Turquoise water
Below the Andes.
Mauricio V. Genta — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mauricio V. Genta — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dario Alpern — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mauricio V. Genta — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Potrerillos reservoir is a man-made lake about 12 kilometres long on the Mendoza river, behind a rockfill dam 116 metres high and 395 metres long, built between 1999 and 2003 for flood control, power and irrigation. Its turquoise water mirrors the snow-capped Andes behind, making it one of the best-known views on the road into the mountains. Roadside viewpoints line its shores, with spots for picnics, fishing and water sports, and on the river below there are rafting and kayak trips. The reservoir has lost part of its capacity to the heavy silt the Mendoza river carries. It is free, about an hour's drive from Mendoza city. The light is best in the morning and before sunset, and the wind picks up in the afternoon.
Below the Andes.
Beside the road.
On the Mendoza river.
National Route 7, Potrerillos valley, west of Mendoza
Yes. Rafting and kayak trips run on the Mendoza river below the reservoir, paid with local operators.