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City in San Juan, Argentina
Photo: SANJUANINO, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
San Juan is the capital city of San Juan province, in the central-west Cuyo region of Argentina, about 150 km north of Mendoza. The province has a large Triassic period fossil record, believed to be one of the largest in the world. See the Dinosaur Museum near Parque de Mayo.
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25 May Square
The centre of the city, dating from 1871 is green and relatively quiet. Coffee shops. Statues of Domingo Faustino Sarmiento and Fray Santa Maria de Oro by Miguel Sugo Angel. See cathedral.
Metropolitan Cathedral
Built in 1979 after the 1944 earthquake seriously damaged the previous Jesuit church that had been erected as the Cathedral of San Juan. A work of prestigious architect Daniel Ramos Correas. The bell tower is 51 m high, covered with red ceramic brick and topped with an ornamental pyramid. An elevator goes up to a viewpoint at the top. It has a Big-Ben clock and a German carillon that rings every 15 minutes. The main nave is accessed through a bronze vestibule built in Faenza, Italy with bas-relief of Santa Rosa de Lima, San Luis, the Santiago apostle, Santa Ana and several other shields and emblems. In the basement of the church is a crypt, tombs of former bishops and a chapel of famous Argentine bishop and San Juan-born Justo de Santa María de Oro.
Aberastain square
This square is clean, well-kept and in the center is a statue of Aberastain, a lawyer and governor of the province.
May Park
This green space was inaugurated in May 1910 to commemorate the centenary of the May Revolution. It has games for children, an artificial lake with an island, fish and aquatic birds, a cycling circuit, karting facilities, lots of statues and a dinosaur museum next door.
Instituto y Museo de Ciencias Naturales, Tierra de Dinosaurios
In the old railway station Ferrocarril General Belgrano, is the largest dinosaur museum in the region. Well presented. Although called a natural science museum, it is more a natural history museum, mostly focused on dinosaurs. The descriptions are only in Spanish, but it is surprising how much can be understood: many technical words are quite similar in English. Significant fossil finds in the north and east of San Juan province. Can see cleaning of fossils being done at the museum.
Birthplace of the illustrious educator and president of the republic, Domingo Faustino Sarmiento on 15 February 1811. 9 rooms with relics, photographs, medals, journals and books written by Sarmiento. In the central patio a sprout of a famous fig tree and replica of the historical loom of Doña Paula, his mother. The first historical monument declared in the country, in 1910. Almost all labelling only in Spanish.
Plaza Francisco Narciso Lapida
Another leafy square with a couple of OK cafes and a statue in the middle. This one has a small children's play-park.
The Gnecco Museum has items related to XVIIIth and XIXth century fashion, creole silver-work, coins and stamps.
Displays and videos about tango and its evolution in the 20th century. Conferences, discussions, classes of violin and bandoneón (tango accordion).
Visit the 140-year-old Graffigna winery with a tasting at the end of the tour.
Urban History Museum
The Museo de la Historia Urbana belongs to the municipality, and is about the history, the memories, the urban life and the inhabitants of San Juan. It aims also to improve the quality of life and strengthen the community links by affirming its diversity. The museum is a public site of reflection, projection to the future, and inclusion.
Ullum Reservoir
Petit Bistrot y Casa de Té
French cafe-restaurant at Alliance Française. Fair, fixed lunch of salad, main, dessert and drink at AR$330 (<US$8, May 2019). Wifi. No evening meal Monday or Tuesday.
Although there are several other pleasant, more modern cafés in the area including Bonafide, Cereza Light and Tres Cumbres, this one, being rather older, and attached to the Franklin library (Biblioteca Franklin), around since 1866, has a distinct atmosphere:Pleasant to sit there in the evening. Reputedly the oldest public library in South America. Recommend the Napolitan (tomato) pizza (AR$180 ~US$4 May 2019). Three draught, artesanal beers on the menu, although sometimes only one is available, (you can try before you buy), the rubia, (dorada) which was nothing special. Wifi.
Alfajores & Cafe Club
Coffee-shop. Modern, bright, with wifi and long hours. There are a few quieter, more local cafes, just round the corner you might want to check out first, some also with wifi, but that might close for siesta.
Somewhat out of the centre, but a brewery with many good artesanal ales, good atmosphere, seating indoors and out (AR$70-120 ~US$2 per pint, May 2019), with seating outdoors and indoors. Food from food carts just outside a little pricey, but OK (e.g. small choripan AR$170, ~US$4). With table-tennis room and Wifi.
Alhambra Inn Hotel
Clean, modern, central, budget hotel. Surprisingly quiet. Small windows. Included breakfast of medialunas and coffee/tea is served in Café Ristretto on Plaza 25 de Mayo.
Moderate hotel with some older rooms that are rather run down and some rooms that are renovated with better furnishings. On-site restaurant. Odd lobby is down a level from the plaza.
Moderate hotel with spacious rooms in a quiet neighborhood.
The city centre is green and walkable, supplemented by an urban transport system of buses, a taxi service and remises.
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San Juan · Regional · UAQ
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