Cañón del Atuel Tour

The Cañón del Atuel is 230 km south of Mendoza city, in the San Rafael department. The drive takes about 3.5 hours each way via Route 40 and Provincial Route 144. That's why this is an extended full-day tour: we leave early and return at night.

The main activities are touring the viewpoints, landscape photography, boating on Lago Valle Grande (motorboats, kayaks, jet skis), rafting on the Atuel River (in San Rafael), visiting the hydroelectric dam and short walks in permitted areas. It's a destination that combines nature, geology and water activities.

Yes, the Atuel River has several rafting sections, especially in San Rafael. It isn't included in this tour because it takes a separate half day. If you'd like to combine them, we can arrange a two-day tour: the canyon one day and rafting the next. Just ask us.

Spring (September–November) and summer (December–March) are the best seasons. The weather is warm, the days are long and water activities on the lake are in full swing. You can go in winter, but it's cold and some activities are suspended. Autumn has spectacular colors but shorter days.

The canyon has 4 main viewpoints: El Sapo, Los Pizarrones, Los Reyes Magos and Las Tres Marías. Each one offers different views of the eroded rock formations the river sculpted over millions of years. Touring all of them takes about 2.5 hours, stopping at each one.

No, entry to the canyon is free. It's a public provincial road. The viewpoints are all along the road and free to access. Optional activities (boating, rafting) do have a cost and are paid on site.

Yes, but keep in mind it's a long day (14 hours in total) with several hours of travel. Children usually love the viewpoints and the lake, but they may get tired on the drive. We recommend bringing entertainment for the trip. It's ideal for children aged 5 and up.

The Cañón del Atuel in Argentina is geologically similar to the Grand Canyon of the Colorado in the United States, but on a smaller scale. Both are canyons carved by rivers over millions of years, with multicolored rock formations. The Atuel is 50 km long and the Colorado is 446 km. That's why the Atuel is known as “the little Colorado”.

Yes, the tour passes through San Rafael on the way. If you'd like more time in the city (wineries, food, historic center), we recommend a two-day tour with a night in San Rafael. Ask us about combined packages.

The full tour lasts about 14.5 hours. We leave Mendoza at 6:30 am, reach San Rafael around 10 am, tour the whole canyon and its viewpoints, have lunch in El Nihuil, and return to Mendoza around 9 pm.