ARGENTINA REGION BY REGION - Argentina - page 150

Horse riding on a sunny evening in the open countryside outside Tandil city

q Tandil
Road map C3. 100 miles (160 km) S
of Buenos Aires. * 110,000. @ n
Ave Espora 1120, [phone].
∑ tandil.gov.ar

w Sierra de la
Ventana
Road map C3. 20 miles (30 km) NW
of Sierra de la Ventana village. £ n
Ave del Golf s/n, Sierra de la Ventana;
[phone].
∑ comarcaturistica.com.ar
The Pampas region is mostly
undulating, but the Sierra de la
Ventana rises to more than
3,900 ft (1,200 m) above sea
level. The range is named after
the ventana (window), a rock
formation on the tallest of its
peaks, Cerro de la Ventana. This
summit lies within Parque
Provincial Ernesto Tornquist.
The range is more rugged
than Sistema de Tandilia and is a
popular spot for outdoor
adventure, drawing hikers,
climbers, cyclists, horseback

Independence) was built on
the site in 1823. It was razed 50
years later to make way for the
town's expansion. The nearby
Neo-Gothic Templo de la
Inmaculada Concepción , built
in 1878, incorporates stones
from the fort.
Tandil's Museo de Bellas
Artes , located south of the
plaza, boasts works by local
artists as well as a handful of
minor pieces by acknowledged
Argentinian masters such as
Berni and Quinquela Martín.
North of Plaza Independencia
is another interesting site, the
Museo Tradicionalista , which
has exhibits of photographs
and art collected by local
families. There is also a good
replica of a pulpería , a saloon-
cum-general store, around
which gaucho life revolved.
Tandil has good restaurants
and bars, along with a lively
nightlife. It is also famous for
its cured meats and cheeses.
Visitors should head southwest
out of town to explore the
nearby hills. Cerro El Centinela
is the most popular climb, while
the higher Sierra Las Animas is
more difficult. Horse riding
and mountain biking are
popular activities.

The attractive town of Tandil
nestles among Sistema de
Tandilia. These are gently
undulating granite hills that rise
to about 1,800 ft (550 m) above
sea level. The town offers
weekend breaks to porteños
who want a getaway to the hills
but cannot travel as far as the
Andes. Tandil is extremely
popular during Easter, the time
when the Stations of the Cross
procession takes place. The walk
ends at Monte Calvario, a hillock
topped by a large cross east of
the town. The cobblestoned
town center, Plaza Indepen-
dencia, has been the focal point
of life in Tandil ever since the
Fuerte Independencia (Fort of

E Museo de Bellas Artes
Chacabuco 367. Te l [phone].
Open 8:30am-12:30pm, 5-9pm
Tue-Fri. Closed Jan.
∑ tandil.gov.ar
E Museo Tradicionalista
4 de Abril 851. Te l [phone].
Open 4-8pm Tue-Sun. &

Giant cruciix at the top of Monte Calvario,
east of Tandil

The “window” formation at the summit of
Cerro de la Ventana

For hotels and restaurants see pp278-83 and pp288-99