Cuyo

Cuyo lies east of the Andes in a dry country of mountains and river valleys. The Huarpe inhabitants cultivated land with water carried by channels, while other communities lived around the lakes of Guanacache. These waterways made settlement possible in an otherwise arid landscape and were already in use when the Spanish arrived. The Huarpe grew crops including maize and squash, drawing on the rivers that descend from the mountains.

Expeditions from Chile founded Mendoza in 1561 and San Juan in 1562. The Spanish established the corregimiento of Cuyo in 1564, with Mendoza as its centre, and incorporated indigenous leaders into their local administration. Conquest also brought forced displacement and a severe decline in the Huarpe population. Across the mountains, Cuyo remained connected with Chile, while roads led eastward towards the Río de la Plata.

The later city of La Rioja lies here.