When staying in Buenos Aires for a longer period of time – what we did in 2010 – you can use the city as a great base for many trips out of town. Read about two great day trips that we did:
- Visit of neighbouring country Uruguay by high speed ferry
- Day trip to the Tigre Delta
By ferry to Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay
It is very convenient to have the high speed ferry here in Buenos Aires. It is called Buquebus. They offer a passage several times per day to a cute town on the other side of the mouth of the Rio de la Plata. Colonia del Sacramento is definitely worth visiting not only for having a stamp of Uruguay in your passport. One way takes about 1:15 hours. Compared to 2010 the prices have gone up significantly due to the hyperinflation of the past years in Argentina. A return trip is currently about 80 USD.
The old town is quiet and very picturesque. Along the cobblestone streets you will find many historic buildings. No wonder that the area was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO.
There is a modern part offering a variety of restaurants as well. We loved having a leisure stroll in the old part and enjoyed the views very much. On our return trip we had a lovely sun set. We truly felt that it was an amazing day outside of Buenos Aires.
Starting Point for this trip: Buquebus ferries depart from the main terminal in Buenos Aires, located in Puerto Madero, just a 10-minute walk from the historic center.
Trip to the Tigre Delta
Tigre is a city about 30 km to the North of Buenos Aires. It is located on an island in the Paraná Delta. The area’s name comes from the tigers, or jaguars, that were occasionally hunted there by European settlers. Tigre is nowadays a tourist destination for both locals and foreigners.
We took the “Tren de la Costa” – a scenic train – from downtown Buenos Aires. This way we were able to see more of the outskirts of the huge metropolis. After a pleasant 30 minutes ride we got to the small city of Tigre. The fun part is taking the boats that circulate around the many islands within the delta. However, finding the one you needed was actually challenging. We had received a restaurant recommendation from our Spanish teacher. Thus we were looking for the boat that would bring us to Gato Blanco.
People were looking for the right “line” to get to their houses or holiday homes that were also located on the islands. Furthermore, the boats not only needed to carry the luggage but also the produce required by all the restaurants. Thus, we were overwhelmed at first as the place bustled with activities.
When we finally had found our boat we could start relaxing and enjoy the boat trip in the beautiful nature, along houses and sights. For example we spotted the Sarmiento House where the 7th president of Argentina used to live in the late 19th century.
All in all, we spent a relaxing day in the delta, ate wonderfully on the porch of a restaurant and returned easily by train to Buenos Aires. This trip is absolutely recommendable!
Starting point to get to Tigre: The train starts at the Retiro terminus in the center of Buenos Aires.
Discover more from Wild Paths Together
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
