Cuyo includes the provinces of Mendoza, San Juan, La Rioja and
San Luis. As the rest of the country, this is a varied region with hundreds of landscapes to see.
This is the area of the highest mountain of America, the Aconcagua (6959 m.) and the best wine producers, too. There are
also several places that the tourist must visit, as el Valle de la Luna (The Valley of the Moon-San Juan province), El Cañón
de Talampaya (The Talampaya Canyon-La Rioja) y el Valle de las Leñas (The Leñas Valley-Mendoza). Being the last one an international skiing resort.
The soil is arid and reddish, crossed by few rivers. Most of the rivers are fed by the thawing of snow on the peaks, and their volume of water increases considerably in spring. The Desaguadero River is the main collector, receiving waters from the Bermejo, Vinchina and Salado before reaching the Colorado River.
Viticulture is one of the main activities of the area. The wine production of the region represents almost 80% of national production, and the wines are highly considered in the world. Olives, potatoes, tomatoes and some fruits are also cultivated, and there is production of sweets and preserved foodstuffs. Quarrying and oil exploitation are other important industries.
Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza Province
Valle de la Luna ( Moon Valley ) - San Juan Province
Cuyo is the name given to the wine-producing, mountainous area of central-west Argentina. Historically it comprised the provinces of San Juan, San Luis and Mendoza. Nuevo Cuyo (New Cuyo) region also includes La Rioja, though it is generally referred to as Cuyo. It is a political and economic macroregion.
Cuyo has some of the most popular tourist attractions in Argentina and the highest mountains in the Andes, including Aconcagua itself, the highest peak outside Asia, and the Ischigualasto Provincial Park.
The cities and towns in the region are characterised by colonial low houses and churches, and narrow streets, contrasting in the principal cities with the modern parts. The Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, founded in 1939, is the most important within these provinces, and has its campus in Mendoza, but has faculties as far as Río Negro.
If the pampas are Argentina’s breadbasket, the Cuyo provinces of Mendoza, San Juan, and San Luis are its wine barrel—about three quarters of the country’s wine production comes from the irrigated vineyards on the eastern Andean slope, and exports are increasing. Visitors can spend days or even weeks hopping from winery to winery.
In colonial times, Cuyo fell under Chilean administration, but the same snows that blocked winter communications over the Andes—helping forge a distinct regional identity—now welcome skiers. The snow never vanishes from 6,959-meter Cerro Aconcagua, the “Roof of the Americas” and the Western Hemisphere’s highest point, drawing climbers and hikers from around the globe.
Economically, Mendoza is also an energy storehouse, as much of the country’s petroleum and natural gas originates here.
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