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SAN RAFAEL CIRCUIT
- Circuit 1: Valle Grande - Cañón del Atuel – El
Nihuil
Most part of the roads are paved, except for the route
between Valle Grande and El Nihuil (Cañón del Atuel),
and they are safe as long as the necessary precautions are taken in
order to handle the mountain terrain. The supply of fuel
for the vehicle can be done in the City of San Rafael in
this circuit and in the exit to El Nihuil.
This one hundred and sixty-five-kilometre tour requires
a full day. It is operable throughout the year.
From San Rafael, through the National Route 143,
Ballofet Avenue, six kilometres from the city passing
over two iron bridges, you should make a turn to the
left and enter the first street to the right (Cubillos -
Provincial Route 173), which leads us into the area of
the Valle Grande, the gateway to the majestic Cañón del
Atuel. The tourism infrastructure is abundant: a modern
three-star hotel, several campsites, modern cabins,
sales of regional and indigenous arts and crafts, and so
on. There are also adventure tourism companies that
offer activities such as rafting, horseback riding,
mountain biking, kayaking, cataraft (rafting like
catamaran), tirolesa (cross rivers empty spaces hanging
from a cabble), hiking, horseback riding, rappelling,
paragliding, all of them done along the Atuel River.
Upstream from this service centre, there is the
reservoir Valle Grande, whose singular beauty is
enhanced by two hundred and fifty metre walls from the
edge to the surface of water, place where the canyon is
wider and deeper. In this reservoir nautical activities
can be done. For instance, sailing, water skiing,
windsurfing, catamaran rides, scuba diving, etc.
Going further into the Cañón del Atuel, always going
along the homonymous river, the majestic walls can be
seen in shades of red, yellow, ochre and grey,
represented in the "Wax Museum", where the tourists can
set their imagination free to discover innumerable
shapes of animals or human faces.
Other curious formations that can be mentioned are "The
forest of conifers", "The Monks", "The Lizard", "The Owl",
"The throne of the Inca", "The Elephants", among others.
At the midpoint of this canyon, there is a group of
cabins with different facilities such as restaurants,
swimming pools and sports courts.
Inside the Cañon del Atuel there are hydroelectric
"Nihuil I, II and III, part of the homonymous
hydroelectric system, plus two small dams and lakes "Aisol"
and "Tierras Blancas". Finally, you will get to the
Villa del Nihuil. In this area, there is the largest
reservoir of Mendoza. Regarding its tourism
infrastructure, there you will find cabins, lodge, and
restaurant; there are campgrounds, boat rental and other
services. In addition, there are sports clubs that
provide the opportunity to practice traditional sports
and adventure tourism.
The way back from El Nihuil is done by the Provincial
Route 180 up to the point where it merges with the National Route 144,
going down by the Cuesta de los Terneros, from the
Sierra Pintada towards San Rafael, and the final part,
through the National Route 143 (Ballofet Avenue).
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