# 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

* -33.30426-66.337241 MUHSAL Historical Museum of San Luis, San Martín 611, ☏ +54 266 445-2000 ext 8326. History museum of the region. supposedly free. (updated Jul 2021)
* -33.30506-66.333712 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. (updated Jul 2021)
* -33.30231-66.33573 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). (updated Jul 2021)
* -33.30748-66.335524 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. (updated Jul 2021)
* -33.25901-66.247095 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. (updated Jul 2021)

## Do

* -33.2378-66.24051 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. (updated Jul 2021)
* -33.25042-66.192062 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. (updated Jul 2021)
* -33.30632-66.296883 The Milestone (El Hito). An impressive observatory of the surrounding area along Hwy 7 demarked by pyramids with observation platforms at top. (updated Jul 2021)
* -33.2662-66.27814 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. (updated Jul 2021)

## Sleep

* -33.23477-66.234741 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. (updated Jul 2021)
* -33.30297-66.32672 Hotel el Amparo, Av Pte J D Perón 543, ☏ +54 266 443-1795. Quaint place with breakfast buffet. $27. (updated Jul 2021)