The Mendoza Road Trip I’d Take: Villavicencio, Uspallata & Potrerillos

If you have a rental car and want to see a very different side of Mendoza, I have a route for you.

Villavicencio → Uspallata → Potrerillos

This isn’t the quickest way to get from A to B. And that’s exactly why I love it.

A long, straight, empty road running towards a mountain range under white clouds, with power lines along the right side — A long straight road towards the mountains · My own photo

You’ll drive through mountains, old roads, tunnels and valleys, stop for a picnic or lunch, have coffee in Uspallata, and spend a good part of the day wondering how the landscape keeps getting better.

But there is one important thing:

This is a mountain road trip, not a quick afternoon drive.

Give yourself time. Bring water and snacks. Make sure your phone is charged. And if you’re not comfortable driving mountain roads, I wouldn’t choose this as your first Argentine road trip.

Start at Villavicencio

Your first stop can be Villavicencio Park, in the mountains just outside Mendoza.

This is a lovely place to slow down for a while.

One part of the park is perfect if you want a more relaxed start to the day. You can have a picnic, enjoy the surroundings and simply take in the mountains.

If you’re looking for something more active, continue towards the main hotel area, where you can find activities such as zip-lining and a tree walk.

The white Villavicencio hotel building with a red roof, above a stone wall with the Villavicencio sign, between tall trees and green mountains — Villavicencio · My own photo

And yes, the setting is beautiful.

You are surrounded by the Andes, so even if you don’t do any of the activities, the drive itself is already part of the experience.

My tip

Don’t rush through Villavicencio just because Uspallata is your final destination.

Give yourself some time here. This is one of those places where sitting down with a coffee or picnic and looking at the landscape is part of the experience.

Two yellow and white signs in Spanish at a grassy picnic area: one says you are in the natural habitat of pumas and what to do if you meet one, the other warns about snakes and spiders — Signs at a picnic area in Villavicencio: you are in puma country · My own photo

Then take the mountain road to Uspallata

And this is where the adventure really begins.

From Villavicencio, you can continue along the old mountain route towards Uspallata.

The road climbs through the famous Caracoles de Villavicencio, with hundreds of bends through the mountains. This was historically an important route towards Chile before the newer road through Potrerillos became the main connection. The old route is now Provincial Route 52.

A gravel road zigzagging down dry green-brown mountain slopes in many tight bends, with a wide view to the plains beyond — The Caracoles de Villavicencio · My own photo

A little warning from me

This road is beautiful — but don’t underestimate it.

I thought it would be a relatively quick drive.

It wasn’t.

For us, getting all the way to Uspallata took several hours, with stops to look at the scenery and take photos.

And honestly? I’m glad we didn’t rush.

The road is adventurous and winding, and I’d recommend it more for experienced drivers who are comfortable on mountain roads.

Check the road conditions before leaving and don’t drive this route in bad weather or poor visibility.

And bring:

Plenty of water
Snacks
A charged phone
Enough storage for all the photos you’re about to take
Something warm, depending on the season

The scenery changes constantly as you climb higher.

And keep your eyes open.

We saw guanacos and horses along the way, as well as some very large birds flying around the mountains. I wasn’t brave enough to identify the birds with certainty — so I’ll leave that to the bird experts.

A guanaco standing at the edge of a gravel road, with dry scrub-covered mountain slopes and the winding road behind it — A guanaco by the road · My own photo

And then… Uspallata

After all those curves, arriving in Uspallata feels almost like reaching another world.

The town sits in a beautiful mountain valley at around 2,000 metres above sea level, and it makes a very good place to stop, stretch your legs and have something to eat.

One of my favourite little stops here is Rio café uspallata.

It’s the kind of place I love finding on a road trip.

A relaxed café, beautiful surroundings, coffee and something sweet.

After spending hours driving through the mountains, sitting down with a coffee and a piece of cake feels like exactly the right thing to do.

But don’t stop here…

If you think Villavicencio → Uspallata is the whole adventure, I have another surprise for you.

Continue from Uspallata towards Potrerillos.

This part of the journey is completely different — and honestly, it might have been one of my favourite parts.

The landscape starts to feel almost unreal.

You drive through the mountains and tunnels, with huge rocky formations surrounding you.

At some points I genuinely felt like I had accidentally driven onto the set of a Western movie.

And then you start noticing the old railway.

The Mendoza–Los Andes Transandine Railway was an important part of the historic connection between Argentina and Chile. The railway route ran through the area around Cacheuta and Potrerillos, while later road routes changed how people travelled between Mendoza and Uspallata.

So while you’re driving, keep looking around.

If you have good eyes, you can sometimes spot remains of the old railway route and infrastructure hidden in the landscape.

A wide desert valley with a river and a road between dark mountains under a bright sun, with old railway tracks in the bottom left corner — Between Uspallata and Potrerillos, with old railway tracks in the bottom left corner · My own photo

It’s one of those details that makes the drive much more interesting once you know what you’re looking at.

And finally: Potrerillos

Eventually, the mountains open up and you arrive in Potrerillos.

Turquoise water of the lake at Potrerillos below reddish-brown mountains under a clear blue sky — Potrerillos · My own photo

And this is where I’m going to stop.

Not because there isn’t more to say — quite the opposite.

Potrerillos deserves its own article.

It’s one of my favourite places around Mendoza, and there is enough to do, see and explore there that I don’t want to squeeze it into the end of somebody else’s itinerary.

So consider this your sign to save the place for another day.

My route

If you want to save the route, this is how I’d do it:

Mendoza → Villavicencio → old mountain road → Uspallata → Potrerillos → Mendoza

But don’t treat it like a race.

The whole point of this trip is the road itself.

Stop when you see something beautiful.

Take the photo.

Have the coffee.

Eat the cake.

Watch the guanacos.

Look for the old railway.

And give yourself enough time to enjoy the mountains instead of constantly checking how many kilometres are left.

A few things I’d know before going

Driving: The Villavicencio–Uspallata road is a mountain route with lots of curves and elevation changes. If you aren’t comfortable with mountain driving, consider another option.

Time: Don’t underestimate the journey. With stops, photos and road conditions, it can take considerably longer than you expect.

Supplies: Take water and snacks with you. Don’t assume you’ll find somewhere to stop every few kilometres.

Phone: Charge your phone before leaving. You’ll want it for navigation and, more importantly, photos.

Weather: Mountain weather can change quickly. Check conditions before setting off and reconsider the route if conditions are poor.

Fuel: Don’t start the mountain section with an almost-empty tank. Fill up before heading into the mountains.

And most importantly:

Don’t just drive to Uspallata.

Enjoy the road there.

That’s the part you’ll remember.

My Mendoza recommendation

If you have a rental car, a full day and a little sense of adventure, save this route.

It’s not the easiest day trip around Mendoza.

It’s not the shortest.

But it might be one of the most memorable.