Uspallata

Uspallata is a village and administrative district in Argentina, in a scenic location on the road that crosses the Andes between Mendoza and Santiago in Chile. It is located 100 km west of Mendoza and was once served by the now disused Transandine Railway which passed through the town on its way from Mendoza to Los Andes in Chile. There are several items of interest in and around the village including "las bovedas," somewhat strangely egg-shaped kilns dating from the early 17th century which were used to extract gold, silver, zinc, copper and other metals from minerals mined nearby.