In the province of San Juan not all the landscape is deserted.
El Barreal is a leafy oasis within the San Juan desert where you can enjoy the best views of the Andes mountain range, and where the sunrises and sunsets are worth photographing. It is, without a doubt, the destination to achieve total disconnection because, among other things, Wi-Fi is conspicuous by its absence.
The only way to access this little paradise is by car from the city of Mendoza. If you ask a local, they will tell you that the journey takes just over two hours, but you will go for more than three hours because the road is so attractive that you will want to stop to take pictures, since it crosses the foothills and the Andes themselves. You drive along a one-lane road where foxes, llamas and horses pass by, and hundreds of birds fly overhead.
Lunar landscape in the pampas of El Leoncito.
It is convenient to make the trip in an all-terrain vehicle since you will find sections, such as the one near the fork to reach Chile, about 35 km long, which is not paved. The road is made of sand and dust, very bucolic, but it is convenient to have a good car that does not suffer with the stones that abound on the road.
Perhaps this difficulty of access is precisely the secret of the success of this place, which you will know you have arrived when you begin to see hundreds of huge and green trees –most of them poplars and willows– that embellish and hide the houses of the town and listen to the waters of its mighty and active river of Los Patos.
Views of the Andes from La Posada de los Patos.
THE WIFI SHINES BY ITS ABSENCE
If El Barreal has something, it is that there is no other remedy than to relax the mind and enjoy its landscapes, its famous roasts, its spectacular entrails with grilled potatoes that they serve in the La Ramada restaurant and the multitude of adventure sports that it offers such as trekking, mountain biking, mountaineering, horseback riding and 4x4 excursions.
And it is that there is hardly any wifi in all, we repeat, the whole town. Most of the houses do not have it, so to access the virtual world there are only two options: either go to a corner of the town square –because it does not have full coverage– or go to its famous hardware store, which sooner or later you will have to go, since it is the place to buy everything, and the epicenter of the town. Everything happens (or you find out) there.
Its owner also organizes the best horseback riding routes through the Andes, days or shorter, about three hours long, in the direction of the foothills. The most daring can reach 'La Teta Colorada', which allows excellent views of the Mercedario hill and Aconcagua.
Asado at La Ramada restaurant.
STARRY SKIES
Known as one of the clearest skies in Argentina and the world, it is a must-see to delight you every night you spend in this town. Experts say that in El Barreal there are three decisive factors for these **pollution-free skies full of stars and constellations to exist:** “It is a town with little light pollution, where little wind blows, and where there is no there are hardly any clouds almost 300 nights a year”.
We recommend two perfect places to see them in all their splendor. On the one hand, the Leoncito natural park, one of the most important in the country, where the El Leoncito Astronomical Complex is located, about 40 km away. It is one of the most important observatories in the southern hemisphere and they organize visits both during the day and at night, but the best option at this point is when the moon appears.
Another perfect place is the famous Barreal Blanco, 20 km from the town in the direction of Mendoza, which you will recognize by its white color, which reminiscent of a salt lake, since it is an immense plain of lunar soil where, when the sun goes down, an unexpected wind appears, perfect for practicing sand yachting, better known as windcar. Something unique!
The Leoncito Natural Park is one of the best places in the world to see stars and constellations.
SWEET DREAMS AT THE POSADA DE LOS PATOS
The best hotel in the area is La Posada de los Patos, located at one end of the town. It is one hundred percent rustic, with a clear and strong influence of Mexican culture, specifically of the architectural tradition of the Cuyo Region. The history of the name goes back a few decades, when it was the passage of the main column of the Andean army, led by General José de San Martín, who crossed the mountain range to liberate Chile.
The hotel is divided into two areas, with a central building presided over by an immense exterior patio where basic services such as breakfast and meals are developed, with large windows that look towards the mountain range.
The architecture of La Posada de los Patos is based on that of the Mexican region of Cuyo.
The facilities are completed with ten houses strategically built to have terraces with views of the Andes. It is a space that encourages relaxation, reading in one of its hammocks, bathing in its 'pool', or tasting a mate. A plus? There is Wi-Fi here.
If you find yourself with occupancy problems, there are other accommodation offers in the town, such as La Posada del Alemán, where, in addition, it is a perfect place to go eat one hundred percent homemade recipes any day of the week.
La Posada de los Patos has a rustic style and Mexican essence.
SLOWLIFE: FROM MY FIELD
It is one of the most reputable organic gourmet product companies in the country, whose headquarters are located in the heart of El Barreal. In a small country house, surrounded by hectares of fields and crops and with the Patos River as the limit of the farm, All the brand's products are made, such as fruits, aromatic herbs, salts... All one hundred percent organic and sustainable. You can request a visit to the farm to see first-hand the manufacturing processes and, incidentally, purchase some products to taste at home.
The De mi Campo brand was founded by the Argentinian Cecilia Zunino, who lovingly supervises each step, taking care of even the smallest detail. She herself explains to us that this place is perfect for the growth of aromatic herbs, since factors such as the temperature range, the sun and the proximity of the mountain, whose melting waters make the fields more fertile, are aligned.
She also tells us that her brand has a clear philosophy: “Achieving a food free of contaminants, through an agriculture that avoids the use of agrochemicals, prioritizing quality over quantity, so that food preserves its original aromas and flavors”.
Rosemary, dill or salt with organic herbs are its star items, and as different and unique products are dry chimichurri or malbec sauce, both perfect for flavoring a good Argentine barbecue.
Finally, we cannot fail to mention its organic infusions in a bag based on chamomile and lavender, or lemon balm. A blow? It has started selling in the American organic chain Whole Food Market.
Herbs and spices from the De mi Campo brand.