Tigre

One of my favorite outings was visiting Tigre, a town just outside Buenos Aires situated on the Paraná Delta, the world’s only river delta that does not empty into the sea but into another river, the Rio de la Plata. The Paraná river system is the second largest in South America after the Amazon, and the third largest in the Western Hemisphere after the Mississippi.

Tigre, named for jaguars that once prowled the area, is a hot tourist destination on the weekends. Joji, her mom Virginia, Ale and I were fortunate to visit mid-week and had the place to ourselves!

A nearly private boat or laucha, was our transportation – there were only two other guests, and one of them was napping!

A perfect way to idle the day away enjoying lunch at the wee onboard restaurant and knitting on top in the sun.

We traveled a labyrinth of waterways, among several of the thousands of little islands that make up the delta. The islands closest to the mainland are dotted with beautiful little holiday homes, each one cuter than the last.

Virginia lived there at one point; looking at the map, she could pick out where, and Ale remembered her grandfather’s swimming route.

Further out the islands get wilder and less inhabited. If you live way upstream you can buy vegetables and other goods from boats that serve as shops.

It looked to me like a place to return to and stay a while. I always imagine which little house on stilts I’d choose. I’d have a fine time painting and knitting, and kayaking around the network of streams. I’m so sad I can’t find the map we got, with guest houses listed, where I will stay next time!

The mainland town of Tigre was originally organized as a port for fruit and timber exports. In the 20th-century belle époque it became an elite tourist destination. We visited the stunning, “are we in Disneyland?” Museo de Arte Tigre which is located in a former society social club built in 1912.