San Luis (city, Argentina)
San Luis is the capital of San Luis Province. For travellers, the city is primarily of interest as a starting point for the charming valleys of the Sierras de San Luis. There are reservoirs and deep gorges in the metropolitan area just a few kilometers from the center.
Understand
San Luis was founded in 1594, then abandoned, and re-founded in 1632. Is sits at the base of the Sierra Grandes at about 2400 feet. In 2010, it had a population of almost 170,000 people.
From a poor, administrative small town, San Luis rose in the 1980s and 1990s to a lively small industrial metropolis. San Luis is a modern city with good infrastructure, but few sights.
Get in
By plane
The San Luis Airport lies about 3.2 km north of the city and has direct flights to and from Buenos Aires.
By car
The city is on the Highway 7 corridor between Mendoza and Buenos Aires, though much closer to the former, and also has connections to Cordoba to the north.
By bus
All intercity buses on the important long-distance route Buenos Aires - Mendoza - Santiago de Chile stop in San Luis. There are also connections to Cordoba.
Get around
Most of the city highlights are within walking distance downtown, but the Portrero las Funes and Balneario Hoya and other natural attractions will probably require transportation.
See
- 🌍 MUHSAL Historical Museum of San Luis, San Martín 611, ☏ +54 266 445-2000 ext 8326. History museum of the region. supposedly free.
- 🌍 Museo Dora Ochoa de Masramón, Colón 508, ☏ +54 266 445-2000. M-F 08:00-20:00. Another regional museum, this one with perhaps more of a natural history and archeology focus to it.
- 🌍 Iglesia Catedral de San Luis, Rivadavia 740, ☏ +54 266 425-2784. M-F 10:00-12:30, 17:30-20:00. Neoclassical cathedral with two towers overlooking Plaza Pringles (with a statue of a colonel by that name - no chips, sorry).
- 🌍 Plaza Independencia. Here's a town square with a statue of General José de San Martín, who led Peru, Argentina, and Chile to victory from Spain, plus some cool colonial architecture around.
- 🌍 Pueblo Memorial Puntano (in a park called Camp Las Chacras). daily 09:00-20:00. A monument to citizens of San Luis who fought in the Independence Revolution. Lots of statues. free.
Do
- 🌍 Quebrada de los Cóndores. You can explore this canyon-like corridor to a lake called Potrero de los Funes where boating and swimming are possible.
- 🌍 Balneario La Hoya, ☏ +54 266 437-7615. Riverine type swimming area below the fall of the Volcan River with interesting pools formed by cliffs and rock formations, somewhat developed.
- 🌍 The Milestone (El Hito). An impressive observatory of the surrounding area along Hwy 7 demarked by pyramids with observation platforms at top.
- 🌍 Cerro de los Venados (approach from Juana Kosley township to the east, inquire locally for hiking trail directions). A conspicuous hill offering views of area if you want to put a good hike in.
Sleep
- 🌍 Hotel Potrero De Los Funes, Ruta 18, Potrero de los Funes, ☏ +54 266 444 0038. Lakeside hotel with lots of amenities, including pool, spa, restaurant, and a beach.
- 🌍 Hotel el Amparo, Av Pte J D Perón 543, ☏ +54 266 443-1795. Quaint place with breakfast buffet. $27.