Tigre - Another world just 3o minutes from Buenos Aires

After almost four weeks in Buenos Aires it was about time to get out of the city and visit the surrounding areas. Depending from where you start your journey Tigre and the Parana Delta is only about 30 minutes away. However, it feels like totally different world once you board a lancha colectivo and make your way into the delta.

There are a couple of options by train how to get to Tigre. One of the train stations is directly situated next to our apartment which connects to the “Tren De La Costa”. In Buenos Aires you don’t expect trains to be on time nor is there always a person at the counter to sell you a ticket. However, announcing that the train has been canceled and five minutes later it arrived is something not happening every day. Because of this we at least met a nice woman who helped us find our way. People are really nice and super helpful here in general. She showed us the way “because I don’t work today and have enough time”. How nice! Do you find this in your part of the world?

We don't have much time and no plan what to do as we “lost” our guide book for Buenos Aires the other day. One of the lancha colectivos was about to leave the harbor of Tigre and many people seemed to go to one and the same place: Tres Bocas. We had no clue what to expect. As we only have a few hours, we decide to buy a ticket and get on board. In fact, we were the last two passengers they allowed to get on and the boat was really full.

They are not that big but this one was approved for around 100 people. The captain is sitting on a high wooden stool in the front of the boat and on the roof top they have all the luggage. This includes lots of water canisters, bicycles, food and other stuff. After all boats are the only means of travel here anyway. The whole delta covers an area as large as 14,000 km2 and consists of a vast network of bigger and smaller canals. The actual river supplying the water is the Parana River.

Throughout the journey we see a lot of really nice houses. Initially we had planned to stay at least one night in a place about 90 minutes by boat into the delta. But it was closed from Sunday to Monday and this was the only night we had time. Means we need to come back at some point.

We really had no clue what we signed up for. However, Tres Bocas turned out to be quite nice. Apparently it is one of the small islands you can walk around easily. Once we arrive a lady points out that there is a path that takes you through various parts of the island. Not that we found it. No, we end up walking somewhere completely different. But through small paths and via bridges we got a bit of an overview of this place. We only have a couple of hours in Tres Boca before we need to return to Tigre. The city itself is not that exciting. However, one thing that is supposed to be very interesting is the Tigre Art Museum. Located directly on the river and extensively restored it opened in 2006. On the days we visited Tigre it was closed.

In a nutshell, if you are visiting Buenos Aires you should spend at least one day out here as it is so different and really close to the city at the same time. Ideal for a nice weekend trip, which a lot of people do and it can get really crowded apparently.