Delta del Tigre, the best ride from Buenos Aires

The best tour of Argentina, in my opinion, is not in the capital. It’s in a town called Tigre, located in the metropolitan area. The ride is beautiful and delightfully pleasant.

A lot of adjectives? No! Let me explain: first, the city of Tigre has in three blocks a huge casino, a amusement park in the region and a boat ride on the Delta del Tigre, who visits “streets” of water, which is the only way transport for rich  argentine that will spend the summer in the city. As already mentioned, a very nice ride. Doubt? So here are some photos:

A “street” of Delta del Tigre

Delta del Tigre

Delta del Tigre

Afternoon in the Delta

How to reach the Delta del Tigre?

Retiro Station in Buenos Aires

Now that you fell in love and definitely includes the ride on your guide, it’s time to learn how to reach our destination. Leaving any part of Buenos Aires, you’ll have to catch a subway to the Retiro station. From there, you get another meter toward Maipu station, where there is a tourist train Tren de la Costa (AR$ 32 round trip) that will take you to Tigre.

Tren de La Costa

The Tren de la Costa traverses the edge of the River Plate to the Delta del Tigre. You can get off the train at each station and meet the various towns and pick up and continue your journey on another train without paying anymore. The ticket is valid for the whole day. The tip is to get off at San Fernando, Olivos, and especially San Isidro.

The San Isidro is known for its mansions and tree-lined streets. The station has a food court and is best known for. There’s even a shopping mall near the station.

Park La Costa has lots of fun

In Tigre, coming down to the station you will come face to face with the Trilenium Casino. Beside it is the Parque de la Costa and close to a fair fruit there. Only through these places, because it is worth spending all day in the city. If you can, book a hotel nearby to enjoy the area well.

Continuing the tour, a little farther, you will find the River Station Domingo F. Sarmiento.

There are several booths that offer tours to the River Plate. Haggle! Ask for one at a time to ride and how much it costs. Ask for a discount. Thus, you can save up to AR $ 10.

The catamaran goes through several affluent homes of the people of Argentina, who use the house as a summer resort. Tigre is the place where the sun and take Buenos Aires city is crowded, but the ride is so beautiful that it is worthwhile to do in the winter.

*This is a brazilian blog. The most viewed report are automatic translated!

I went by the Rio de la Plata

Glass house on the River Plate

Buenos Aires 2012: everything you need to know to take better advantage of your trip to Argentina

Na avenida 9 de julio, há o famoso Obelisco

Brazilians are the main foreign tourists who land in Argentina, according to a survey of the Tourism Observatory of Buenos Aires. In 2010, Buenos Aires received 2.6 million foreign tourists.

On the internet there are hundreds of blogs and reports that bring scripts and guides for this destination, but they are one or two year old. This would not be a problem if the country was not experiencing very rapid economic changes due to high inflation that has lasted since 2007. Data from the Reuters news agency, show that real inflation is around 25% per year, however the state figures are 9.7%.

So, this blog begins now a number of issues with scripts and updated prices on the capital Buenos Aires.

The topics covered will be: pass, accommodation, money, transportation, tours, shopping and features / impressions. No more bullshit! Let’s go …

How much is a ticket to Buenos Aires?

The rule applies to all destinations in the world, including the national sections: buy your ticket in advance because they vary a lot.

Some sites, such as Cheaptickets, always advertise good deals. It’s worth staying tuned! Normal values are higher, about US$ 1200 (leave and return). But you can find about US$ 900 (leave and return).

A valid passport is required for U.S. citizens to enter Argentina. U.S. citizens do not need a visa for visits of up to 90 days for tourism or business. British nationals do not also require a visa to travel to Argentina.

Where to stay and how much does it cost to stay in Buenos Aires?

The two main options are the downtown and Recoleta. The first is close to everything, there are cheaper hotels, crowded highways, public transportation everywhere, many people circulating …

Some bloggers think that is old, dirty and dangerous. If you allow me a personal tip, the downtown is not as bad as some texts say. Obviously being in a metropolitan area with about 10 million inhabitants, you must be very careful. But undoubtedly, if the first trip to Buenos Aires, the center is a very good district to stay. Spending on buses, subway (subte in Spanish) and taxi will be very low. There are very important avenues, such as Corrientes (the Broadway of them) and the 9 de Julio (the Obelisk), and of course the charming historic buildings such as the La Nacion Congress.

La Nacion Congress in Buenos Aires downtown

Recoleta is a traditional neighborhood-chic. Puerto Madero, the modern one with tall buildings mirrored, and bars and good restaurants. San Telmo, the historic one with cobblestone streets and colonial houses (away from the main tourist attractions). In research specialized sites, there are good options, and some exclusive promotions. The discounts are up to 60% of the value offered by the hotel. Therefore, always research on sites like booking.com and buy in advance. The price difference can be very large.

We selected some hotels options, taking into consideration price, location and modern style (where the chances of finding old things and smell of mold are smaller). There are many more to suit all pockets and tastes.

The following values (without fees) were found in the search sites listed above and not the site of hotels, which often sell for higher prices. As already stated, the prices vary greatly. The dates were selected with at least 20 days or more in advance.

Pop Hotel – Villa Crespo neighborhood – rates starting from US$ 60 – (cheap and modern, but far from the center)

Uno Suites – Downtown – starting at US$ 80 – (great location, the hotel’s website per day costs US$ 99)

Piedras Suites Buenos Aires – San Telmo district – starting at US$ 90 – (duplex, with kitchen, location is weak, but still worthwhile)

Concord Callao – Recoleta neighborhood – starting at US$ 70 – (with kitchen, the charming Recoleta district)

Axel (gay friendly) – San Telmo – daily for US$ 70 – (hotel design with parties and its own bar)

Argentina: what to buy in Buenos Aires’s downtown

The downtown of Buenos Aires is the best place for you to buy some very cheap things. Understand center like supermarkets and shops frequented by the local people. If you go to the tourist area, will surely pay a price “special” for tourists.

Argentine Dulce de Leche

No doubt, you can not stop buying the famous Argentine dulce de leche. It is much tastier than the Brazilian. A mark was indicated by an Argentine La Serenissima, for example. In May 2012, there were pots with 1 kg for AR$ 19 at major supermarkets in Buenos Aires. Worth it!

Homemade Alfajores

Another product that you can not stop buying are alfajores. They are the face of the city. The most famous brand is Havana, but expensive.

One tip to save: the path of Caminito toward the stadium of Boca (on the right side of the street), there is a small, dimly lit store that sells homemade alfajores. They are delicious! Much better than the famous brands. And cheapest! I do not remember the name of the store, but no error. From Caminito toward Bambonera on the right side of the street.

Important note: every self-respecting tourist, long walks through the region you are visiting. This gives headquarters. And in Buenos Aires, water and soft drinks are more expensive than in Brazil. Grocery stores in the center, a 1.5 liter bottle costs 8 pesos (= $ 4). In restaurants, it is even more expensive. So the advice is: do the supermarket and buy drinks to take to the hotel / hostel. You’ll save a few pesos …

Beauty products are also cheaper and worth it. Deodorants, facial scrubs, moisturizers, shaving foam and all products that women love … There are many options for half the price we pay in Brazil.

Here are some approximate values:

Scrub your face Asexpia – AR $ 21 (= $ 10). In Brazil, it is double.

Rexona Deodorant – AR $ 12 (= R $ 5.80). In Brazil, it is double.

Neutrogena Facial Moisturizer – AR $ 30 (= $ 15). In Brazil, it is double.

Finally, there are a multitude of products and souvenirs to bring from Argentina. Worth the walk and the research!

*Automatic translation