Buenos Aires Off the Beaten Path Tips by vtveen

We took the (regular) train from Buenos Aires (Vicente Lopez) to Tigre. Such a train ride doesn’t show the most beautiful parts of the country, except the gardens of the presidential villa just after leaving the station.
After 30 minutes we entered a complete different world: no longer the crowds, crazy traffic and pollution of Bs As, but the quiet, green and clean town of Tigre.

Off course every tourist comes to Tigre to see the delta of the Rio Parana. We got information from the very helpful and friendly staff of the Tourist Centre (200 metres from the railway station behind McDonald’s) and decided to take one of the public boats of ‘Interislena’. (Afterwards we were very happy we didn’t board on one of these big catamarans, because a boat trip of 1 or even 1½ hour through more or less the same landscape would have been pretty boring.)

Our boat, only with local people on board, sailed for 30 minutes over the Rio Tigre, Lujan and Sarmiento. During this time we passed hundreds of houses on stilts (all having a landing stage along one of the rivers), shops, and a petrol station. People were constantly (dis)embarking at one of the many jetty’s.

We disembarked at ‘Tres Bocas’ with two café’s/restaurants on the border of the River Sarmiento. A small footpath leads into the inland. After 100 metres we reached the Santa Rosa stream, turned off to the left and followed this stream till a bar/cafeteria Africano, where we had our lunch. We didn’t speak Spanish and the owners not English, but they succeeded to make a good tasting sandwich.

The track goes further over the island (see map: http://www.la-riviera.com.ar), but we returned on the other side of the stream to Tres Bocas and saw some very colourful birds.
A great and alternative way to explore the delta !!

Directions: Tigre is located 30 km's north west of Buenos Aires.
Accessible with the 'Tigre' train from the Retiro Railway Station, lanes 1 or 2 (50 minutes) or
by regular bus 60, leaving from Constucion ( 90 minutes).

Leave a Comment

Website: http://www.tigre.gov.ar/mainsite/turismo-english.html

After visiting the Rio Parana delta by boat, we had some time to spend in Tigre and decided to visit the 'Puerto de Frutos'. We walked from the wharf to this fruit market and passed the railway station of the Tren de la Costa.

Our visit - on a Monday afternoon - of the market was very diasappointing, because there were just a couple of shops open, mostly selling decorations and souvenirs and just two of them fruit. The whole area was more or less deserted during our (short) visit.

We were so disappointed that we even didn't make any pictures of the market.

If you intend to visit this markets be sure the shops/stands are open. Info Tourist Office Tigre: tel 4512-4497/4498 or e-mail info-m@tigre.gov.ar

Directions: Tigre is located 30 km's north west of Buenos Aires.
Accessible with the 'Tigre' train from the Retiro Railway Station, lanes 1 or 2 (50 minutes) or
by regular bus 60, leaving from Constucion ( 90 minutes).

Leave a Comment

Website: Website: http://www.tigre.gov.ar/mainsite/turismo-english.html

Coming back from our visit to Tigre we decided to make a stop in San Isidro.
From the railway station we took Belgrano Street; specially the second part of this shopping street offers some nice upscale shops, a cute mall and a nice (side walk) café.

This part of the town shows clearly that San Isidro is a attractive suburb with tree lined and cobble stoned streets with some very nice mansions and villas. At Av. Libertador, on top of the hill, we reached the French neo gothic Cathedral, built in 1895 on the place of the original church. Take also a look inside this impressive church, which has place for 3000 people.

San Isidro offers a look on Argentinian life, which is quite different from the way of living in Buenos Aires.

San Isidro is accessible by train via the Tigre Line from Retiro (or Tigre).
It is also possible to take the Mitre Line from Retiro to Mitre and to transfer there on the ‘Tren de la Costa’. (info Tren de la Costa: http://www.trendelacosta.com.ar/web/)

Leave a Comment

Website: http://www.sanisidro.gov.ar/default.asp?sec=sec&id_seccion=345

Colonia del Sacramento is the full name of this Portuguese colonial town just opposite Buenos Aires on the borders of the Rio de la Plata in Uruguay. An interesting destination for a day trip from Bs As, but be aware to take the fast ferry, which takes about 1 hour (the slow ferry takes about 3 hours one way!!).

Be in time at the Buquebus office/wharf at Darsena Norte, because before boarding we had to do a lot of ‘paper work’ :
- we got a boarding pass and visa at the check in counters;
- we had to fill in a form for the Argentinean immigration service;
- we changed money at the changing booth; recommend to change money before in a bank or get your Uruguayan pesos from an ATM in Colonia; the changing booth is robbing you
- check of passports with a lot of stamps.

Just outside the harbour building in Colonia are offices of car rental companies and a Tourist Information Centre, where we got a map of Colonia. Outside the ferry area one can rent a bicycle or scooter, but we decided to discover this rather small and compact town on foot.

It is about 1 km to the historical part of the city. We entered ‘la colonia portuguesa’ through the restored Puerto de Campo (a real town gate) and just wandered around over the cobble stoned narrow streets, enjoyed the old colourful houses, the flowers, the shops and café’s. It is also possible to take a look in one of the museums. We had a lunch in one of the restaurants near the waterfront.
Afterwards we had a taxi for a couple of sights outside the centre: the small Iglesia San Benitol and the Plaza de Toros with an arena, which is not in use anymore.

Colonia (an Unesco World Heritage Site) with its pleasant pace of life was a relief after the hustle and bustle of Buenos Aires.

For information about the schedule and rates see:
http://www.buquebus.com
http://www.coloniaexpress.com/ar/

Leave a Comment

Website: http://www.guiacolonia.com.uy/
Other Contact: http://www.colonianet.com