San Rafael
San Rafael, Mendoza, Argentina.
The Calitina Wine Resort is located in the exclusive Las Paredes district of San Rafael in the province of Mendoza -- the heart of Argentina's wine country. Wine Spectator magazine calls Argentina the “Sleeping Giant” of the global wine industry. Many international companies are buying land in Mendoza for vineyards and state-of-the-art wineries to take advantage of the excellent soil and weather conditions, and the relatively inexpensive real estate and labor. Wine tourism is also growing rapidily. In fact, Business Week magazine says Mendoza is “The Next Napa”.
Argentina’s economy, now recovering from the peso’s sharp devaluation against the U.S. dollar in 2001. But prices of most goods and services in Argentina are still low, with the currency exchange rate now about three pesos to one U.S. dollar. San Rafael’s affordability is one of the big attractions of this beautiful, clean and safe little town near the foothills of the Andes Mountains. At one of several white tablecloth restaurants, an excellent three-course dinner for two with a bottle of fine reserve wine might cost around US$25 including sales tax (there isn't any) and tip (optional, but never more than 10% if you thought the service was exceptional). A nice lunch at one of many congenial neighborhood spots can be had for as little as US$4. Local wages are also relatively low making it very affordable to hire a maid, a gardener or even a chef for a traditional Argentine asado (meat grilling party) in your backyard. You can play a round of golf at the new course less than one kilometer from the Calitina Wine Resort for about US$2. Even real estate taxes are minimal, in many cases only a few hundred dollars per year.
Besides being an inexpensive place to live, San Rafael has everything the tourist, vacation homeowner or relocating expatriate might desire. The town’s 130,000 inhabitants are friendly, hardworking and family oriented. If you speak Spanish, you’ll make new friends easily. If you don’t, San Rafael is the perfect place for a “total immersion” course since almost no one speaks English. You’ll feel safe walking the streets alone at night in any neighborhood. In fact, getting a late-night ice cream at one of many sidewalk cafés is a favorite pastime. Basically, San Rafael feels like a small U.S. mid-western town in the 1950s.
San Rafael has several small hotels to accommodate its fast growing tourist business, clothing shops, boutiques, banks, hardware stores, supermarkets and the pervasive corner grocery store offering fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, cheeses, and of course locally produced wine. Internet cafes or Locutorios are everywhere so it’s easy to check e-mail, get a stock quote or phone your friends and family anywhere in the world for a nominal fee. You can take courses at the local college, hike or river raft in the Valle Grande, ski at the world-famous Las Leñas resort, or just go for a nice bike ride in the park - after your long afternoon siesta of course.
Bicycling is the preferred mode of transportation. It seems like there are more bikes than cars on the streets. But if you’re a classic car enthusiast San Rafael is the place for you. You’ll often see Fords and Chevrolets built in the 1950s or 60s driving by in showroom condition. An appropriate backdrop to a town that feels like Ozzie and Harriett might have raised their family here.
San Rafael enjoys nice weather year-round. The warm summer days feature cloudless blue skies and low humidity. Then at night it cools down to the perfect temperature for a moonlight walk before a restful sleep. The average annual rainfall is only about twelve inches. Yet there is plenty of crystal clear water for irrigating San Rafael’s many vineyards and nicely landscaped parks from the Diamante and Atuel rivers that originate in the Andes and run through the city. Winters can be cold but it rarely snows. The only downside is the occasional hailstorm in the summer and fall, some quite fierce. But the local weather forecasters are pretty good at predicting them in time to find shelter, and most vineyards are covered with anti-hail netting to protect their precious fruit.
The San Rafael airport, about 4 kilometers from the Calitina Wine Resort, offers one commercial flight per day to and from Buenos Aires on a Boeing 737 operated by Aerolineas Argentina, a national air carrier. Or you can travel to the “Paris of South America” by efficient and inexpensive overnight bus service complete with food, wine and a business-class size seat that reclines for sleeping. Or you can drive the 990 kilometers across the country to Buenos Aires by car. But bring plenty of cash since gasoline is one of the few things in Argentina that is relatively expensive.
Las Paredes is considered by many to be the most desirable area in San Rafael. There are a number of residential developments in progress, most notably the country club homes surrounding the new golf course. But much of the area is still dominated by working fincas with small caretaker’s houses. The main roads into the Las Paredes area are paved with easy access to Ruta 143, the main highway that leads south 10 kilometers into town or north 232 kilometers to Mendoza City.
If you ever tire of San Rafael’s tranquility and unspoiled natural beauty, Mendoza City has everything you would expect to find in a large metropolitan area – from European-style shops to Wal-Mart, a Park Hyatt hotel, world-class restaurants, and the traffic congestion and real estate prices to match. In contrast, San Rafael is still in the early stages of its growth spurred by the city’s emphasis on tourism, retirees and vacation homeowners, and foreign investment in the flourishing wine business.
San Rafael, Mendoza, Argentina.
A beautiful place to live. A secure place to invest. A safe haven in an uncertain world.
San Rafael
The city of San Rafael is in the heart of Mendoza.
Plaza San Martín
A quaint town square near the center of downtown San Rafael.
Downtown Cafe
This popular cafe in downtown San
Rafael offers European ambiance at Argentine prices.
Tree Lined Street
Poplar (Alamos) trees turn a vibrant golden color in the fall.
Valle Grande
One of many lakes in the Valle Grande area.
