San Rafael on the banks of Rio Diamante, some 235 km south of Mendoza city, is a somewhat smaller-scale version of Mendoza city. It’s quieter but boasts the same delightful wide tree-lined avenues and irrigation canals. And it, too, boasts a plethora of wineries, many still family run, as well as olive groves and fruit orchards.

The small city, which was founded in 1805 by Rafael, Marques de Sobremonte, was subsequently settled by many immigrants, particularly the French, hence the abundance of French-style architecture, followed by the Italians and the Spanish. There are a handful of museums, a lovely Plaza General San Martin, where you’ll find the neoclassical Catedral San Rafael Arcangel, and the Parque Mariano Moreno which is on a small island in the Rio Diamante. Some 35 km southwest of town is the Canon del Atuel which links two reservoirs, the Valle Grande, which is accessible by road, and El Nihuil. The canon is renowned for white-water rafting trips.