Disclaimer: This post may include affiliate links where I earn a small commission for referring you to their services. But don't worry, any companies I partner with I have vetted and/or used myself. And if I didn't use them myself, I should have because they would have made my travels a whole lot easier.
If you ask me, I think they got the names wrong when they founded Buenos Aires and Tigre (tee-gray). Buenos Aires is loud, unpredictable, and even sometimes dangerous (like a tiger), and Tigre is a tranquil place surrounded by nature that reminds you of cottage country (like good air).
There is a touristy feel to Tigre, but once you get into the river delta, it feels a world apart from the bustling Argentine capital.
Regardless of what you call them, if you’re looking for an escape from the big city, Tigre might be exactly what you need. You can go for the day or spend the weekend on one of the secluded lots in the network of rivers and streams of the Tigre river delta.
There are two sides of Tigre: the continental side and the delta side.
The continental side has restaurants, shops, and a flare of tourist souvenirs and knickknacks. It’s pleasant, but not the main attraction.
Then there is the delta side, which is like a labyrinth of waterways that carve up lots of land on which residents have built cabins for weekend getaways.
Regardless, getting to Tigre requires you to go to the town first before embarking on a journey into the river delta.
How to Get to the Tigre Delta?
To get to Tigre, you can drive or take any sort of Uber, taxi, or private car that you like. Or, you can take public transport. You can take a combination of buses, but the easiest and most comfortable way to do it is by train. The train leaves from Retiro station every 15 minutes on weekdays and every 25 minutes on weekends. You can buy your ticket there in the station when you arrive at the ticket office (boletería), or simply use your SUBE card.
The train from Retiro to Tigre takes about 1 hour and costs about USD $1.
Tigre is the final stop on the line.
How to take the Coastal Train (Tren de la Costa)
The Tren de la Costa (or the coastal train) runs parallel to the regular train for about six stops. It travels closer to the coast, hence the name. That said, don’t expect to see views of the Rio de la Plata from your seat or you’ll be disappointed. It doesn’t go that close to the coast.
For my money, the Tren de la Costa (or the coastal train) is not worth the trouble. There isn’t much trouble — you just have to transfer once as it won’t take you all the way back to Buenos Aires — but it doesn’t provide the views of the coast that I was imagining.
What makes it worth it, however, is if you get off the train at Juan Anchorena and enjoy some of the public spaces along the coast. There are a lot of green spaces and parks to enjoy a picnic or kick a football (soccer ball) around with your friends.
Another option is to get off at Las Barrancas and walk to the Juan Anchorena station, taking advantage of the paths along the coast as you make your way. (You have to walk along the road for the first 10 minutes or so until you find the first open space.) With the view of Buenos Aires in the distance, this area in San Isidro is a beautiful, relaxing escape from the busy metropolis.
The tren de la costa leaves from just in front of the casino in Tigre and goes until Maipu, where you have to either transfer to Mitre through the convenient walkways and tunnels, or you can catch a bus just outside the station to wherever you need to go.
You access the coastal train with your SUBE card. There is nowhere to buy tickets on arrival.
What to do in Tigre?
There are various museums, a casino, a theme park, water park, and lively market, but when you go to Tigre there is one thing above all that you have to do.
A trip to Tigre is not complete without taking a boat or water taxi out into the delta. You’ll find many booths offering different tours. You can find one-hour guided tours starting around USD $6 that take you through a few rivers and tell you a bit about the area, allowing you to see many of the different privately owned cabins and network of waterways. Your guide will explain the history and current day happenings of Tigre. All, of course, in Spanish. Maybe there is an English tour offering, but I don’t know about it, and it would certainly be more expensive.
Other river delta options include boat transportation out to a specific island. There is usually a restaurant where you can eat and various walks or hikes that you can do. Some hikes are rather short, but some are about 4km or more. The prices vary for this option, but with food included they start around USD $25.
Finally, there are options to go to what they call “recreos”. These are fully equipped properties with cabins and outdoor activities like a football pitch, volleyball nets, makeshift tennis courts and even rope swings and rock climbing. They also have restaurants. You can buy a day pass and spend the whole day there using all of their facilities, including the parrillas, or you can stay for the night in one of the cabins on site to get the full Tigre experience.
There are a variety of different recreos to choose from, and it can be a great way to spend a day with the family, or a night away from the city with friends.
Why is Tigre called Tigre?
Tigre, which in English means tiger, was a name given in error. When the Spaniards arrived to this wild region of waterways, they saw many wild cats. They mistakenly thought they were tigers when in actual fact they were jaguars. They called the region Tigre for that, and despite their error, it has remained the same ever since.
How much does it cost to go to Tigre?
To cost things out, let’s assume you are coming from Buenos Aires — from Retiro station to be exact.
To go to Tigre and back from Retiro station will cost about $2. A one hour guided boat tour starts at about $6. And then the rest is up to you. So, for $8 you can go to Tigre, get on a boat for an hour and see parts of the Tigre river delta, and come back to the city. In fact, you could even take the Tren de la Costa and stop along the Costanera Norte (the area of green spaces and parks near Juan Anchorena station) on your way home for free.
Well, almost free. You have to pay two extra bus/train fares to do that. But it’s worth it, especially if the weather is nice.
How much time should you spend in Tigre?
I went and spent the day. I feel like that is enough time to see a bit of the delta, a bit of the town, and come back.
However, with a bit more planning, I would love to spend a night in one of the cabins along the waterfront with friends and/or family. The area reminds me of cottage country in Canada. And although your movement is restricted unless you have access to a boat, it would be fabulous spending a night there, having some drinks and cooking meat on the parrilla (barbecue).
(IMPORTANT: If you are going into the Tigre delta to spend the night, bring water with you. While the cabins have heat, A/C, electricity and everything you need, the water is not drinkable. You can buy water in the town.)
Is it worth it to go to Tigre?
Absolutely. As I mentioned above, you can go and enjoy Tigre for as little as USD $8 per person, and it is a fascinating place that seems a world apart from Buenos Aires. About an hour from the city, you’ll forget you are in one of the most populated regions of the Americas and enjoy a little slice of nature that probably contributed to the naming of Buenos Aires.
Great info, thanks ❤️