Located on the west bank of the Rio Tunuyan, Tunuyan is a lively city in the Argentinian province of Mendoza. It forms part of the Valle de Uco, a celebrated wine-growing region dotted with modern vineyards. Its combination of climate, soil and altitude has rapidly transformed it into one of the country’s leading producers of high-quality grapes.
Things to do in Tunuyán
On the north bank of the Rio Tunuyan is Parque de la Lombardia, which is planted with 2,000 trees representing all of Argentina’s geographical regions. It’s traversed by a network of walking trails and several bike paths and is dotted with picnic tables and exercise equipment. On the edge of the park are a handful of restaurants, including Costa de Anzorena and El Lomo Loco Tunuyan.
Travelling with kids? They can let loose in the playground of Plaza General San Martin, which is dotted with colourful sculptures from “Snoopy” and “Despicable Me”. You can relax beside the centrepiece fountain or stretch your legs on the walking trails while keeping your eyes peeled for the casuarina trunk sculptures by Oscar “Kisi” Pintos.
Tunuyan is an attractive base for exploring the surrounding wine region, which is dotted with bodegas offering guided tastings and cellar tours. On the western outskirts of town is the Laureano Gomez Winery, where you can sample locally produced Malbec and dine on organic produce from the estate’s garden. Also nearby is The Vines, which grows a diverse range of grapes throughout the Valle de Uco.
Getting around Tunuyán
Tunuyan is around an hour’s drive from Mendoza and 1.5 hours from El Plumerillo International Airport, which has flights to destinations across the Americas. Regular buses connect to Tunuyan and the town centre is compact enough to explore on foot.