Words and Photos by Matt Dursum
Like most of Buenos Aires, the Tigre Delta is changing. Over a century ago, the area was a playground for the rich. The former country club—Museo de Arte Tigre—once functioned as the social grounds for Buenos Aires’ elite and its famous rowing team. After the bloody 20th century dictatorship and the rise of seaside and international travel stripped this region of its prestige, it is finding a newfound resurgence as an escape for everyday city people.
It’s the end of August, my girlfriend and I catch a ferry to a remote island on Rio Sarmiento. Here we spend several days running along the trails of the canals. A team of neighborhood dogs join us as we pass over bridges and make our way through low-lying forests and residential areas. People stop to chat with us and at night we stoke a fire and start a parrilla grill. Life’s good here and being just an hour from the 15th largest city in the world, all of this seems unreal.
Buenos Aires’ Backyard Paradise
The Delta’s charm is in its pace of life. Slow, relaxing, and overwhelmingly laid back, people move to a different rhythm than their big city neighbors. The lack of roads helps, as do the hoards of friendly canines who greet new visitors like long-lost friends. Mostly this is because of the people and their love for their home.
Immediately after crossing the Luján River, it’s apparent that the region has transformed. Sunken passenger boats and decrepit Victorian mansions rot along the shoreline as new yoga retreats and high-end romantic getaways like Delta Eco Spa open up.
At almost 5500 square miles, the delta is a sprawling maze of rivers and canals that connect islands and wetlands. Thousands of species of flora and fauna thrive in the delta. Visitors who get the chance to explore the area by kayak can often wind up face to face with animals like deer and capybaras.
Diving Into Tigre Delta History
The Delta and its aquatic landscape were once prime fishing and agricultural zones for the indigenous Guaraní people. The Spanish and European settlers pushed the indigenous people off their land and slowly began clearing forests for livestock and farming.
Along with wild game and diverse flora and fauna, they encountered wild jaguars roaming the marshy islands. When the Europeans began colonizing the area, they called the animals tigers, thus incorrectly naming the region Tigre.
Officially, the delta region was called “Las Conchas,” in reference to the snail shells that grow along the river bottom. This seemingly innocent term had to be changed as the lexicon for concha (shells) in standard Spanish changed to mean female genitalia in the local Argentine dialect. Tigre would be designated as the official name in 1952 to avoid any unwanted giggling.
Along with farming, agriculture, especially in fruit orchards, grew as the economy’s staple. This was about to change after Argentina’s economy surged in growth. Cattle export was the driving factor that led Argentina to outperform the economies of Europe and the United States. A new wealthy elite began growing in Buenos Aires and other cities and along with wealth came a love for luxurious day trips and activities.
The Beginning of the Rowing Club
Like efficient railway systems, the British brought many things to Argentina around the turn of the 19th century, including sports. In 1873, English, European, and Argentine rowers took part in a regatta in the town of Tigre. Then President Sarmiento watched and cheered as the athletes raced around the canals.
With the support of the president, the team of English immigrants and newbie Argentine rowers met in a cafe in Buenos Aires. They discussed the terms and schedules and laid out the foundation for the Buenos Aires Rowing Club. The club and the city hired architects and builders to design and build their grand rowing center in 1911, which still stands as a Victorian landmark in the city.
With the club’s foundation, a new momentum of aquatic sports followed. Sailing centers and eventually docks for personal watercraft began popping up. Water taxis and river ferries started serving the delta’s most far-reaching neighborhoods.
The Delta’s Rebirth
During Argentina’s disastrous “dirty war,” a period of military dictatorship that lasted from 1974 to 1983, Tigre fell into hard times. The once popular destination and, specifically, the remote islands near the Parana River became a place where the bodies of political dissidents were disposed of from the air. The horrors experienced in Tigre would never be forgotten. This is especially true for the locals, who had to remain silent about finding the bodies to protect themselves from receiving the same fate from the military.
After the end of the dictatorship, life in Argentina improved and people slowly started returning to the Delta. The local government and landowners converted many of the former Victorian homes and hotels that once exemplified Argentine opulence into museums. Hotels and retreats also became popular.
Paddling in a Secluded River Paradise
On our last full day, we rent kayaks and paddle through the depths of the canals off Río Sarmiento. Residents and visitors must use the waterways to get around, so everything is set up like a floating community. Gas station attendees pump gas for motor boats and museum ticket booths are on wooden docks.
We paddle underneath willow trees and palms. Flocks of water birds and parakeets gently land by our boat, undisturbed until a fishing boat or motor taxi zooms by. The sunny weather and natural beauty makes us think we are thousands of miles from civilization. For the busy Argentines experiencing the worst economic turmoil this century, Tigre is like a much needed medicine of calm. We paddle past a group of rowers. They turn to us and wave, enraptured in the present moment, and as far away from the problems of urban life as they could be.