Surroundings

Colonia de Sacramiento

Tranquil and charming are words that are often used to describe this little village located on the coast of Uruguay. It is less than three hours away from the city center of Buenos Aires, but it is a completely different world. You can easily reach it crossing the harbor via ferry.

On summer weekends hundreds of Porteños cross the waters of Rio del Plata to escape the hot and humid city heat. They walk its tranquil cobble stone streets, watch the beautiful colonial houses and old-time cars, have lunch at one of the cozy restaurants, and enjoy the stunning sunsets on one of its quiet beaches. It is a fact, Colonia is both literally and figuratively a whole other country.

Colonia, officially Colonia de Sacramiento is founded in 1680. It is a tiny little village but has a large history. It is for this reason that UNESCO declared it a world heritage site in 1996. Exploring its cobble stoned streets lined with picture perfect colonial houses and colourful blossom trees is like travelling back in time. It is easy to discover Colonia on foot, but it is also possible to rent bicycles, cars, and golf carts at the ports entrance.
Number of habitants: 30.000.
Distance from BA: 60 km.
Travel time: 1 to 3 hours by ferry.
How to reach it: Buquebus has fast and slower ferries to Colonia.
Price: Between 155 and 250 Pesos for a return ticket.

Tigre and the Delta

Tigre is one of the most popular and important getaways for the Porteños. When they look for quick weekend break out of the hectic city of Buenos Aires they often choose the tranquil suburb of Tigre which is located near the riverside. The city itself is quite nice, but actually it is all about the Delta del Parana and its river channels. On the rivers, which originate from the inland jungle streams out of the North and go into the delta, boat trips can be made. The boat trips offer stops at colonial mansions which you can visit or you can just get off and explore along some peaceful trails. Along the shores there are many water activities offered like sailing and kayaking.

At Sundays it is market day and many souvenirs, flowers and lovely food is sold.
Tigre is a perfect spot to enjoy the weekend and the tranquil Argentinean waters.
Number of habitants: 300.000 approximately.
Distance from BA: 28 km.
Travel time: 1 1⁄2 hours.
How to reach it: Bus 59 or 60 or the train from the Retiro station. If you are interested, you can change to the very pleasant ´Tren de la Costa´ at the Maipu station. This train is geared towards tourists so it moves a bit slowly and makes short stops at the little markets.
Price: By bus 3 pesos by train 8+2 pesos.

San Antonio de Areco

Just two hours from the hectic downtown of Buenos Aires you can find what you are looking for. A town located about 110 kilometers away in the Buenos Aires province called San Antonio de Areco is exactly what you need. This Gaucho village, sometimes named Los Pagos de Areco, is a peaceful and serene town that dates back to the early 18th century.

It is nestled in the verdant Pampas of the northern Buenos Aires, surrounded by rolling fields.

The locals are extremely warm and friendly with many people around town wearing traditional gaucho berets, boots and shawls. It is the kind of town where a nice ´Buenos Dias´ or ´Buenas Tardes´ is in order every time you come across someone else on the street, accompanied by a warm smile and a hand wave of course. People here walk slowly and take their time to chat with their neighbors or a stranger. Grocery shopping is done using a bicycle for transportation instead of a car.

Seeing the traditional life here will immediately give you a sense of rest. The laid back pace of life here, along with gentle noise of birds singing, will leave you feeling peaceful at once.

San Antonio de Areco is famous for its Gaucho culture and tranquility. Should you be in search of Gauchos, mate, horses, leather, silver and estancias (traditional farms) everyone around will point you in the direction of San Antonio. It is the homeland of national tradition.

Although it is located in the middle of nowhere, there is still plenty to do to keep you entertained!

Number of habitants: 23.000.
Distance from BA: 110 km North of Buenos Aires.
Travel time: More or less two/two and a half hours.
How to reach it: The bus from the Retiro station (several companies) or by a train/bus combination.
Price: Between 20 and 26 pesos, depending on the day and bus company.