Part of the real charm of Mendoza is its authentic rural vibe. You just need to get out of the city a bit to enjoy the real beauty of gaucho(cowboy) life: the air, the mountains and feel the wind on your spurs!
Friday, 6:00pm
Before you get ready for a gaucho weekend, you need to get the right togs. Hi-tail it to Las Heras street where you’ll find a couple different tourist shops (try Las Vinas, Las Heras 399) that sell llama jumpers, thick ponchos, leather hats and heavy boots as well as a handful of tackier tourist souvenirs.
9:00pm
In the middle of the city you won’t get the complete real deal but you can ease into your new drover persona by going to the city’s only ‘pulperia’. Styled as a traditional Argentine spit-n-sawdust bar, El Palenque may be located on the hippest street in town but it serves food that any cowboy would be proud of: slabs of meat covered in eggs and cheese, hearty meat pies and the wine is served in a traditional ceramic penguin.
Saturday
9:00am
No cowboy sleeps in late, no matter how late the peña (party) went on from the night before. Fortunately modern cowboys do get picked up by truck from whichever hay bail they slept on… Your guide from Estancia La Alejandra will take you to the traditional cowboy ranch passing through small rural towns and finishing on the undeveloped farm land of Uco Valley, right in front of snowcapped Tupungato volcano. As you drink the traditional Argentine herb drink, mate, which is shared in a communal pot and eat freshly made tortitas (bread) you’ll learn a bit about gaucho culture from the locals.
