Not only is the wilderness of Tigre a braid of jungly deltas and the Paraná river splitting into sedimentary streams encircling 500 islands, but it was also home of the indigenous tribe Guaranis. Then, when the Spanish claimed the land 35 km north of Buenos Aires, they named it “Las Conchas” (the shells) because of the many freshwater shells. However, the conquistadors called it “el Rincon de Tigre” (The Corner of the Tiger) due to reports of jaguars killing sheep and cows, and a possible mix-up of jaguars and tigers (with only jaguars native to Argentina). What‘ s more, a quick google search on the Guaranis shows that in their legends, there is a monster living in rivers known as the water-tiger (or “jaguar-lizard”) which drag unwary humans underwater to die. Moving on, “Las Conchas” turned into a smugglers paradise by the early 1600s due to the Spaniards forbidding free trade, and 300 years later in 1953, the name “Las Conchas” was changed to Tigre. Once a place for rich bohemians, today it is a favorite weekend getaway for many porteños (inhabitants of Buenos Aires) only 45 minutes by train from the central station. Either you find your own little tree-hut on Airbnb for the weekend, or choose to go on a day-visit catching the river-ferry to for example Bonanza, offering kayaking, horseback riding and asado, Tiger will be beautiful. We went with our field manager Eduardo to Tigre and Bonanza for a day, exploring the third largest river delta in the world. And if you happen to be in Tigre for the spring blossom, there is no other place to be.

 

 

 

 

 

By Hilda Nyflot