Guide · Argentina
Visiting Tigre and the Paraná Delta
Tigre is the gateway to the Paraná Delta, less than an hour from Buenos Aires. Here is how to get there, what to do and how to move around the river safely and respectfully, from the town where our workshop is based.
Where is Tigre?
Tigre is a town in Buenos Aires province, Argentina, about 30 km (20 miles) north of the city of Buenos Aires, where the Paraná Delta begins: a maze of islands, rivers and streams where many people live, row and get around by boat. Argentina’s official tourism portal calls it “the Argentinian Venice”, less than an hour from the Buenos Aires Obelisk (argentina.travel, 2025 (opens in a new tab)).
For us it is also home: Bote al Agua’s workshop is a shed in Tigre, near the San Fernando canal.
How do you get to Tigre from Buenos Aires?
According to argentina.travel, the official portal of Argentina’s National Institute for Tourism Promotion, these are the options:
| Mode | How | Approx. time |
|---|---|---|
| Mitre line train | From Retiro station (Av. Ramos Mejía 1303; reachable on subway lines C or E), Retiro–Tigre branch, platforms 1 or 2. Tigre is the last stop. | — |
| Mitre + Tren de la Costa | Retiro–Mitre branch (platforms 3 or 4) to Mitre station; cross the bridge over Avenida Maipú to Maipú station on the Tren de la Costa, a train designed for tourism, which ends at Delta station in Tigre. | — |
| Bus | Line 60 leaves from Constitución (the version with a green “Panamericana” sign is fastest). From Liniers, lines 21 or 343; the 343 ends at Puerto de Frutos. | Line 60: 1.5 to 2 hours |
| Car | Take the Panamericana highway and the Tigre exit at San Isidro. | About 40 minutes |
| Boat | Day trips on the Río de la Plata leave from Puerto Madero. | Round trip in a day |
Fares and timetables change, so check the official channels before you go. The details in this table come from argentina.travel (opens in a new tab) (article of 1 June 2025).
What is there to do in Tigre?
- A boat ride through the channels. The classic: a tour of about an hour among the Delta islands.
- Puerto de Frutos, for strolling and buying crafts, homeware and souvenirs.
- Parque de la Costa, an amusement park for kids and adults.
- Walk the riverside and watch the rowers. Tigre is rowing-club country, with historic clubhouses facing the Luján river.
The first three are the suggestions of argentina.travel (opens in a new tab); check current opening days and times before you go.
<Rowing, part of Tigre’s identity
If you love rowing, Tigre is a special place. Every year it hosts the Festival de Ochos, a night regatta on a floodlit stretch of the Luján river. At the 21st edition, in February 2026, 420 rowers raced in 48 boats from 11 clubs; it was organised by Rowing Club Argentino with the support of the Municipality of Tigre (Zona Norte Hoy, 25 February 2026 (opens in a new tab)). The same report notes that the Municipality runs a rowing school for children and young people.
That river culture inspires our work: at Bote al Agua, kids build their own wooden boat and row it at the end of the workshop.
Going rowing or kayaking? Rules for the Delta
Kayaks, rowing boats, private motorboats and passenger launches all share the Delta. The Prefectura Naval Argentina, the country’s maritime authority, publishes these recommendations for kayaks and rowing boats (official source, in Spanish (opens in a new tab)):
- Wear a life jacket (compulsory in rowing craft) and carry a whistle.
- Do not go out if you cannot swim, and avoid going alone.
- Row within 200 metres of the shore and well away from motorboats.
- At crossings, always give way to motorboats and make eye contact with the helmsman.
- Respect passenger launches as they approach or leave jetties: wait, and never cross their bow, because from the helm they cannot see a kayak close by.
- Under-18s must be accompanied by adults.
For more detail, see our guide to river safety for kids.
A day in Tigre: a suggested plan
If you only have one day, this order works well with the options suggested by the official portal:
- Morning: train from Retiro. For a more scenic trip, combine the Mitre line with the Tren de la Costa and get off at Delta station.
- Mid-morning: a boat ride of about an hour through the Delta channels.
- Midday: lunch or a picnic, and a walk along the Luján river past the rowing clubs.
- Afternoon: Puerto de Frutos for browsing and shopping, or Parque de la Costa if you have kids with you.
- Back: train or bus to central Buenos Aires.
This is our own suggestion, built on the information from argentina.travel (opens in a new tab); adapt it to your timetable and check that each place is open on the day you go.
When is the best time to go?
Tigre’s climate is very similar to Buenos Aires’: according to argentina.travel, it can be a little more humid in summer (December to March) and a little colder in winter (June to September). Spring, from September to December, is a good time for a boat ride and a picnic. Remember that the seasons are reversed for visitors from the northern hemisphere.
Tips for a respectful visit
- People live in the Delta: respect private jetties and land on the islands.
- Take your rubbish with you: the river carries it away.
- If you are travelling with children near the water, make sure an adult is always watching.
- If you are interested in Bote al Agua’s work, message us first on Instagram or Facebook (in Spanish).
This guide brings together public information to help you plan; it does not replace official transport information or the instructions of the Prefectura on site.
Sources
Checked on 11 October 2026. All links go to the original publication.
- National Institute for Tourism Promotion, argentina.travel, “How to get to Tigre and what to do there” (opens in a new tab), 1 June 2025.
- Zona Norte Hoy, “TBC se coronó campeón en el tradicional Festival de Ochos” (opens in a new tab), 25 February 2026 (in Spanish).
- Prefectura Naval Argentina, “Recomendaciones para el navegante con kayaks y botes a remo” (opens in a new tab) (in Spanish).
- Universidad de Belgrano, “The Boat Building Workshop” (opens in a new tab) (Tigre’s location relative to Buenos Aires).
Interested in the workshop?
Bote al Agua is a non-profit in Tigre where kids build wooden rowing boats. If you would like to support the project or learn more, see how you can help.