious homemade dish. Our sense of smell and the previous advice given by the waiter were extremely helpful.

A little bit farther away into the surroundings of the city, everything becomes more hushed. Motorbikes and bicycles turn into the main means of transport in the quiet streets, some of them made of dirt. The perfume of local trees, such as “jarilla”, chañar, tomillo and “chacay” bade us farewell. Maybe that contradiction between vertigo and calmness can define the essence of Tunuyán.