A Natural AdventureWhen arriving in Malargüe you will discover an infinite horizon, the immensity sensation, the sky, pure air and mountain stream water clearness. This is the place where you can enjoy quietness and adventure at the same time. By riding horses on the mountain, practicing 4x4 crossings, mountain climbing, fishing or finding the local people’s culture, eating fritters or tortas fritas and goat – the most famous in Argentina - you can get close to nature. Location: Malargüe is located to the south of Mendoza and it is the biggest department in the province. It is 1,400 m above the sea level. Other cities distances
Touristic interest city distances
How to get to MalargüeBy CarFrom North to South by Ruta Nacional 40 which goes through Malargüe and turns into its main street, San Martin Av. towards South the way Malargüe – Barrancas is made of gravel and it is in regular condition with a part being built and some asphalted but potholed parts. From the West (Region de Maule, Chile :) through Paso Pehuenche, entering through Ruta Nacional 145 to Bardas Blancas and then to the city of Malargüe through Rout 40. Questions about passing conditions at Paso Internacional in: www.vialidad.gov.ar From The East through Ruta Provincial 186, from La Pampa going through Agua Escondida (General Alvear) and to the north of La Payunia reservoir and Laguna Llancanelo. Or through Ruta Provincial 184 from General Alvear (consolidated way) By PlaneAll the year: Regular flights to San Rafael or Mendoza. In winter: Charter flights to Aeropuerto Internacional Malargüe with final destination in Valle de Las Leñas. By Bus
ISELIN /CATA (buses)Retiro: 011-4313-3632 EUSA (Expreso Uspallata, buses)Retiro: 011-4314-1258 Transporte Viento Sur(minibuses without stopovers in San Rafael) Public transport connections from Malargüe to the South through ruta 40 are NOT in good conditions. Therefore traveling to Neuquen, bariloche and San Martin de Los Andes through San Rafael is advisable. Buses towards south depart from San Rafael at about 23 hrs. BUSES FROM SAN RAFAEL:To Neuquen and Bariloche depart from 23:00hrs The WeatherTemperatures(see current temperature in Malargüe) Absolute maximum:: 35º (December) Northeast Winds blow in hot and dry months and they are the most intense (medium speed 40 – 60 km/h, with mosre than 100 km/h gusts.) If you want to sky in Las Leñas and you stay in Malargüe ask about the weather. RestaurantsTROUTS: Cuyan – Co trout farm QUICKMEALS: El Bodegón de María (Villegas and Rufino Ortega) GRILL: EL Quincho de María (San Martín 440) Castillos de Pincheira Bar Don Gauderio (San Martin 197) Victrola (Centro de Convenciones) ShopRegional Objects and HandicraftsLos Patacones (San Martin y Saturnino Torres) Casa de Campo (San Martin 1021) Sabores Mendocinos (San Martin 586) SupermarketsBusiness hours (from 9 till 12 hrs and from 17 till 21 hrs) Main cities height
Relief and HydrologyMalargüe has great geographic diversity. We can find high mountain range, Los Huarpes depression and great permanent water hydroelectric net and Laguna de Llancanelo, the large volcanic plateau - La Payunia – with Patagonia characteristics. Malargüe has five rivers – Rio Atuel (San Rafael border,) Río Grande (the largest and mightiest river in the province,) Río Barrancas (Meuquen Border,) Río Malargüe (takes water to the city and to Laguna de Llancanelo) and Río Salado (it goes through Valle de Las Leñas.) It also has the biggest lake in Mendoza: Laguna de Llancanelo which one of the greatest biologic and tourist attractions in the province along with Valle Hermoso’s lake. EcologyFrom the biogeoraphic point of view, many regions converge in Malargüe: Mount, Patagonia and Andean, making a transition zone called ecotone. It has a xerophilous bushy vegetation (adapted to arid environment,) not high (stunted) and not thick. In flooded areas surrounding streams (mallines) Pampas Grass (Juncus balticus y Cortadeira rudiuscula) can be found and in saltpans saltgrass (Distichlis scoparia,) zampa (Atriplex sp,) vidriera ( Allenrolfea vaginata,,) vinagrillo (Salicornia ambigua,)jume (Suaeda divaricata) are also found. In the sandy areas species like ardegrás or chirriadora (Chuquiraga erinacea), junquillo (Sporobolus rigens) and retamilla (Neosparton aphyllum) are common. Other types of plants that exist there are cactuses and bushes like molle blanco (Schinus sp.), jarilla (Larrea divaricata), and medicinal plants like tomillo (Acantholippia seriphioides) also used as mate herb Eagles, falcons and condors can be appreciated as well. However, the biggest attractions as regards bird watching is in Laguna del Llancanelo where herons, flamingoes, storks, black necked swans, ducks, sparrowhawk, chimangoes, seagulls, swallows, calandra larks etc. can be found. The most visited actor is the flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis) which arrives in summer to nest in the lake. Some mamals are typical from the region such as guanacoes (Lama guanicoe,) piches (Zaedyus piche) and big armadillo (Chaetophractus villosus,) some carnivorous like pumas (concolor Puma) and skunks (Conepatus chinga,) and red and grey foxes, and there are also some South American rodents like mara (Patagonia hare, Dolichotis patagona ) tuco – tuco or tunduque (Ctenomys sp.) and red viscacha rat (Tympanoctomys barrerae.) Among mammals introduced by men (exotic: they do not evolve in the region) there are european hares ((Lepus americana) and wild boars (Sus scrofa.) As regards insects, coleopterans play an important part in the ecosystem for they contribute to plant and dead animal’s degradation. Euchranium arachnoids are important coleopterans in the region. It uses big herbivores feces as food for their larvas. These insects originally collected guanacos and maras’ feces but due to their decrease in number they had to start collecting goats and hares’ feces and some cows or horses’. In this way they contribute greatly with the ecosystem because they are they only specie which “cleans” it. HistoryMalargüe comes from a mapuche Word which jeans Malal (wall or small natural floor elevation surrounded by a cut which allowed aborigines to pen animals, a kind of corral) and Hue (place.) The first record of Malal-Hue is near Mendoza’s discovery, when in December 1552 Francisco de Villagra went on an expedition for the first time to the east of Los Andes. From that time, different religious, scientific and adventurous expeditions have been made in the region. In 1846 Fortin Malargüe (bunker) was built. The following year, the foundation of Villa El Milagro is published. There were 120 people living in it. In 1877 the department is legally constituted, when inhabitants were a few and aborigines still fought for their land with raids and aggression acts in different places of the region. In 1886, the main Villa in Malargüe is founded. The following year its name was changed to Coronel Beltran (to pay homage to the priest of San Martin’s Argentinean army) and then it was joined to San Rafael. |
