Week 4: Exploring the Buenos Aires Province

After spending a few weeks exploring Buenos Aires, we decided to explore areas in the Buenos Aires province. We got to see some more traditional experiences and visit areas that locals escape to.

Contents

Best Thing I Ate This Week An Interesting Fact I Learned My Travel Tip of the Week My Additional Anecdote This Week

Best Thing I Ate This Week

Comida Tradicional in San Antonio de Areco

Gauchos are Argentina’s cowboys. Historically, they were cattle-herding settlers on the pampas. They also specialize in cooking meat and host celebratory asados. Every year San Antonio de Areco hosts the Dia de la Tradicion. (San Antonio de Areco is 2 hours outside of Buenos Aires within the province.) Gauchos come together for an extraordinary weekend of honoring their traditions.

Our first stop to experience the tradition was at Pulperia Lo de Tito where we ate a delicious picada entrada, and I tried a fernet cola. The spread of meats/cheeses complimented perfectly the sweet drink. In addition, the interior of the restaurant transported us back to another period in time.

Our next stop was at Boliche de Bessonart Bar for some more fernet colas. This bar made your mixed drink, but then also mixed the remaining amount of cola with fernet in the bottle. The crowd started to fill with gauchos preparing for a celebratory night out. It doesn’t hurt that the generous drinks led to a lively atmosphere.

The final stop was at the main event at a Fogon Surero in Matera del Parque Criollo. Gauchos had spent the day preparing the carne for the evening celebration. Eating a delicious sandwich de carne while listening to traditional live music was a fantastic way to complete the gaucho dining experience.

An Interesting Fact I Learned

Tigre is the gateway to life on the Parana Delta

North of Buenos Aires is a city named Tigre, after the jaguars that once roamed the lands. It connects to the Parana Delta, which starts near Rosario and covers over 5,400 square miles. The islands that makeup the delta can be accessed only by boat. Tigre is an hour outside of Buenos Aires within the province.

We took a ride on a lancha, which can traverse the smaller waterways in addition to the main transit rivers. During the ride we got a glimpse of the delta homes, and joined everyone in experiencing a beautifully warm spring day on the water.

All of the homes have docks where people tie up their boats, and swim in the water. If they do not have boats, there are water taxis that connect people to the mainland or other islands. There are boats that bring kids to schools, grocery boats that sell food/water, trash boats that remove waste, and even ice cream boats in the summer. While some people live there year round, there are many that use the location as second homes and numerous hotels that can be rented for weekend getaways.

My Travel Tip of the Week

check the forecast and prepare for the elements

Dia de la Tradicion in San Antonio de Areco was an event I had circled on my calendar, and we made sure to arrange our travel to line up with the celebration. After some great spring weather, we saw that the forecast called for a little rain.

We decided to put on our waterproof boots and rain jacket, to make sure we could still walk around if it did end up raining at some points throughout the day.

Rather than rain a little, it ended up raining all day and storming so badly that Taylor Swift had to postpone her show in Buenos Aires. We, however, had prepared with the right gear so that we could manage the conditions while remaining relatively comfortable.

My Additional Anecdote This Week

Kindness creates lasting travel memories

Our first time taking a long distance bus in Argentina was not off to a great start when it showed up 40 minutes late. However, the drivers apologized for the traffic and welcomed us on board. When we got off in San Antonio de Areco, they were so happy for us to experience Dia de la Tradicion and wished us a great day.

The worst of the rain storms hit while we were enjoying the delicious start to our day at Pulperia de lo Tito. As we were about to leave to go back into the pouring rain, the owner asked where we were going. He let us know the Destrezas (rodeo-type activities) were canceled for the day but we could still join the Fogon (large barbecue party) in the evening. He then insisted he drive us to our next destination and told us all about his town on the way.

We stopped by the Fogon a few hours before it started to learn more about the evening, and were greeted by the director. He showed us around the event space and introduced us to his gaucho friends that were preparing for the evening. They taught us about their cooking methods and said to go to Boliche de Bessonart Bar for an authentic pre-game before the main event.

How to Follow Our Travel:

We are actively posting on Instagram with more candid stories and updates about our travel.

If you want to get a weekly email of our latest blog postings, sign up below!

Hi! We Are Kevin and Melina!

We are Kevin and Melina, two avid travelers who have decided to take our hobby of traveling into our new lifestyle.

Follow along as we show you the highs and lows of planning, coordinating, and executing travel to help you make the most of every travel adventure.

Week 4: Exploring the Buenos Aires Province

We spent the week exploring some areas within the Buenos Aires province, experiencing some local traditions and destinations.