Day Trips around Buenos Aires City

If you have the time, there are also some great day trips from Buenos Aires City into the surrounding areas.
If the weather is nice, the city of Tigre is one of the most perfect Buenos Aires day trips. Weekenders come to fish, row, water ski and cruise the winding channels that flow past hundreds of little islands, many of them dotted with weekend houses built on stilts. Tigre features a boardwalk ( Paseo Victorica ) that stretches for about two miles. Old English rowing clubs, parrillas and a myriad of restaurants line the street.

There are several larger ferries and private boats which leave from the dock next to the train station. You can sail along channels and visit the delta of the Paraná River and enjoy the subtropical vegetation. There is a picturesque fruit market that is also worth visiting. This port market sells mostly crafts, fruit, vegetables and plants. It is opened Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 am to 5:00 pm.

This is a great day trip for those that want to leave the sprawl of Buenos Aires and visit an elegant riverside resort and get in touch with nature.

A day in the Country Gaucho- style

One of the options for a day trip out of the city is a visit to an estancia ( ranch ). Many of these receive either day visitors or weekend guests, although most are also still active in their traditional livestock and agricultural work.

Another of the most popular Buenos Aires day trips is a visit to the town of San Antonio de Areco, a typical town of the cattle-raising area of the pampas. There are a number of estancias ( ranches ) here which can be visited, including the Estancia La Porteña where the famous author Ricardo Guiraldes once lived.

Ranches

The province of Buenos Aires occupies part of the Pampas, a rich fertile plain that was divided up among ranchers when the original natives were routed. A day trip to a ranch usually includes a mid-morning snack of empanadas, beverages, followed by a guided horseback or carriage ride, an aperitif and a traditional barbeque. Afterwards there is a live music show and a gaucho display of horsemanship and roping in the best rodeo style. Some big cattle ranches have important estate houses that have been remodelled to provide comfortable accommodation for overnight guests. Other establishments are small farms without livestock.

The Guiraldes Gaucho Museum ( open Wed-Mon 11 am-5 pm ) was built in 1938 to illustrate the past of the Argentine gaucho. It is a replica of an old Buenos Aires province rural dwelling. While the Gaucho Silver Museum and Workshop open daily 8:30 am to 12.30pm and 3-8 pm.

For further information about the Estancias located near San Antonio de Areco, send us an e mail and we will send you the list of Estancias.

La Plata City: For another kind of fun, your day trip to Buenos Aires itinerary can actually include a short drive to La Plata City. Located 63 km from Buenos Aires, La Plata is the capital of the province of Buenos Aires. The centre of the city was designed on a five-kilometre grid, with straight streets crossed by tree-lined diagonals and with parks every seven blocks. The city plan included the construction of the neo-Gothic Cathedral, which took 48 years to build. La Plata is famous for its Museum of Natural Sciences, which in itself is worth the trip. It has one of the world´s most important paleontological collections.

About La Plata City:
The city is home to two football (soccer) teams that play in the first division: Estudiantes de La Plata and Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata. The "Teatro Argentino" is the second most important lyric opera house in Argentina, after the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. Together with the Cathedral and the Museum of Natural Sciences, it is one of the major attractions in town. New Socer Stadium ( Estadio Unico de la Plata ): On February 17th, 2011, this modern stadium was finally reopened with all its innovations: seating capacity for 36,000 spectators, a 27,000-m2 waterproof cover over the stands, tens of new boxes, a modern removable playing field. This stadium will not just host soccer matches, but also other sports such as rugby (Pumas will play a test match against French Barbarians there on June 11th), field hockey, tennis, and boxing. Regarding sports, its first big challenge will be to be one of the venues for the Americas Cup, whose opening game —Argentina versus Bolivia— will be played on July 1st, 2011.

About our Tours

What distinguishes the members of Ideas Turisticas from other tour organizations, is the high quality of the tours we offer. During the tours, current architectural developments, urban contexts, social and political backgrounds and many other issues are presented in an enjoyable and informative way. You get to see the most interesting modern architecture, visit important buildings and experience exciting suburbs and cities such as La Plata– all accompanied by an expert guide.

What to do in Colonia del Sacramento

When you visit Colonia, you will arrive at the port, few blocks away from the heart of the Barrio Histórico (old town). It's easy to cover Colonia on foot, but there are also bicycles, mopeds, cars and even golf carts for rent at the port's entrance.

The history of Colonia - founded in 1680 - is a dizzying tale of territorial struggle between the Spanish and Portuguese crowns for most of the 17th and 18th centuries. Peace finally descended in 1778, when Portugal acquiesced. For a physical sense of the town's early days, walk through the “Puerta de Campo”, the restored city gate dating from 1745. Enter from Plaza 1811, next to a tourist information stand. On the Plaza de Armas Manuel Lobo, wooden walkways with plaques showing early plans guide you around the ruins of the earliest foundations.

Off the plaza are the simple white walls of the Iglesia Matriz, the oldest church in Uruguay. Though thoroughly resto red and reconstructed, traces of the original edifice are still visible, and the cool interior contains colonial-era religious art. The museum circuit is another option. For US$ 5, buy a pass (available at the Municipal or Portuguese museums) granting access to the seven small museums in the old town. You can hit them all in one day - they're open 11.30am-5.30pm. Often the real interest is the buildings themselves - all are restored 18th-century Portuguese houses. Part of the Museo Portugués on the Plaza Mayor dates from 1720, and its collection is one of tile more interesting.

But the real pleasure of Colonia is just walking. Explore the Calle de los Suspiros (Street of Sighs) with its huge cobble-stones and typical colonial houses; the active lighthouse, amid the ruins of the 17th-century Convento de San Francisco; and around the limits of the Barrio Histórico along the river, past the disused railway station and on to the Bastión del Carmen, the old town fortification.

For a little more action, tile main street, General Flores, is lined with souvenir shops and cheap eateries. There is also a daily Feria de la Ciudad Artesanal (craft fair) two blocks off Flores, next to the sports ground on Daniel Fosalba. Once you're all walked out, throw yourself down in a plaza or head to the beach on the Rambla Costanera for a great view of the river.

Finally, try Real de San Carlos for something truly fascinating. Located five kilometres (three miles) out of town along the coastal road are the 100year-old remains of an Argentinean playboy's dreams of a leisure complex. You can see the ruins of the Moorish-style bull ring (where just eight fights took place from 1910 to 1912, before the sport was outlawed) and as a theatre. The racetrack, which opened later, in 1942, still functions.

We strongly recommend you to hire a local English speaking guide. Your guide will explain and make sense of what you are looking at. She will put what you are seeing in its historical, religious and cultural context. Send us an e mail and we will handle all the logistics (itinerary, accommodation, food, transportation) for you and probably save you money.

Buenos Aires Calendar: April 2011

Art Exhibition: Louise Bourgeois in Proa From Tuesdays to Sundays 11 am – 7 pm.

“The return of the repressed” curated by Philip Larratt-Smith, is organized in conjunction with the Louise Bourgeois Studio in New York and the Instituto Tomie Ohtake in Sao Pablo, Brazil, and is supported by Tenaris, both for its presentation in Argentina and its tour in Rio de Janeiro and San Pablo. Her famous hanging pieces, pendants on a string, show the fragility, the delicacy of the events, demonstrating the ambivalence between the exterior world and the interior world of the subject. Fundación PROA Av. Pedro de Mendoza 1929 Neighborhood: La Boca

BAFICI Film Festival

BAFICI is the greatest, most prestigious event for the independent cinema in Latin America. The Festival is renowned as an essential means of promotion for the independent film output, where the most innovative, daring and committed films can be shown. Showings are all over the city. Many films are subtitled in English first and the Spanish subtitles, so even if your Spanish needs some help, you are likely to understand the majority of films. It begins on Wednesday, April 6th and runs through the Sunday the 17th. Entrance Tickets: Casa de la Cultura: Address: 575 Avenida De Mayo 575 - Mondays to Fridays, from 10 am to 8 pm; Hoyts Cinemas- Abasto Shopping Mall – 3247 Corrientes Avenue (Mondays to Sundays, 10 am to 8 pm ).

Guided Visits to the Colon Theatre

Guided tours to the interior of this magnificent theatre are held every day, including holidays, from 9:00 am to 3:45 pm. Tours are offered in English or Spanish. Guided visits in French and Portuguese have to be reserved 48 hours in advance.

The visit has a cost of USD 15 for foreign visitors. Entrance for children under 6 is free. Retirees, pensioners and university students will have a 50% discount on Mondays. The entrance ticket can be acquired by phone with credit card, or at the Theatre’s box office (1171 Tucuman Street), with credit card, debit card, or cash.

Gallery Nights

Art galleries in Buenos Aires open their Doors for free on the last Friday night of each month. There are various locations. If you need more information please send us an e mail and we will send you the itinerary of the month of April. Codigo País Creative Trends Festival This interactive festival celebrates the latest happenings in art, film, design, music, theatre and fashion.

Location: Tribuna Plaza.

Address: Avenida del Libertador 4405.

MAMBA - Modern Art Museum – San Telmo

Housed in an old tobacco warehouse is this temporary collection of exhibits by local painters and sculptors plus permanent exhibits of local and international artists, such as Dali and Picasso. Video and film events are also presented.

Museo de Arte Moderno

Avenida San Juan 350 Buenos Aires, Distrito Federal 1147 Argentina

Cafés, Delis, Bistros and Restaurants that we strongly recommend:

Best Antipasti:

New “Cucina Paradiso”

Address: 1538 Arevalo Street. Palermo Hollywood; From: Mondays to Saturdays; From 12:00 pm to 8 pm. Bar Snacks/ Single Scene: “Mark´s Deli and Coffee House” Address: 4701 El Salvador Street; Palermo Soho.

“Tea Connection”

Address: 1597 Uriburu Street; 1655 Montevideo Street; Recoleta.

Best Tapas: “Café San Juan”.

Address: 450 San Juan Avenue. San Telmo.

From Tuesdays to Sundays from 12:30 pm to 4 pm; From 8 pm to midnight. Tea Time:

New “Le Blé Boulangerie”

Adress: 899 Alvarez Thomas Avenue corner of Céspedes Street. Colegiales. From Tuesdays to Sundays; From 8 am to 8 pm. Gourmet-Deli: New “Farinelli” Address: 2707 Bulnes Street. From Mondays to Saturdays; from 8 am to 8 pm.

New “La Panadería de Pablo”

Address: 269 Defensa Street. Monday thru Friday: From 10 am to 7 pm. Saturday closed. Brunch on Sunday.

We hope you find this article useful. If you want to learn about all the events of 2011,an send us an e mail at ideas turisticas and we will send the information to you.