Summer is upon us, the tourist season is at its peak and many locals and visitors are ready for a day or two away from the hustle and bustle of the city of Buenos Aires.
There are only 32 km. between the Tigre Delta and the Obelisc in downtown Buenos Aires. Tigre, located in the North of the Province of Buenos Aires is undoubtedly a piece of living history. This city on the delta of Rio de la Plata is a bubble of serenity compared to the tempo of Buenos Aires living.
Getting to Tigre is a simple affair: simply show up to the train station in Retiro and buy a ticket. Trains run often (pretty much every hour) between Buenos Aires and Tigre, which is the last stop on the line. If you get on the platform early there is no trouble finding a seat and the ride is comfortable.
There are tourist information offices in Tigre located in the train station and next to the McDonalds. You can call them on 011-4512-4497 or visit the website on www.tigre.gov.ar (in Spanish). When you get to the tourist information office you are also near the ticket offices for the boats and cruises. The moment you arrive and leave the station in Tigre, the surroundings become foreign. The lazy river, a naturally formed canal, looks like it could be somewhere in France. A nice bridge spans the water and a promenade follows along the bank where you can purchase tickets for boat rides on a variety of vessels from catamarans to kayaks.
Colonization started here with the second foundation of Buenos Aires by Don Juan de Garay. A document dated 24th October, 1580 records the distribution of the land. The name Tigre is derived from an old story of jaguar hunters. It is said that a couple of very famous and virtuous hunters used to live in the region. The region is vast. At 5,405 square miles, the Tigre Delta is among the world’s largest, and it is one of the only major deltas in the world that does not empty into a sea or ocean. It flows instead into the Río de la Plata, which separates Argentina and Uruguay, after the Río Paraná splits into several smaller rivers and forms a multitude of sedimentary islands covered in forest and grasslands. With its islands and canals, Tigre is what Venice might have looked like before development. With the vertiginous passing of time, these lands were populated by farmers who lived with their families upon the products they grew and harvested. In 1611, the Cabildo asked the for a report on land farming and appointed 15 farmers residing in the area to cultivate wheat, thus giving origin to the village, which grew and became established both socially and economically.
Today, the City of Tigre is a destination neither foreigners nor local people should miss.
But beyond all activities, its main attraction is the Fruit Market (Puertos de Frutos), a different, almost magical world. The port has three inner docks. Daily catamaran excursions leave from one of them to the Delta. The central docks concentrate the grocer’s boats, which supply the inhabitants of the islands with the most varied products. In the last harbour, the timbering boats full of poplar and willow logs from the forested islands of the Delta are unloaded. The port of Tigre lodges the open market with streets full of the colors of rustic fabric, furniture and accessories made in cane and willow, delicious jams and honey, brilliant flowers, and of course, all the variety of native fruit co-existing in absolute harmony.
Also be sure to check out the stunning belle-époque building that houses the Museo de Arte Tigre in the Tigre Delta of Argentina opened as a social club a century ago, when rich bohemians would visit the region to give themselves a respite from Buenos Aires. The building eventually fell into disuse before reopening as a museum in 2006, newly refurbished with marble, bronze and stained glass as part of a municipal improvement project.
There are also two historical museums in Tigre, the Navy Museum (Museo Naval de la Nación) and the Sarmiento House Museum (La Casa Museo Sarmiento). There are many tours leaving Buenos Aires on half or full day excursion. They are standard or private tours, with or without lunch. The may or may not include a ride on the modern Coastal Train, sailing on the Tigre Delta (Parana River) or the tour of citadel. A popular local place is Isla Martin Garcia which is a short ferry trip from Tigre. It lies only 1.2 miles off the Uruguayan coast and is a park-like island acting as a nature reserve and recreational retreat.
For an afternoon, an amazing family vacation destination, a romantic weekend getaway, or longer, Tigre is sure to thrill!
We will be heading out to tigre the next few days and will be presenting some great articles on lodging, restaurants and more…
