You will be staying at the Hostel Internacional Malargue, a small hostel based on a farm in Malargue and close to Las Lenas Ski Centre. This hostel is very well known across Mendoza and is part of the Hostel Internacional Group. It’s located about 4 miles outside the town of Malargue and is set in amazing countryside. To one side the horizon is lined with the snow tipped Andes Mountains with large areas of forest and rolling countryside in the foreground, and to the other side, tall fur trees create a natural boundary around the grounds. It is a hostel run by a family who have known and loved Malargue for a long time.

The hostel consists of 2 main buildings, one has the reception, main kitchen, dining room and impressive new decking and outside bar to help you pass by the quiet tranquil evenings. The other is mainly full with bedrooms but also has a kitchen and lounge for guests. The facilities are excellent and very modern, with most rooms being on-suite and newly decorated with wooden furniture. You will stay in the Hostel in one of their four-bed dorms so you will be required to share the room with other guests that are staying at the hostel.  

The hostel has its own farm (with pigs, chickens, goats, horses and cows), and has recently been identified as an Eco Hostel. This means that the grounds, the buildings, the food and the style of living all meet eco standards. This remarkable way of living, which does not hinder modern life at all, provides a mind opening experience. The buildings are constructed out of local wood and mud for concrete. A mud pool in the gardens, churned by horses and mixed with sand provides a very strong adhesive for construction. Water for cooking and washing is filtered from the nearby mountains and electricity usage is kept to a minimum. For cooking a “horno de barro” is used most nights. This totally natural oven consists of bricks and mud - burning wood from the forest generates the heat.

Breakfast and dinner will be provided on your placement consisting of local dishes. You will be eating home cooked bread and jam for breakfast and evening meals cooked in traditional style. The Cuisine in Argentina in general is delicious and quite often exotic. A common meal is “chivo” - this is a mountain goat and is considered a delicacy in this area of the world.

The hostel experience is very calm and quiet and as there is no internet or TV. Entertainment is found in reading, lazing in the hammocks, sun bathing, walking and socialising on the new terrace with other travellers and locals. As the Hostel offers a variety of tourist tours, there will no doubt be other guests to meet and socialise with. The scenery provides a truly spectacular experience.

About Malargue: Malargue is situated in the south-east angle of Mendoza  province. It’s one of the largest areas of Mendoza province at 41.317 km2 and 1402 meters above sea level with 23,000 inhabitants. The town’s old local industries consisted of oil exploration and production, along with uranium mining, none of which operate now. Now petroleum and tourism are the thriving industries and many hotels and cabins can be found for visitors interested in having an outdoor experience and eco-tourism.

The town has a large park in the centre of the city, with picturesque fountains, a playground and benches for relaxing and soaking up the sun. Many of the projects are next to the park and many volunteers choose to spend their lunch time and free time in the park, reading and watching the locals. The park is also situated on the main road in and out of Malargue which contains your typical Argentinean high street businesses. Ice cream stores and cafes can be found, with customers sitting outside socializing; Internet cafes and kiosks on every corner and traditional food markets.

By night the towns bars are full of local youngsters enjoying themselves and there is nightclub open until the early hours of the morning. There are many restaurants to wind away the evenings, eating Argentinean beef, empanadas (even more famous in Mendoza) and of course local wine. Other standard Argentinean dishes such as “Milanesas” and “parrillada” can also be found easily. 

Being a small town all the locals seem to know each other and so it won't take long until you become a known face. The people in the town are incredibly friendly and always keen to know where you are from and where you are going - they will go the extra mile to make sure that tourists have a great time. There is a real community spirit in the town and our volunteers have the opportunity to contribute to the community themselves.

About Mendoza: Located in the foothills of the Andes Mountains, the city of Mendoza is the provincial capital of the Mendoza region in Cuyo, one of Argentina's main wine-producing areas. About 700 miles north-west of Buenos Aires and 235 miles from Santiago, Mendoza city offers excellent rail, bus and air connections to all parts of the country and to neighbouring Chile.

A beautiful green city with a number of parks, Mendoza has a lively atmosphere with numerous restaurants, theatres and nightclubs. The downtown area of Mendoza is largely pedestrianised with attractive tree-lined avenues and the city's main attractions include Government House, San Martin Park Forest and Cerro de la Gloria.

The province of Mendoza and all its beautiful countryside is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. Its position at the foot of the Andes Mountains puts it right next to some of the world's best skiing. Las Leñas is the most modern ski resort in Argentina and is just four hours south of Mendoza, near Malargüe.

Renowned for its wine production, the area's dominant grape is Malbec, but Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin, Merlot and Syrah are also grown. Some of the province's main wine cellars are located in San Rafael, 125 miles south of Mendoza city.

Aconcagua National Park, the nearby Mount Aconcagua, which at 22,944 feet is the highest mountain in the Andes, draws devoted mountain climbers. In the summer months visitors enjoy mountain biking, rafting and hiking in this area. Uspallata, Potrerillos and Puente del Inca are all beauty spots worth visiting on short excursions.

Mendoza is renowned throughout Argentina for being a beautiful region and city.

THINGS TO DO IN MALARGUE:

“Cabana de las Beujas” (Witches Cavern) – These spectacular caves are situated roughly 70km outside the town. Generated by sea level change, the underground water has carved what seems like galleries, consisting of amazing rock formations including stalactites and stalagmites. After travelling through a network of tunnels and caves you come to what locals call the Virgen Gallery and Flores Gallery. These are vast open spaces carved by thousands of years of water erosion, creating curious rock formations and ceilings that resemble that of churches. Down there a particular “fauna” exists, adapted to living with out sunlight and little food. All these characteristics make the cavern a magical experience and a must see for all visiting tourists.

“Payunia” – A volcanic range consisting of 800 volcanoes: one of the largest ranges in the world! Over thousands of years of volcanic explosions, wide spread lava flow and originate basaltic formations a very unique and alien like landscape has been created. The vast open scenery gives this place a special feel and it has become an incredibly popular attraction for tourists. Guided tours take you to the edge of volcano craters, show old eruptions and lava rivers and many different land forms and rock types.

“Llancanelo Lagoon” - This totally virgin and natural environment is situated roughly 75 km outside the town. This amazing spectacle has recently been incorporated to the Ramsar Convention as one the greatest natural humid places in the world and is home to some 155 species of migratory birds. A truly beautiful place to visit.

“Pincheira Castles” – Due to natural erosion, mainly Glaciers, an incredible monument has been carved out of the ground that has a strange likeness to man made structures. In fact the monument resembles a large castle, complete with towers (cones) made out of sediment. The river Malargue passes close, moat like, and only a few meters away the “Pincheria Spring”. This area was a refuge for the “caudillo” (outcast) Pincheira at the end of last century, and many remains of Indian ceramics, arrow heads and other ancient artifacts can be found. 

“Los Mollos and Valle Hermos” – This amazing location is roughly 45 km outside the town. These thermals were part of the first attraction to Malargues ski tourist industry. The site consists of a hotel across three buildings. The oldest building contains two therapeutic varieties of thermal baths, Sulphur and Iron. In addition to this the resort offer a number of adventure tourism activities, including mountaineering, horse back rides, trekking, rafting and trips to Valle Hemoso and to la Niña Encantada that run all year round. Also about 95 km form Malargue a valley exists, formed by the crossing of two rivers: The Cobre and the Tordillo. Here many activities such as fishing, walking or spotting the “icticola fauna” help pass time away at this beautiful place.

WHAT IS REQUIRED OF YOU:

As with all our destinations, the Argentine culture and heritage, although European in flavour, is different to Anglo-Saxon cultures and this must be borne in mind. 

You must be able to speak a little Spanish to benefit from this experience. You can do a one or two month course in Buenos Aires or take some private lessons on arrival in Malargue.

Self-reliance and independence are highly appreciated in all our destinations and will help you to make the most of this wonderful opportunity!

You will be expected to be highly motivated and involved in all the projects and capable of using your initiative and entertaining yourself during free time. If you are an outdoor person with a sense of adventure and travel, this placement will be perfect for you.

Once you have applied for a placement, we will send you a very detailed Argentina Information Book, as well as an equally detailed Safety Guide - both of these will help to make your stay in Argentina one that you will never forget!

This is a truly awesome, elegant and beautiful country.

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Last modified: January 18, 2008