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Your own kayak on the Mendoza River is the core of this Potrerillos half day, with about one hour 30 minutes on moving water after a briefing at the base. Hotel pickup from Mendoza City is included, along with kit and on-water support.
At the Potrerillos base you fit buoyancy aid and the rest of the river kit, then run through paddle strokes, eddy turns, and what to do if you capsize. Guides stay with the group and read the current before you commit to each section, so you are not guessing the line on your first moving-water outing.
On the water you paddle about one hour 30 minutes through currents and small rapids, looking after your own boat rather than sitting in a raft crew. After the take-out you change into dry clothes and drive back to Mendoza with the same vehicle, with time at the base to warm up before you leave the valley.
The run uses the Mendoza River in the Potrerillos valley, meltwater in a dry Andean corridor west of the city. You feel the hills immediately, even on a half-day outing: pale slopes, open sky, and a working river rather than a still lake. The base sits close to the water, so kit-up and the briefing happen on the bank instead of a distant car park.
Mendoza City remains the start and finish. The drive west is short enough to be back in town the same afternoon, and long enough to watch the vineyards give way to reservoir country before you reach the put-in. You are dropped where you started after you change.
No previous kayaking is required. You should be happy to get wet, paddle your own craft, and follow instructions on moving water. Everyday fitness is enough.
Closed shoes you can soak are required. Bring a full dry change. You should be happy looking after your own boat on moving water rather than sitting in a raft crew.
River days out of Mendoza have been this team's work since 1966, and the kayak outing sits alongside the rafting descents rather than as a hired boat on a lake. Guides stay on the water with you.
Kit is fitted at the base and hotel pickup is built in. You get a proper look at moving water in your own craft, without committing to a 12 or 30 kilometre raft day.
Hotel pickup covers the designated Mendoza City area and addresses within about 1.5 km of Plaza Independencia. Further out, you will be given a nearby meeting point.
Wear a swimsuit under travel clothes and keep a dry bag ready. The drive west takes you to the Potrerillos river base. You return to Mendoza with the same vehicle.
You kayak about one hour 30 minutes on the Mendoza River, through currents and small rapids, after a safety briefing and kit fitting at the Potrerillos base. Hotel pickup from the designated Mendoza City area is included.
All kayaking kit and on-water support come with the outing. The full trip including transfers is around four to six hours from leaving Mendoza to being dropped back.
Time on the water is about one hour 30 minutes. The full outing, including hotel pickup and time at the base, is around four to six hours door to door.
You return to Mendoza the same day. Arrival at the base is typically from 11:00, so the paddle sits in the middle of a half-day loop from the city.
No previous kayaking is required. Guides give a river briefing and stay with the group on the water, covering paddle strokes and what to do if you come out.
You should be happy to get wet, paddle your own craft, and follow instructions. Everyday fitness is enough for this half-day run on moving water.
Wear a swimsuit or synthetic layer, not cotton, and closed shoes you can get wet. Flip-flops are not allowed on the bank or in the boat.
Bring a towel, a full dry change, sun protection with a glasses strap, and a warm layer for after you come off the water. Keep phones in a dry bag or leave them at the base.
You are collected from hotels in the designated Mendoza City area, or from a nearby meeting point if you stay further out. Stays within about 1.5 km of Plaza Independencia are usually covered.
The kayak base is in Potrerillos. You return to Mendoza with the same vehicle at the end of the outing and are dropped where you started.
Kayak, paddle, buoyancy aid, and the rest of the river kit are provided and fitted at the base before anyone launches.
You do not need to bring your own boat. Keep phones in a dry bag or leave them at the base if you do not want them on the water.
These days run in typical mountain weather. If the river is not safe, the team may reschedule and will be in touch with the new plan.
You will get wet regardless of sun. Pack a warm layer for after you change at the base, because meltwater stays cold even on a bright afternoon.
This is a kayak run on moving water, not a raft with a crew. You paddle your own boat with guides reading the river around you.
If you want a shared raft instead, look at the 12 km or 30 km rafting days. This outing is for guests who want to look after their own craft on a shorter run.
Lunch is not included. Bring water and a snack if you usually eat mid-morning, because the pause at the base is for kit and changing rather than a sit-down meal.
There is time at the base to change after the run. Eat a proper meal before pickup if you want more than a snack, or wait until you are back in Mendoza.
Anyone joining should be able to paddle and follow instructions on moving water. Closed shoes you can soak are required.
If you are travelling with children, ask the team before you book so they can confirm the day's limits. This is your own craft on currents, not a shared raft.
Mendoza and Aconcagua Corridor, Argentina
From $1370
Mendoza and Aconcagua Corridor, Argentina
From $140
About the centre
Mendoza
We run guided adventure days and multi-day expeditions from Mendoza into the Andes: rafting and kayaking on the Mendoza River, zip-lining over Potrerillos, treks to Devil's Throat and Cerro Cabras, horseback rides through Lunlunta and the foothills, and longer routes toward Aconcagua and the high passes into Chile. Pickup is arranged from hotels in Mendoza City, with a nearby meeting point if you are staying outside that area, and a bilingual guide stays with you through the day.
Days are built around safety briefings, the right kit for the river or the trail, and enough time to take in the landscape rather than rush from one stop to the next. Combo days mix river, zip-line, hot springs or rappelling; longer programmes include camping, full board, and support on the mountain. Whether you want a few hours on the water or a multi-day crossing, the same local team looks after the logistics so you can focus on the Andes.
Operated by Operadores Mendoza Viajes, a partner of adventuro.