The pampas begin where Buenos Aires leaves off. Here you may spend the day with the gauchos, riding the pampas or better still, stay the night in a historic estancia and enjoy a mouth-watering grilled steak, Argentine asado style. Converted ranches, or estancias, dot the landscape throughout many parts of Argentina including San Antonio de Areco, just two hours west of the capital. Comfortable authentic lodgings for visitors on Argentina tours, estancias offer a glimpse of Argentina's history when the country was just forming and a simple rugged lifestyle that has all but disappeared.
The delta of the Parana is a popular weekend getaway destination for Buenos Aires residents as well as visitors on Argentina tours. A forty-five minute train ride from the city, the huge delta supports small communities where some residents live in houses on stilts and do business in boats. Here one will find a tranquil alternative to the bustle of the city, a welcome relief during the hot summer months. Tigre's top attractions for those who travel to Argentina are its stilt houses and the Puerto de Frutos where produce is sold during the week and crafts are added on the weekends. Quaint San Isidro has a historic center, a few mansions and an upscale tourist train, Tren de la Costa. If you decide to spend the night here on your Argentina tours, reserve ahead. All the accommodations are small one-of-a-kind guesthouses that fill quickly, especially on weekends. Southern Explorations offers two half-day-trip extensions to the area on Argentina tours. On the five-hour guided Bicycle Tour of Tigre and San Isidro, you'll tour the sights of Tigre before re-boarding the train for San Isidro for a pleasant bicycle ride through the area. The half-day Kayaking in Buenos Aires Tour Extension paddles through the delta's bird-filled marshlands as well as visiting the sights of Tigre.
If you're interested in an international adventure during your travel to Argentina, ferries leave from the dock at Puerto Madero for Uruguayan destinations across the Rio de la Plata. The nearest port of call is Uruguay's oldest town, Colonia. A one to two hour ferry ride away, this quaint seaside town of 22,000 is a popular spot with Buenos Aires residents. Its historic center of cobblestone streets and colonial architecture is a UNESCO World Cultural Site. With an interesting mix of museums, plazas, churches and tile work, Colonia makes a pleasant day-trip on Argentina tours.
If you go to Uruguay by ferry from Buenos Aires during your travel to Argentina, you should be able to enter the country with just a passport and get by on Argentine pesos and American dollars without having to obtain Uruguayan currency. It is best to check ahead to make sure customs regulations haven't changed.
