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Uspallata
Village
Municipal House, Uspallata
Municipal House, Uspallata
Country  Argentina
Province  Mendoza
Department Las Heras
Elevation
2,039 m (6,690 ft)
Population
 • Total 3,439
Postal code
M5553
Phone code +54 261
Climate BWk
Bóvedas de San Martín
Las Bovedas in Uspallata
Uspallata landscape
Typical landscape of Uspallata

Uspallata is a village and administrative district in Argentina. It is located in a beautiful spot within the Andes mountains. The village sits on the main road that connects Mendoza in Argentina with Santiago in Chile.

Uspallata is about 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Mendoza. A long time ago, a train called the Transandine Railway used to pass through Uspallata. This railway connected Mendoza to Los Andes in Chile, but it is not used anymore.

Exploring Uspallata: What to See

There are several interesting places to visit in and around Uspallata.

Las Bovedas: Ancient Kilns

One cool spot is "las bovedas." These are old, egg-shaped ovens, or kilns, built in the early 1600s. People used them to get valuable metals like gold, silver, zinc, and copper from rocks mined nearby.

Las bovedas are only about 1.5 kilometers (less than a mile) from town. You can visit them and see a small museum. Some of the special bricks used to build these ovens still have "Rufford Stourbridge" stamped on them. This shows they came all the way from the West Midlands in England! It's a small reminder of how far trade reached back then.

Amazing Mountain Views

The road from Uspallata towards the Chilean border offers some of the most amazing views in the region. The Andes mountains here are truly grand. You can even catch a quick glimpse of Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Andes. Aconcagua stands almost 7,000 meters (about 23,000 feet) above sea level!

The Ochre Bridge

Further along the road, about 72 kilometers (45 miles) from Uspallata, you'll find a unique bridge. It crosses the Mendoza River and looks like it's made from sulfur-rich hot springs. The bridge has a distinct ochre (yellow-orange) color, which makes it stand out in the landscape.

Uspallata's Environment

Climate and Weather

Uspallata has a cold desert climate. This means it's generally dry and can get quite chilly. On average, the village receives about 156 millimeters (6 inches) of rain each year.

Summers in Uspallata have pleasant days and cool nights. Winters are cold, and it can even snow.

Climate data for Uspallata
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 25
(77)
24.1
(75.4)
21.4
(70.5)
18.4
(65.1)
14.3
(57.7)
11.5
(52.7)
11.2
(52.2)
12.2
(54.0)
14.2
(57.6)
17.3
(63.1)
21.1
(70.0)
23.9
(75.0)
17.9
(64.2)
Daily mean °C (°F) 17.1
(62.8)
16
(61)
13.4
(56.1)
10.6
(51.1)
7.4
(45.3)
5
(41)
4.6
(40.3)
5.2
(41.4)
7.1
(44.8)
10.1
(50.2)
13.1
(55.6)
16
(61)
10.5
(50.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 9.2
(48.6)
8.0
(46.4)
5.5
(41.9)
2.8
(37.0)
0.5
(32.9)
−1.5
(29.3)
−2
(28)
−1.7
(28.9)
0
(32)
2.9
(37.2)
5.2
(41.4)
8.2
(46.8)
3.1
(37.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 24
(0.9)
25
(1.0)
15
(0.6)
6
(0.2)
6
(0.2)
8
(0.3)
9
(0.4)
11
(0.4)
7
(0.3)
9
(0.4)
16
(0.6)
20
(0.8)
156
(6.1)
Source: Climate-data.org, altitude: 1894m

Getting Around

Uspallata has its own airport, called Uspallata Airport. This helps people travel to and from the village.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Uspallata para niños

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