5 day trips that will bring you beyond Buenos Aires

23.10.2024 - 17:45 / lonelyplanet.com

Oct 23, 2024 • 5 min read

Buenos Aires has so much going on that you could spend a lifetime trying – and failing – to experience it all. It’s an intoxicating place that pulls you in and holds on with a magnetic grip. And that’s not all: within the space of a day trip, you can taste more of what Argentina and its neighbors have to offer.

These are our five favorite day trips from Buenos Aires.

Travel time: 50 minutes by car, 1 hour by train, 2 hours by boat

The town of Tigre is the gateway to the Paraná Delta, a vast network of muddy waterways and lush green islands that can be accessed only by boat or kayak. Islanders live in stilt houses reached via rickety wooden jetties, where lanchas colectivas (public transport boats) stop on request. The best way to explore the Delta is to rent a kayak or take a tour, and enjoy a few blissful hours paddling under overhanging branches to a soundtrack of birdsong and passing motorboats.

When hunger strikes, pull up at the jetty of a low-key parrilla (a restaurant specializing in grilled food). In Tigre town (and accessible on foot as well as by boat) is the Museo de Arte, a lovely belle-époque building that now houses the work of some of Argentina’s most celebrated artists.

How to get to Tigre from Buenos Aires: Tigre is a 50-minute drive from Buenos Aires or an inexpensive one-hour train trip from Retiro station. The most scenic way to reach Tigre is by boat from Puerto Madero (two hours).

Travel time: 1.5 hours by car, 2 hours by bus

The prosperous pampas town of San Antonio de Areco is the perfect place to channel your inner gaucho. (These nomadic, cowboy-like figures are known for their horse-riding skills and for being the heroes of Argentine folk tales.) These days, the gaucho’s modern-day descendants can be spotted in their boinas (traditional berets) on horseback around Areco’s elegant town plaza or in one of its dusty bars, such as the Boliche de Bessonart.

The best place to try horseback riding and see displays of gaucho horsemanship is on a day visit to an estancia (ranch); Estancia el Ombú de Areco is a good option. If you want to learn more about gaucho history and folklore, don’t miss the Museo Gauchesco Ricardo Güiraldes.

The highlight of the year is November’s Fiesta de la Tradición, during which gauchos gather to compete with daring displays of horsemanship. Live folk music and dancing continues late into the night.

How to get to San Antonio de Areco from Buenos Aires: From Buenos Aires, San Antonio de Areco is a 1½-hour journey by car and around 2 hours by bus. Estancia day visits often include private transport to and from Buenos Aires.

Travel time: 1 hour and 15 minutes by ferry

It’s easy to see why the pretty Uruguayan town of Colonia is such a