Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Farther Afield
Located around the capital are a number of interesting
towns and suburbs that offer a variety of activities. Gaucho
traditions thrive at the Feria de Mataderos, a weekly crafts
and bric-a-brac market in the colorful barrio of Mataderos.
Beyond this is the riverside town of Tigre, whose Paraná
Delta is a hugely popular attraction. The jungle-clad delta
houses a complex river system teeming with flora and
birdlife. Río de la Plata can easily be crossed by ferry to
explore Argentina's Isla Martín García or the UNESCO
World Heritage Site of Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay.
Leather belts sold at the popular artisanal
Feria de Mataderos
folkloric style from the Litoral
region. Audience participation
is actively encouraged. The Feria
de Mataderos attracts a few folk
musicians of international
renown, such as Victor Heredia
and Chango Spasiuk.
Beyond Buenos
Aires
URUGUAY
6
9
Tigre
2
Tigre and the
Delta
Road map
C3. 17 miles (27 km) N of
Buenos Aires.
*
301,000.
£
@
60.
(
daily.
∑
tigre.gov.ar
•
Río de
la Plata
•
8
Pilar
24
8
BUENOS
AIRES
7
Morón
•
Lanús
•
Quilmes
Founded in 1820, Tigre was
named for the jaguars hunted
in the area by the first European
settlers. Its location at the neck
of the Paraná Delta made it
an important port city, and for
decades its quaysides were piled
with timber and fruit shipped
in from upriver farms and from
the islands of the delta itself.
Tigre's port, Puerto de Frutos,
holds a daily craft fair which
draws thousands of tourists and
locals. The city also has quiet,
leafy, cobblestoned streets
flanked by elegant neo-colonial
mansions. The most impressive
of them is the imposing Club
de la Marina, built in 1876.
Charming though Tigre is, its
main appeal is as a jumping-off
point for river trips into the
Ministro
Pistarini
•
40
6
Berazátegui
Lomas de
Zamora
•
•
0 kilometers
0 miles
1
20
Ensenada
53
20
•
Key
Sights at a Glance
Expressway
Feria de Mataderos
1
Major road
Tigre and the Delta
2
Minor road
Isla Martín García
3
Colonia del Sacramento
4
1
Feria de
Mataderos
Road map
C3. Lisandro de la Torre &
Ave de los Corrales, Barrio de
Mataderos.
Te l
(011) 4342-9629 (Mon-
Fri), (011) 4687-5602 (Sat).
@
55, 63,
80, 92, 103, 117, 126, 141, 155, 180.
Open
Jan & Feb: 6pm-1am Sat; Apr-
Dec: 11am-8pm Sun.
∑
feriademataderos.com.ar
Buenos Aires's weekly Feria
de Mataderos is a day-long
artisans' fair, street party, and
gaucho hoedown combined
into one. The idea behind the
event is to showcase 300 local
arts and crafts from Argentina's
interior provinces. There is a
wide array of items to pick up,
including handcrafted
mate
gourds from Misiones and
ponchos from Catamarca.
Visitors can also sample tradi-
tional regional delicacies such
as
locro
(stew),
tamales
(steamed
meat parcels)
,
and empanadas
(stuffed pastry). Skillful gaucho
equestrian feats are performed
and a variety of folk music is
played, including the lively
chamamé
, an accordion-based
Ferry used to transport visitors in Tigre
For keys to symbols
see back flap
