Mendoza · With kids

A terraced thermal water park in a river canyon an hour west, with warm pools, slides and a buffet. Open year-round. Ages 3 and up.

Pedal boats on the rowing lake, huge shaded lawns and a stiff walk or drive up to the Cerro de la Gloria. Any age.

On the Ruta 7 day trip to the Chile border: an ochre natural rock bridge and a viewpoint over Aconcagua. Cold and high. Ages 6 and up.

Outfitters on the Mendoza river run graded floats from about an hour long, October to March. Minimum ages are usually around seven.

Shops shut roughly one until five, and the dry heat is fierce in January. Many bodegas have gardens, lawns and long lunches that suit children.