Las Heras is the northern district of greater Mendoza, a municipality in its own right that blends into the city to the south. The commercial streets around the Las Heras centre give a picture of ordinary Mendoza life away from the tourist circuit — markets, small cafés, neighbourhood restaurants — without the polish of the city centre.
The district is named after General Juan Gregorio de Las Heras, one of the officers who crossed the Andes with San Martín. The streets are shaded by the same acequias-side sycamores that characterise the rest of greater Mendoza.
For most visitors, Las Heras is interesting primarily as a transit point — the road north toward Aconcagua and the Uspallata Valley passes through it — but the local market and the everyday pace of the streets are worth a look if you're spending more than a few days in Mendoza.