Tigre: The Venice of Argentina

Rowing Club

by Lisa Goodman


If you have a day to spare and you feel like visiting the water, Tigre is an amazing day trip to take. It is called “The Venice of Argentina,” and when you arrive it is not hard to see why. A large part of the city is next to the water, where there are canals that run throughout the city. If you take a boat to explore them, you can see many people rowing or racing through the water on their boats. I recommend taking the one-hour boat tour they offer of these canals; it is truly beautiful. Throughout the trip you will see many houses that are next to the water, each one having its own personal dock. My favorite dock was painted many different colors, and I loved seeing the color contrast against the water.

Colorful Dock

The story of the canals of Tigre is fascinating. While riding on the tour boat, I saw a huge garden that was on the other side of the canal. I was told that it was filled with many different types of fruit trees and flowers, and was designed by a famous designer from Palermo. Over the years, the wind has carried the seeds from these plants, so there are many beautiful flowers and fruit trees along both sides of the canals. I did not get a chance to explore the garden myself, but if I return, I hope to see it in person.

Welcome To Tigre

Traveling on the water on a hot day is very refreshing; I wanted to take a little swim myself. That is why many people from the Buenos Aires (from Capital Federal, which refers to the bustling part of the city) rent out houses on the water in Tigre in the summer. There are many public spaces that run along the canals, which have picnic tables, barbeques, and recreation centers. It would be lovely perhaps to rent a cabin for a weekend and enjoy Tigre to its fullest.


Tigre is also known for its Puerto de Frutos, or Fruit Port. There is much more than just fruit here, it is actually a very large open-air market. There are so many different types of booths and stalls that sell anything you could think of. There are places to buy clothes, books, cooking materials, incense, jewelry, candles, and food. I personally decided to get a very large amount of cotton candy. It was so delicious, and perhaps the best two dollars (which amounts to eight pesos) that I have ever spent.

Cotton Candy!

Theme Park

Besides the canals and the Fruit Port, Tigre is also home to a theme Park, Parque de la Costa. I did not have the time to enter the theme park, but it has many different types of roller coasters. The park is not as big as theme parks in the Unites States, but it still looks very fun. My roommate Carly and I will definitely return to go there.


In all, my day in Tigre was amazing! It has so much to offer to any visitor who is lucky enough to get the chance to go there.



Until my next adventure,
Lisa


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GSE Spring 2012 - Buenos Aires, Argentina
University of Belgrano