General San Martín Park

The Juan Cornelio Moyano museum of natural sciences and anthropology is one of the oldest and most prestigious museums of its kind in Argentina. Built in 1911 and named after Mendoza’s first constitutional governor, the museum has 80,000 specimens of mineralogy, paleontology, anthropology, ethnology, archaeology, and zoology. There are 500,000-year-old fossils and anthropological artifacts from the Inca and Huarpe cultures. Prado Español and Av. Las Tipas, “Extremo Sur del Lago” in General San Martin Park, Mendoza; +54 261 428 7666

The Mendoza Zoological Park stretches 100-acres in General San Martin Park and is home to over a thousand animals including a lion, leopard, elephant, zebra, buffalo, camel, flamingos and seals to list a few. The original zoo was built in 1903 as part of the park’s original design by landscape architect Carlos Thays, but was moved to its present location near Cerro de la Gloria in 1941. The new zoo was designed with semi open enclosures that simulate the animal’s natural habitat. Guided visits are offered. Entrance fee: 10 pesos for children; 25 pesos for adults. The safest way to arrive is by car or bus rather than on foot. Av. Libertador S/N, General San Martin Park, Mendoza; +56 261 444 4411

The hike up Cerro de la Gloria in General San Martin Park is a steep 45-minute trek but worth the panoramic city views. Make sure you bring lots of water and go early in the day before the weather is too hot and the views too hazy. At the top, you’ll also be rewarded with an impressive bronze monument honoring the Army of the Andes led by Argentina liberator General San Martin, a battalion he marched from Mendoza to Chile to free the country from Spanish rule. The memorial was built to commemorate the Argentina Centennial of 1910. If you’re too tired to climb back down, you can take the public bus, but will need exact change to ride (check current price at the tourist office).