Tigre is a town an hour outside of Buenos Aires, built onto the delta of the Rio de la Plata in the network of wetlands and waterways. It is centered around a large fruit market, which has grown to be a commercial market where all the tourism funnels through.
The town is named after the jaguars that used to roam the area (because the settlers thought that every big cat was a tiger). Today, people live on this delta both full time and as weekend getaways from the city. There are no cars to get around the town and all transportation is done by boat. Boats are used as taxis, school buses, grocery stores, water delivery, trash pickup, and even ice cream boats in the summer.
The town is an easy getaway from the busy city life and could be a great day or half-day trip for anyone visiting Buenos Aires.
How to Get to Tigre
First, let’s talk about the Mitre line. It leaves from the Retiro station in Buenos Aires. There are a few stops within the city of Buenos Aires so you can find the nearest station and get on the train from there. Google Maps can accurately direct you to the appropriate bus and train stop to get to Tigre. For this train, you will tap your sube card to get into the train station and tap it again to leave so it can appropriately charge your card.
The Tren de la Costa is a train that runs along the coast of Buenos Aires and has some beautiful views of the suburban areas as you leave Buenos Aires. This train is slightly more expensive than the Mitre line (but truly, the difference is negligible). To get to this train line, you have to take the Mitre train to the San Isidro stop. There, you can walk through town and, just 10 minutes away, is the stop for the Tren de la Costa. (There are a number of places to grab a bite to eat between the two train stops.) On this train, you will tap your sube card directly on the train.
Our Boat Tour in Tigre
Once we got to Tigre, we knew that we wanted to do a boat tour of the delta. If you arrive on the Mitre train line, you will likely be approached by sellers of boat tours as you walk to the Puerto de Frutos. Do not, do not, do not purchase your boat tickets from these vendors. They will be overpriced. Look for the boat stands directly on the water and purchase the tickets directly from the boat docks.
The boat tour on the lancha included a historical guide who gave us background about the area. The tour was in Spanish without a translator but there may be other tours that have other languages offered. Even without being able to understand the language, a relaxing ride on the delta is necessary. Tours range from one to two hours long. We found that a one hour tour was a good introduction to the delta life.
Other Things To Do In Tigre
- Museo de Arte Tigre – not only is this an art museum, it’s also an interesting architectural building. You will see it on the Delta river tour or you can walk or take a water taxi to see it.
- Parque de la Costa – a theme park right on the coast
- Stay at a short term rental on the delta and take advantage of delta-life.
