A dry, tree-shaded town near 22,841-foot Mount Aconcagua on the eastern side of the Andes Mountains, Mendoza is blessed with olive orchards and vineyards. Ski resorts are accessible near the border with Santiago, Chile. Plus you can golf, horseback ride in the foothills, whitewater raft, fly fish, paraglide, hike, and bike. Mendoza’s shops sell regional handicrafts, and the museums and galleries are worth a visit. It is easy to stay a whole week in a Mendoza vacation rental, and spend the money saved on hotels doing nothing but vineyard tours, wine tasting, and fine lunches at different wineries.

Whether your money-saving vacation rental is in Mendoza or nearby Lujan de Cuyo or Chacras de Coria, you will be near a few dozen vineyards and wineries, some with restaurants serving up gaucho steaks and empanadas. Self-guided winery tours are feasible, and a fair number of vineyards are accessible via public transportation. But the local wine touring companies can be fun, as they include winery restaurant lunches and take you behind the scenes to learn how grapes are grown and see how wines are aged and bottled. Plus you get knowledgeable designated drivers who can fill you in on local history and politics while you relax and enjoy the scenery.

Your money-saving Mendoza vacation rental villa, home, condo, or apartment is a good base for exploring the city center. Check out the weekend crafts fair, modern art museum, performance theater, and other happenings at Plaza Independencia. Stroll the busy Alameda, Avenida San Martin, and shop for handicrafts at Mercado Artesanal. View city history dioramas and shop along Avenida General Las Heras. Reflect on the city’s heritage amidst the statues and fountains at Plazas Italia, Espana, Chile, and San Martin. Walk tree-shaded Paseo Sarmiento, stopping at a sidewalk cafe en route to the sky blue-trimmed provincial legislature buildings.

Enjoy English and French style gardens, a lake, walking paths, and 300 tree species from around the world at Parque General San Martin. Marvel at 34 sculptural works of art, including the huge Monument to the Army of the Andes. Gaze at water fountains like La Fontaine de L'Observatoire near the Rose Garden. This large park is a family affair with soccer and concert stadiums, hang-gliding, a zoo, a university campus, and museums.

Minerals, fossils, archaeology, anthropology, and plant and animal natural history are displayed at Museo de Ciencias Naturales y Antropologicas Juan Cornelio Moyano in Parque General San Martin. Visit Museo del Area Fundacional in Plaza Pedro de Castillo, the original city center destroyed in the 1861 earthquake, to see archaeological excavations and city history from ancient to modern times.