General San Martín Park & Cerro de la Gloria
Parque General San Martín
A large urban park of about 400 hectares with an artificial lake, a rose garden and the Cerro de la Gloria, where an Andean Army monument overlooks the Andes.
General San Martín Park was designed by the French landscape architect Carlos Thays and construction began in 1896. Covering about 400 hectares, it is one of the largest urban parks in South America. It is named after José de San Martín, the independence hero born in Mendoza. At the entrance stand a pair of ornate wrought-iron gates cast in England. The park contains an artificial lake about 1 km long (boats are available), a rose garden, football fields, the Greek Theatre (Teatro Griego Frank Romero Day), which is the main venue for the annual Grape Harvest Festival, and a natural science museum. On top of Cerro de la Gloria, on the western side of the park, stands a large bronze monument commemorating San Martín's crossing of the Andes with the Army of the Andes in 1817 to liberate Chile and Peru. It depicts soldiers, mule trains and civilians providing support, and is a symbol of Mendoza. The summit platform offers views over the city and the distant Andes. It takes about 20 minutes to walk from the city centre to the park entrance. You can rent bicycles to ride in the park, and reach the top of Cerro de la Gloria by park shuttle bus or taxi, or walk in about 1 hour. The park is open all day, but it is best to leave early in the evening.
Opening hours
Open all day (Glory Mountain shuttle bus operates during the day)
Nearby sights
- Avenida Arístides Villanueva
- Plaza Independencia, Mendoza
- Plaza España, Mendoza
- Mendoza Central Market
- Foundational Area Museum & San Francisco Ruins
- Cerro Arco
- Luján de Cuyo Wine Region
- Chacras de Coria