
Mendoza is the capital city of the Province of Mendoza. It is located in the northern-central part of the Province, in a region of foothills and high plains, on the eastern side of the Andes. It has an estimated population of 112,000. A major road between Argentina and Chile runs through Mendoza and the city is a frequent stopover for climbers on their way to climb Aconcagua (the highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere) or for other mountaineering, hiking, horseback riding, rafting, and other sports. In the winter, skiers come to the city for its easy access to the Andes.
Two of the main industries of the Mendoza area are wine making and olive oil production. There is a wide range of hotels in Mendoza as well as cute little posadas and inns in various vineyards on the wine route. The festival of the Vendimia represents the grape harvest in early March each year, where 17 beauty queens from each provincial district are nominated, and one winner is selected by a panel of about 50 judges. The queen from Mendoza City cannot be chosen because she acts as host for all other queens.
Mendoza has wet summers with drier winters. Average temperatures for January (summer) are 32 °C (90 °F) during daytime, and 18.4 °C (65 °F) at night. For July (winter), the average temperatures are 14.7 °C (58 °F) and 2.4 °C (36 °F), respectively. Despite the intensity of agriculture possible due to irrigation from major rivers, Mendoza is classified as semi-desert. Tourists may select from a wide variety of hotels in Mendoza.