Walking along the lakeshore and snoozing in the shade of the rose garden in this beautiful 420-hectare park is a great way to enjoy one of the city’s highlights. Walk along Sarmiento/Civit out to the park and admire some of Mendoza’s finest houses on the way. Pick up a park map at the Centro de Información, just inside the impressive entry gates, which were shipped over from England and originally forged for the Turkish Sultan Hamid II.

　　The park was designed by Carlos (Charles) Thays in 1897, who also designed Parque Sarmiento in Córdoba. Its famous Cerro de la Gloria has a monument to San Martín’s Ejército de los Andes (Army of the Andes) for its liberation of Argentina, Chile and Peru from the Spaniards. On clear days, views of the valley make the climb especially rewarding. Pathways around the lake were undergoing renovation at the time of research, closing off some of the running and cycling routes.

　　Other facilities in the park include tennis courts, an equestrian center, golf course, kid's playgrounds, a university campus, World Cup stadium, a lackluster zoo, and a massive amphitheater where the annual wine harvest festival is held.