The Cuyo Basin has a NNW-SSE elongated shape and is limited to the west by the Sierra Pintada System and to the east by the Pampean pericraton.

To the north the basin reaches the area around the city of Mendoza.

[1] The Cuyo Basin has an approximate area of 30,000 square kilometres (12,000 sq mi).

The northern fringes of Cacheuta sub-basin reaches into San Juan Province.

The basin existed already during the Triassic but its current shape is derivative of the Andean orogeny.