Tranquil and cultured MERCEDES , 30km southwest of Luján, was founded in 1752 as a fortress to protect Luján from Indian attacks. It's a well-preserved provincial town, and easy to find your way around thanks to the numbered street system - odd numbered streets run north-south and even numbers east-west. Mercedes' main drag is Avenida 29; its main square, Plaza San Martín , which lies on the eastern side of Avenida 29, between calles 24 and 26, is not especially remarkable, despite its grand Italianate Palacio Municipal and large Gothic Basílica Catedral Nuestra Señora de Mercedes. It does, however, feel like a real hub of activity - especially in the evening, when locals fill the tables which spill out of its various inviting confiterías.

Aside from just wandering around the town itself, Mercedes' main draw is the pulpería , some twenty blocks north of Plaza San Martín, at the end of Avenida 29. Pulperías, essentially provisions stores with a bar attached, performed an important social role in rural Argentina and enjoy an almost mythical status in gaucho folklore. The sign outside Mercedes' pulpería, known locally as Cacho's place ("lo de Cacho"), claims it to be the last pulpería, run by the last pulpero - quite possibly a justifiable claim. The gloomy interior, which has hardly changed since the pulpería opened its doors in 1850, harbours a collection of dusty bottles, handwritten notices and gaucho paraphernalia: it doesn't require much imagination to conjure up visions of the knife fights which the current owner claims to have witnessed in his youth. To get to the pulpería, best visited in the evening for a beer and a couple of empanadas , take the local bus which runs towards the park from Avenida 29. A couple of blocks beyond the last stop, the road becomes unsealed and on the left-hand corner you'll see the simple white building, a sign saying pulpería painted on its side.

Mercedes' bus terminal , served by daily buses from the capital, is located to the south of the town centre from where it's a twenty-minute walk to Plaza San Martín. There's an infrequent local bus from the terminal to the centre, so if you don't fancy the walk you may be better off taking one of the terminal taxis (tel 02324/433944). The very friendly tourist office , on the corner of Avenida 29 and Calle 26 (Mon-Fri 7am-7pm, Sat 10am-1pm, Sun 10.30am-1.30pm & 3-6pm; tel 02324/426738; mercedesweb.com.ar ), doesn't have much in the way of printed information, but the staff are enthusiastic and knowledgeable, and can provide you with a slightly sketchy map of the town. Accommodation is not plentiful, but what there is is agreeable enough. A bit of negotiating may make the modern Gran Hotel Mercedes on the corner of Avenida 29 and Calle 16 (tel & fax 02324/422528; $45-60) surprisingly affordable; the comfortable, slightly garish rooms have air conditioning and TV, while facilities include a large restaurant and bar area; or you could try the Hotel Torino , Calle 12 no. 644 (tel 02324/420916; $30-45) with simple rooms around a central courtyard. There's a municipal campsite in the park on the edge of town; take any local bus from Avenida 29: note that Mercedes hosts a motorbike rally at the end of March, which is the only time you might have trouble finding space to pitch your tent here. Eating and drinking options include El Aljibe , on Calle 16 no. 542, a good parrilla in an attractive old town house, and La Vieja Esquina , a charming traditional bar on the corner of calles 25 and 28, which also sells delicatessen produce. Of the confiterías around the plaza, good for coffee, sandwiches and minutas , one of the nicest is La Recova , the only building in the square to retain an old-fashioned arcade.

Some 15km back up the RN5 towards Luján, the small village of TOMÁS JOFRE is a popular weekend day-trip for Porteños, primarily for its traditional restaurants including the long-established Silvano (closed Mon & Tues) and Fronteras , with delicious home-made pastas including sorrentinos filled with mozzarella, ricotta and ham. A popular souvenir is locally produced salami - Mercedes is the national capital of salami.