Mendoza, Argentina Postcard
Life as a Digital Nomad in Mendoza and everything you need to know.
Mendoza has officially made it to my top list of Digital Nomad destinations. It’s not number 1, but it’s definitely in the top 5.
Before we begin I want to share something about Travellers that write blog posts; You have to take them with a pinch of salt.
They can be over-the-top positive, and pointlessly lengthy as they try to make you stay on their blog to earn more money through ads and affiliate links etc.
I do not make any money from these posts and write them purely for my love of travel.
Having spent 2 months living in Mendoza, Argentina I had a really good taste of the place, and I mixed with a lot of locals too.
What I am trying to say is, you can trust me on this.
Although if you’re looking for meat restaurant recommendations- I’m not your gal. Sorry.
Let’s get stuck in!
I always start with safety.
Argentina is known for having safety concerns, whether you’re male or female. I was told by many locals that Mendoza is one of the safest cities in Argentina and many families move there for that reason.
I felt fairly safe during my time but I was definitely more guarded of my belongings than I would be in South East Asia for example.
I personally would avoid walking anywhere alone at night, especially as it’s so easy and affordable to get Ubers.
But during the day time, I would happily walk around by myself.
What makes Mendoza such a great destination for Digital Nomads?
The people are so kind, friendly, welcoming. They really want to help you, even with a language barrier. But beyond that, we saw locals helping locals. Especially the homeless community. And when I asked one of my local friends ‘why is everyone so generous?’ He simply said ‘Because we have all needed help at some point, so we give back when it’s our turn’ He’s referring to the unstable financial situations the country has been through for many, many years.
It’s a beautiful and clean city, surrounded by mountains and vineyards.
There is SO much to do in and around the city, no matter what type of person you are and the activities you enjoy.
The weather is perfect for most of the year; warm and dry.
It’s relatively affordable. Especially if you can avoid using AirBnb.
Hardly any Digital Nomads there so the place feels very authentic.
The Ultimate Digital Nomad Guide To Mendoza, Argentina (with links)
Visited when and who with: January & February, with my boyfriend
Where: Mendoza is located in Western Argentina on the boarder of the Andes Mountains, Patagonia and Chile.
Getting to Mendoza: Chances are you’ll need to arrive in Buenos Aires first and get a connecting flight to Mendoza.
They have very good bus systems in Argentina and Mendoza has a good hub for getting to and from places. We used it several times, here’s the location to the bus terminal.
Weather in Mendoza (January & February): It’s their height of summer. During the day temperatures can reach mid-30s.
But because you are in the mountains, it’s a dry heat, making it a lot more manageable but it’s still very warm!
The mornings and evenings are lovely and tend to feel cooler.
There is hardly any rain but when it does, it’s usually a huge storm and passes very quickly.
Accommodation: We booked a 2 bedroom apartment on Airbnb, right in the centre.
My advice here would be avoid living on any of the main streets, they tend to be noisy with people, restaurants, cars, buses etc.
Argentinians eat out late, so restaurants are often open until midnight or later.
Aim for just outside of the city. Or on Google maps you can see the roads highlight in yellow that are main streets and avoid those.
Working & wifi: I never had any issues with wifi in cafes, the cowork or the apartment.
There are not many Digital Nomads coming through, but there are plenty of locals and Expats working remotely.
Co-working spaces in Mendoza: I used Tent co-work for 2 months which I highly recommend.
There are others showing on Google maps but Tent has the best reviews, is conveniently located and the space and amenities were ideal.
Gym: There are a few gym options. We chose Gimnasio En Ritmo as it was affordable and had everything we needed.
ATMs: There are plenty of ATMs in Mendoza, however I never used any, nor do I recommend that you do. You can read more about this in my substack post: How to Handle Money in Argentina as a UK Traveller (even if you’re not from the UK, the ATM part is still relevant!)
Getting around Mendoza: The city is fairly small and everywhere is walkable. There is a tram but we never used it as we always walked.
They also have public bikes, just download biciTRAN and you can use them to get around.
Uber is also readily available and a fairly affordable option to go further afield.
When we travelled outside of Mendoza to go Glamping and visit the lake, we used Andesmar, you can book in advance which I recommend.
Laundry: We had a washing machine in our apartment so I can’t comment on any laundry services, sorry!
Language: Spanish. Mendoza is a tourist destination because of the wineries and Andes Mountains, so you can often find someone that speaks a little English.
Activities (with links):
Glamping in Uspallta- We spent Christmas here and it was very special. Complete calm and peace, surrounded by nature.
There is not much to do in the town but there are plenty of hikes, horse riding, wading through ice cold rivers. It’s an opportunity to slow down and disconnect.
We took the Andesmar bus from Mendoza and it took about 2 hours.
We stayed at Domos Uspallata and I highly recommend it.
‘Free’ walking tour- I loved this and would definitely recommend. You learn so much about the history of the city and Argentina and our guide was very entertaining. You pay a tip that you feel is appropriate.
Parks- There are 5 small parks in the city- all worth a visit for different reasons and can easily be covered in a morning. Plaza Independencia is the main one in the middle and has a crafts market every day.
Then the huge Parque General San Martin which is bigger than Mendoza city itself, you could spend hours here. There is so much to see and explore.
Horse riding in the mountains- We did this as part of our Glamping trip and I highly recommend it.
Valle De Uco (wine region)- We rented a car (using Rentennials- it’s like Airbnb for cars and it was a much cheaper option and easy to use), though there are many tours you can join.
About 1.5 hours drive from Mendoza city, plenty of beautiful accommodation to stay in, and plenty of wine tours and tastings! You really can’t miss this one.
We stayed in La Morada Lodge and loved it - amazing breakfast, swimming pools, a tennis and padel court, bikes and vines you can get lost in.
Potrerillos Lake- Where do I even start? Firstly, just to see it is amazing. The crystal blue water against the back drop of the rugged mountains!
Then there are so many things you can do; take a boat out, kayak, SUP, rafting.
Just before the lake are the natural thermal pools- though we didn’t go here as it was hot enough for us!
Cafes and good working spots (with links)
There are SO many good cafes in Mendoza, you won’t struggle to find somewhere.
Paloma Bakery House - great food and coffee. Good to work from, sometimes gets busy.
White Shark Coffee - is a chain of coffee shops in Mendoza. The food and coffee are good. Some of them are better to work from than others. So just check them out before you go there. The one I have linked is good to work from.
Fran Coffee Makers - I personally didn’t like the food but the coffee is good and it’s a very big space so you can easily sit there and work.
Bröd Ciudad - This was one of my favourite cafes for breakfast or a snack. But it doesn’t have the best seats for working and the inside space is very small.
Cabrita Garage Cafe - Amazing sandwiches but definitely no where to work from.
MACANUDO - Great place to work albeit limited seating, coffee is very good. I never had any food here.
Lobopollito - Lovely atmosphere and place to eat but not suitable to work from.
BURDEOS Cafe Gourmet - Enjoyed the food, coffee and it’s a good spot to work.
What are the downsides to being a Digital Nomad in Mendoza, Argentina?
There really isn’t that many but if I wanted to be super picky, it’s not very close to the beach.
It’s hard to meet other Digital Nomads, and it does not have much of a community here. I think if you were travelling solo, it might feel lonely but honestly the cowork was the best place to meet people.
If you’re vegetarian the food options can get a bit dull, and spice is hard to come by!
It’s on the more expensive side compared to SE Asian nomad destinations but it’s still fairly affordable, especially compared to Buenos Aires.
Working remotely from Mendoza conclusion: Would I go back?
I think you already know the answer to this: YES 1000%!
If you have any questions, feel free to drop them in the comments and I’ll do my best to help!
Amber x
I have a few additions! Lujan de cuyo and maipu are much closer wine areas. You can take the tram to maipú then rent a bike to winery hop for a low cost adventure.
Good areas to stay are 5th and 6th sección close to the big park. Quiet, walkable, and reasonably priced.
Summer and peak winter are probably the worst times to be there. Spring and fall are amazing.
There are expat meetups twice a week if you want to hear english. Mostly older people but some nomads too.