San Marcos Sierras sits at an elevation of roughly 680 meters (2,250 feet) above sea level, and enjoys on average 300 days of sunshine a year. The weather in San Marcos is simply wonderful 6 months of the year with its Mediterranean microclimate very similar to northern California’s. Just the opposite of North America, it rains here occasionally in the spring and often during the hot and humid summertime, mostly in the form of brief heavy showers and thunderstorms. Winters are cool to unseasonably mild and usually sunny, with cooler nights. Periodic rainfall occurs the rest of the year as cold fronts and storm systems move through. Although cold spells during the winter can send nighttime temperatures below freezing, snow in San Marcos is quite rare.
San Marcos Sierras- a fairly quiet but growing tourist town - is home to many farms, ranches, estancias, as well as hostels, hotels, campgrounds, and other tourist lodgings. This quaint community offers all the various public services and necessary amenities, such as grocery stores, pharmacy, post office, auto repair shops, gasoline supplies, hardware stores, libraries, numerous restaurants & internet cafes, veterinarian, dentist, health clinic, public transportation, taxi services, stadium, church and brand new high school. Far removed from the violent crime and stress of the major cities, this semi-rural countryside surrounded by an environment of natural beauty, with its peaceful, laid back lifestyle, is a must see for travelers. This makes San Marcos Sierras a “hot” summer destination for vacationers from Buenos Aires and Cordoba, as well as foreign tourists from the world over who come to enjoy the peaceful scenery, summertime festivities, and the numerous activities of the nearby Punilla Valley region.
Between San Marcos and the Valle de Punilla you can indulge in your favorite activities such as: shopping, windsurfing, parasailing, hang gliding, fishing, swimming, golf, horseback riding, sunbathing, kayaking, river walking, mountain climbing, trail hiking, 4x4 off-roading, motorcycling, mountain biking, and soccer and basketball, too. The area is also host to several mountain bike and Rally road races.
Others come year-round to soak in the healing atmosphere and rustic charm surrounding the town, to simply relax in the many verdant areas of natural ecological beauty here, including the scenic Rio Quilpo with its impressive natural landscape, to avail themselves of the various classes, workshops and alternative therapy & spa services offered in town, and to shop for local artesian offerings in the all-year outdoor street fair.
