Argentina,  Buenos Aires,  Latin America

Tigre Delta: The Ultimate Day Trip from Buenos Aires

The Tigre Delta is a popular destination for day trips from Buenos Aires. It is the perfect spot to relax when you need a break from the hectic city life!

The town of Tigre is located just by a huge delta area just North of Buenos Aires. The delta is frequently referred to as the Tigre Delta but actually, the name is the Paraná Delta.

Tigre can also easily be reached by train from the city center of Buenos Aires, which makes it an even more perfect destination for a day trip from Buenos Aires.

In Tigre, there are many different activities to do. You can enjoy boat rides on the delta’s many rivers, watch beautiful old mansions by the river bank, and sunsets through treetops. Or you can stroll the streets of the quiet town and do some shopping.

Let’s dive into what Tigre and the Tigre Delta have to offer for a day trip away from Buenos Aires!

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A Guide to the Best Things to Do and See Around the Tigre Delta

Tigre Delta: Day trip from Buenos Aires

Where is Tigre?

The town of Tigre is located just 17 miles (28 km) up north of the city center of Buenos Aires.

The town is the entrance to the huge Paraná Delta. The Paraná River runs through Brazil, Paraguay, and finally Argentina. The Paraná River is the second longest river in South America after the Amazon River.

Tigre was founded in 1820 and consists mainly of islands and wetlands only accessible by boat. The town itself is connected to the city of Buenos Aires with a train station.

Tigre is a popular place for both international tourists and locals to take a break and stress down for a day or a weekend.

There are also many options to stay for a night or two in Tigre and the surrounding islands in the delta (read more below).

Tigre Delta: Day trip from Buenos Aires

What to Do in Tigre?

There are many different things to do in Tigre. The rivers of the delta invite water sports and boat rides, while the town of Tigre also offers different possibilities for shopping and eating out.

Here are some of the best things to do in Tigre!

Boat Tour on the Tigre Delta

The most popular activity in Tigre is to take a boat ride. Apart from the peaceful speed of the boat through the water and the nature of the area, you will be able to enjoy some of the beautiful houses and mansions located along the river bank.

On the dock, located just a few meters from the train station, several different tour companies offer tours of the delta. There are shorter rides of just one hour and longer ones that take you further into the rivers of the Delta.

When I went with my mother some years ago, we went on a “nature tour”. Here we embarked on one of the small islands in the Tigre Delta to take a walk around.

Tigre Delta: Day trip from Buenos Aires
Tigre Delta: Day trip from Buenos Aires

Tigre’s Art District, Boulevard Saenz Peña

If you prefer to stay on the ground, you can also find interesting things to do in the town of Tigre.

One place that I particularly enjoyed when I visited was Boulevard Saenz Peña, also known as Tigre’s Little Art District.

This bohemian oasis of art is not to be missed on your visit to Tigre!

On Boulevard Saenz Peña, you will find small chic vintage shops, cute cafés, art shops, and great street art.

Street Art in Tigre

I’m completely in love with cities that allow high-quality street art in their public space. The street art in Tigre is no exception!

The largest concentration of street art in Tigre is on Boulevard Saenz Peña.

Enter on the sidewalk on the corner of Café Almacen de Flores, and I’m sure you will be amazed by the pieces of street art.

Café Almacen de Flores

Almacen de Flores small restaurant and café located in the middle of the heaven of street art in Tigre. The place has a relaxed atmosphere and delicious food.

Make a stop at Almacen de Flores for a cup of coffee or a lunch break after touring the Tigre Delta.

It has been a couple of years since I visited last time, and I’m not sure how much the area changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, according to TripAdvisor reviews, it seems like most of the cafées and restaurants are still operating.

Address: Saenz Peña

Tigre Delta: Day trip from Buenos Aires

Shopping at Puerto de Frutos

In Tigre, you also have an outdoor waterfront shopping area, called Puerto de Frutos, or the fruit port. As the name implies this is the old port to buy fruits.

Today, Puerto de Frutos mainly features handcraft and souvenirs. You might be able to find some more unique souvenirs here compared to the San Telmo Sunday Market.

Puerto de Frutos also offers some great views of the delta.

Address: Sarmiento

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Tigre Delta: Day trip from Buenos Aires

Tigre Art Museum

If you are into art and art museums, Tigre has its own art museum! Museo de Arte Tigre houses pieces by local Argentine artists.

The magnificent mansion is beautifully located by the banks of the river. Most boat rides on the delta will pass by, so you get a chance to see it from the outside.

The mansion was built in 1912 and used to be the Tigre Club, a meeting spot for the elite of the Argentine society.

In 2006, it was turned into the art museum you can experience today. Read more about its history on the museum’s website (only in Spanish).

Address: Avenida Victorica 972

Amusement Park, Parque de la Costa

Find your inner child in Parque de la Costa, an amusement park located by the river banks in Tigre.

Parque de la Costa has more than 30 attractions and is according to its website the biggest amusement park in Argentina.

Parque de la Costa is only open on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.

Visit their website here for more information and ticket prices.

Address: Vivanco 1509

Tigre Delta: Day trip from Buenos Aires

Do a Weekend Getaway in Tigre Delta!

If you want to stay a bit longer in the beautiful green surroundings of the Tigre Delta, then you might consider extending your stay to a weekend getaway!

You can either explore some of the lodging options in Tigre or get the ferry and explore Uruguay for the weekend!

Tigre Delta: Day trip from Buenos Aires

Stay for the Weekend in the Tigre Delta

Tigre has many different accommodation options since it is one of the preferred escapes for busy porteños to disconnect.

You can rent everything from a cottage on an island to a hotel room by the river bank.

All-inclusive Resort, La Becasina Delta Lodge

We stayed a long weekend at La Becasina Delta Lodge, an all-inclusive resort deep into the Tigre Delta.

The place looked promising online, but the quality of the place didn’t match our expectations.

While the place is beautifully located in the middle of the delta far away from everything, it still missed the last “touch” of the quality they are trying to promote online.

It takes almost two hours by boat to get to La Becasina from Tigre. The Lodge does provide this service for their guest but the boat service only runs once a day.

So, it requires quite a bit of planning to make ends meet – and you will spend a good amount of time on transportation to get there.

Tigre Delta: Day trip from Buenos Aires

Cross the Border to Carmelo, Uruguay

An alternative plan for experiencing the Tigre and the Delta area is to extend your day trip to a weekend trip to Uruguay.

From the dock in Tigre, you can get a ferry that crosses over to the small town of Carmelo in Uruguay.

The ferry service stopped during the pandemic. Now it is up and running again. The route is operated by the company Buque Bus. This is the same company operating Buenos Aires to Colonia del Sacramento.

It has been on my to-do list since I moved to Buenos Aires to do this weekend’s trip to Carmelo. But I still haven’t got to it!

Tigre Delta: Day trip from Buenos Aires

How to Get to Tigre from Buenos Aires?

One of the biggest benefits of Tigre is that it is located within an hour from the city center of Buenos Aires – with public transportation! This is a rare luxury in South America!

From the Retiro station in the center of Buenos Aires, you can catch one of the blue provincial trains in the direction of Tigre.

Onboard the train by using the SUBE transportation card (the same as you use for the Subte and buses in Buenos Aires).

The train to Tigre also stops at other central spots in Buenos Aires such as Lisandro de la Torre and Belgrano C (just by Barrio Chino).

These might be easier to reach if you are staying in Palermo or Belgrano – check Google Maps or Como Llego App for a trip planner.

Tigre Delta: Day trip from Buenos Aires

Have you visited the Tigre Delta? Or would you like to visit? Or maybe you are already planning to take a day trip here? Share your thoughts and knowledge below!

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4 Comments

  • Lydia@LifeUntraveled

    I went to Tigre in 2001! Back then it wasn’t considered “a tourist attraction” so my friend and I just hopped on a local boat and got off at a random stop to just walk around. Unfortunately, it had rained and the paths were muddy but I really enjoyed Tigre. I heard that now it’s become a tourist hot-spot with spa resorts and all. :\

    • Rebecca

      Hi Lydia!
      Wow, it must have been a very special experience to visit Argentina in 2001! How funny that Tigre wasn’t “a tourist attraction” back then, today it for sure has turned into one – both for locals and foreigners! There are so many different tour companies offering routes on the delta.
      Oh, what a pitty that it was raining when you went there. Maybe you will be able to go another time 😉 Did you get a chance to see some parts of the city?
      Yeah, I recently found out that there are spa resorts and stuff like that in Tigre. Well, at least it brings income to the town 🙂
      Safe travels!
      // Rebecca

  • Anthony @ Green Mochila

    Tigre has also one of the best fine arts museum in Argentina, the Museo de Arte Tigre, in a stunning villa. Have you been there? That’s actually the only thing we liked in Tigre (we rocketed straight to the “historic centre” and missed the street art corner you write about).

    • Rebecca

      Hi Anthony,
      Thank you so much for dropping by! Thank you for this inside. I did know about the Fine Art Museum in Tigre but have (embarrassingly enough) never visited it! It must definitely be on the to do-list for the next trip to Tigre.
      I hope you’ll get another chance to visit the great street art in Tigre.
      Abrazos
      Becci

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