Maipú Bike Tours
The most relaxed, accessible wine experience — pedal along tree-lined rural roads between historic bodegas and award-winning olive mills, 20 minutes from the city.
Why Bike Touring in Maipú Works So Well
While the Uco Valley requires an hour and a half of driving across vast mountain highways, Maipú is located just 15 to 20 minutes from Mendoza's main square. Even better, you can reach it via the clean, modern Metrotranvía light rail from downtown Mendoza to the Gutiérrez terminal station for under $1 USD.
Maipú is flat, sunny, and characterized by quiet secondary lanes lined with ancient sycamore and eucalyptus trees. Along Calle Urquiza and Ruta del Vino, dozens of historic bodegas, craft distilleries, and world-renowned olive oil mills sit just 1 to 3 kilometers apart, making two-wheeled exploration spontaneous and liberating.
🚲 Top Stops on the Maipú Bike Circuit
Here are the must-visit landmarks easily reachable on a half-day or full-day bicycle ride:
Bodega Trapiche
Location: Coquimbito, Maipú · Highlights: Florentine renaissance winery · Espacio Trapiche
One of Argentina's oldest and most awarded brands. Trapiche's Maipú facility is housed in a magnificent, meticulously restored 1912 Florentine-style brick estate originally served by its own private railway spur. Tastings explore their pioneering biodynamic single-vineyard terroirs. The estate's restaurant, Espacio Trapiche, helmed by chef Lucas Bustos, has earned international accolades for its seasonal km-zero garden pairings overlooking the biological pond.
Bodega López
Location: General Gutiérrez, Maipú · Highlights: Giant French oak foudres · Chateau Montchenot
For wine lovers curious about how Argentine wine tasted in the early 20th century before international barrique aging took over, Bodega López is a living museum. Family-owned for four generations, López specializes in prolonged aging in colossal French oak casks (some holding over 20,000 liters). Their venerable Montchenot gran reserva blends are aged for 10 to 20 years before release, offering leathery, savory, tertiary complexity.
Olivícola Laur & Acetaia Millán
Location: Cruz de Piedra, Maipú · Highlights: EVOO World Ranking #1 · Traditional balsamic vinegar
No bike tour through Maipú is complete without a stop at Laur, consistently ranked the #1 Extra Virgin Olive Oil Producer in the World by the EVOO World Ranking. Pedal through 100-year-old olive groves, taste single-variety oils (Arauco, Arbequina), and tour the authentic Modena-style acetaia where traditional balsamic vinegar is aged for up to 15 years in wood barrels.
💡 Practical Bike Tour Advice
- Start early: Rent your bike by 10:00 AM before the midday Andean sun heats up.
- Use the side paths: Main avenues can have truck traffic; rental shops (like Mr. Hugo or Maipú Bikes) provide laminated maps showing safe back roads.
- Drink water: High altitude combined with sunshine and wine accelerates dehydration. Drink one bottle of mineral water per winery stop.