Horseback Riding

You can ride in the foothills of the Andes for a day or cross the Andes on a six-day trip to Chile that takes you through a treeless landscape of rocky trails, roaring rivers, tiny green meadows, and lofty peaks. Argentine horses aren't allowed in Chile, so you'll have to either change horses at the border or return.

Estancia El Puesto. This five-bedroom ranch offers accommodations, meals, and assorted excursions—most notably horseback riding. The owner, Raúl Labat, has made more than 30 crossings to Chile and still finds each trip rewarding. He leads riders there on six-day journeys each summer. Los Árboles, off R89, Tupungato, Mendoza, 5551. 261/428–8541; www.estanciaelpuesto.com.ar. From $150 (booking essential).

Parque Provincial Volcán Tupungato. Tupungato Volcano rises 6,800 meters (22,310 feet) in snowbound splendor, looming above the high peaks that march along the border between Chile and Mendoza Province. The park that's named for it covers 110,000 hectares (272,000 acres) in the western portion of the departments of Luján de Cuyo, Tupungato, and Tunuyán. There are no roads into the park, but local tour companies lead horseback rides and hikes into the area. Some offer six-day horseback rides to the Chilean border. Mules can be hired to climb to South Glacier at 2,000 meters (6,562 feet). Tupungato, Mendoza, 5561.