← Mendoza International Marathon·3 nights

Uspallata and the High Andes: Three Nights Above the Vineyards

A valley base with colonial ruins, a natural bridge over a river and the Aconcagua park visitor centre, in the weeks when snow can close trails.

Duration3 nights
TransitHire car, private driver or coach from Mendoza, about 100 km west
DepartsMendoza bus terminal or hotel

After the Mendoza International Marathon: Uspallata and the High Andes

The Route: Mendoza → Uspallata → Puente del Inca → Aconcagua visitor centre → Uspallata → Mendoza Logistics: A hire car or private driver is the practical choice on the road to Chile. Uspallata lies about 100 km west of Mendoza, and Puente del Inca is roughly 72 km further on. Marathon Month: May Duration: 3 nights

Mendoza ──(about 100 km)──> Uspallata ──(about 72 km)──> Puente del Inca ──> Aconcagua visitor centre
   ▲                              │                                                     │
   └──────(return, Night Three in Mendoza)──────◄──────────(back to Uspallata)────────┘

The marathon starts in the Mendoza River valley and finishes at the park gates. This itinerary climbs the same river to where it begins. It suits a runner with a driver, a sense of weather risk and no fixed plan for the Monday.

May in Uspallata: The start of the cold. Uspallata's May average runs from about 0.5°C at night to about 14°C by day, and the valley is at around 2,000 m. Puente del Inca stands at 2,744 m. Snow falls most often in June and July, but a late-autumn fall can close roads and trails earlier. Pack warm layers, a windproof shell and shoes with grip, and check conditions with a local operator before you leave Mendoza.

Coach services between Mendoza and Uspallata exist. Check current timetables with the operator. Full-day high-mountain excursions from Mendoza also run, and a hire car gives control over the weather window. Whichever you choose, travel on the Monday after the marathon only if the legs are willing, because the road is long.

Nights One and Two: Uspallata

Uspallata is a small town of about 3,400 people on the road across the Andes to Chile. The recovery walk is Las Bóvedas, early seventeenth-century kilns used to extract metals, about 1.5 km from town, with a small museum. Treat it as an easy walk rather than a hike, and check opening times before going. The road also gives a brief view of Aconcagua, the highest peak outside the Himalayas.

For beds, Hostería Uspallata and El Montañés Hotel are the two names that appear most often in booking listings. Confirm that each is open for the dates and ask for a heated room. Ask the hotel which restaurant is open on a Monday night in autumn, because small valley towns shut early.

Day Two: Puente del Inca and the visitor centre

Puente del Inca is a natural arch over the Las Cuevas River, formed by glaciers, mineral-rich hot springs and river erosion. It lies between two trailheads for climbing Aconcagua. The Museo del Andinista, in a former railway station, is open to the public in summer, so it may be shut in May.

The Parque Provincial Aconcagua visitor centre is the base for the short Laguna de Horcones trail. In past seasons heavy snowfall has closed the trail, limited visitors to the visitor centre and made walking on the partly frozen lagoon unsafe. The climbing season on the mountain itself opens on 1 November, so May is outside it. Follow the rangers' instructions, stay inside the marked area and wear footwear for high mountain trails. The altitude is real, so walk slowly.

Night Three: back in Mendoza

Sleep the last night in Mendoza, not in the mountains. A flight at midday then needs only a short taxi ride to the airport, and a closed road in the valley does not threaten the connection.

Getting Home

Return to Mendoza by road, then travel to Governor Francisco Gabrielli International Airport (MDZ) by taxi or pre-booked transfer. Many flights connect through Buenos Aires or Santiago, so leave a day in hand before an international departure.