Merlo is a small resort town of about eleven thousand people on the western side of the Sierra de los Comechingones, a long, rounded range of mountains that marks the border between the provinces of Córdoba and San Luis. It sits in a green valley, with the dry plain stretching away toward the west and the peaks rising to the east, and the locals will tell you with great confidence that it enjoys one of the best microclimates in the world. Whatever the science, the claim is easy to believe on a sunny afternoon, when the air is dry, the sky is blue and the temperature is soft.
The ride over the mountains from Mina Clavero is the highlight. The road climbs from the Córdoba side through grassland and rock outcrops, crosses the crest and then descends in long bends through increasingly dry scrub toward the San Luis plain. The surface is generally good, though there are patches of broken asphalt, and the gradients are steady. Fog and cloud can settle on the crest, particularly in the morning, so keep an eye on the sky. The best time is spring and autumn, with clear light and comfortable temperatures, while summer is hot in the valley and brings afternoon storms.
Merlo has everything a traveller needs: fuel, repair shops, supermarkets, restaurants and a wide range of hotels and cabins. The main street and the plaza are lively in the evenings, with craft stalls, cafes and ice cream parlours, and the pace of life is relaxed. Local food leans on grilled meat, empanadas and goat dishes, while the regional sweets, made with figs, quince and dulce de leche, make good gifts. Concarán and Santa Rosa del Conlara, both smaller towns, lie to the north and offer a quieter view of rural life.
The mountains behind the town are home to the Comechingones, the indigenous people who lived here before the Spanish arrived, and their name is still carried by the range. Condors ride the thermals above the peaks, and in the lower valleys, algarrobo trees, a kind of mesquite, provide shade and a fruit that was once ground into flour. Cerro Champaquí, the highest peak in the region, rises to the northeast, and on a clear day you can pick it out above the other summits. It is a gentle, sunny corner of Argentina, and a fine place to slow down.