Capital of the province bearing the same name, San Juan was founded by Juan Jufré, on June 13th,  1562, in the Tucuna valley, a region that was once inhabited by the Huarpes Indians. It was totally rebuilt after the earthquake of 1944. It possesses wide and monumental avenues,  buildings with earthquake-proof constructions, numberless squares and public places. 
Diverse flourishing communities find their home in its valleys, true oasis among the arid   foothill's desserts, turned into fertile lowlands due to an uninterrupted irrigation labour. In winter, mainly during the months of July and August, the city offers the wonderful frame for an enthralling spectacle: the snow. 
When the spring comes, there is a natural transformation that astonishes the tourist: the snow melting. When this phenomenon begins, the water floodes the thirsty sandy grounds, mainly through the rivers Jáchal and San Juan and some other less important courses.
As long a the capital city is concerned, the writer Arturo Capdevila called it the City of the Statues due to the varied monuments built in memory of important characters such as Sarmiento, de la Roza, Laprida, Fray Justo Santamaría de Oro, among others.  
Therefore, San Juan, leaning over the high Andean Mountain Range, offers a spectacular vision of its montaineous landscape, and together with the beauty of its valleys make of this province one of the most appealing ones for the tourist.