You take an oar with both hands and forcefully try to advance over the water to reach one of the first waterfalls of the Atuel River. The wave, which seemed small from a distance but immense when approaching, shakes the rubber boat and wets all the crew members with force. The raft stabilizes again and then is filled with smiles. “Let’s go team, celebrate”, cheers Tiburón, the guide, who invites them to raise the oars to celebrate the feat.
If there is an Argentine destination that stands out for its wide range of adventure tourism activities, it is San Rafael , the second most important city in Mendoza , located just over 200 kilometers south of the capital. The alternatives, however, are not exhausted in this broad tourist segment.
Panoramic view of Valle Grande, with the rock formation called “The Submarine” standing out in the water..
A scene full of adrenaline
The Atuel Canyon begins at the El Nihuil Reservoir , 70 kilometers from San Rafael, and its mouth is located a few kilometers downstream from the Valle Grande reservoir. Along the route there are green spaces ideal for relaxing and areas where you can practice mountain biking, trekking, photographic safari, hiking and condor watching.
The Atuel River, in Valle Grande, invites you to enjoy the adrenaline rush of rafting with your family.
The El Nihuil dam is an artificial lake with crystal clear waters, where you can enjoy a large number of nautical activities such as windsurfing, kitesurfing, water skiing and jet skiing, or canoeing and swimming for those who prefer a more relaxed experience.
In El Nihuil there is an arid zone of around 30,000 hectares, where a great desert of volcanic sand is surprising, with dunes that can measure up to 200 meters in height. In summer the temperature can exceed 50 degrees, so it is advisable to visit it very early in the morning. To explore the dunes it is essential to do it by quad, 4×4 or dirt bike and, since it is easy to get lost due to the lack of reference points, it is preferable to be accompanied by a guide.
Dunes. A great desert of volcanic sand in El Nihuil, a setting to explore in 4×4 vehicles.
When midday arrives, you can have lunch in the town or continue the route and recharge your batteries in Valle Grande, another unavoidable stop on the tour. Here is the most characteristic image of the Atuel Canyon, with a geological formation that emerges from the reservoir: El Submarino, renamed this year in honor of the crew of the ship ARA San Juan . The immense slopes that frame the river look like mountains if they are observed from the water level, but if they are taken in perspective from the height, it is understood that, in reality, the elevations form a deep canyon.
The Valle Grande reservoir allows you to enjoy the beauty of its landscape through a large number of experiences. The Raffeish company -one of the most important in the area- organizes rafting outings on the Atuel, doki (an inflatable canoe for one passenger and the guide) with a 9 km route, floating and the adrenaline-pumping cool river, an individual rubber where the person sails on his belly, with frog legs and a guide for every two people. 
The Los Reyunos dam, 30 km from the city center.
Zip line on the dam
Part of the next day can be dedicated to a walk around the Los Reyunos dam, 35 kilometers from the city . Fed by the Diamante River, it is one of the few dams in the country that has a pumping system, which allows the recovery and reuse of water by inverting the turbines. Among an infinity of green and turquoise tones, all kinds of activities can be practiced. One of the most sought after is the bangi shot, a 580 meter long zip line over the lake, which allows you to experience a sensation similar to flying. When descending, you return to the starting point by catamaran.
The Kaike Turismo Aventura company offers this activity, as well as tours of the reservoir, ATV, canoe and kayak rentals and diving trips. From the top and with the majestic panoramic view of the landscape, you can see a very tempting floating pool, which has a depth of 1.40 meters, ideal for diving when temperatures are pressing.
Zip line, one of the activities that can be practiced in the Los Reyunos dam.
A few kilometers from the center of San Rafael, Finca Los Álamos is a historic estancia in the region, where since 2003 homage has been paid to one of the greatest writers of Argentine literature. “I want green, real, living laurels, not those made of gold or metal”, expressed Jorge Luis Borges in Rome in 1984 and his wish came true: eight thousand plants of surviving boxus bushes make up a two-hectare labyrinth.
The dream of creating this place arose from Borges’ friendship with the writer Susana Bombal, one of the owners of the ranch, who used to invite him and other prominent personalities, such as Manuel Mujica Lainez, Raúl Soldi and Héctor Basaldúa, and the English maze designer Randoll Coate.
Circuit of wineries
Cuyo is one of the most important wine regions in the country , which has the largest number of vineyards in Mendoza and displays four well-differentiated oases. San Rafael is the last in the southern part of the province and, since it is isolated from the others, it is an oasis that has developed its own characteristics. 
The Suter winery.
San Rafael has a large number of wineries. Suter and Bianchi are the most recognized. However, most of the establishments are medium or small in size, compared to the main ones in the capital of Mendoza. “Here everything is more on the lungs”, point out the guides who lead the visits in each winery.
