Tigre and The Paraná Delta

It's a great contrast. Just one hour north of sprawling, urban Buenos Aires, you have the lower reaches of a huge delta system. Five hundred rivers ranging from small streams to some of Argentina's most important water systems, and thousands of square kilometres of the land formed by the sediment collected between them.

The town of Tigre, a quiant suburb of Buenos Aires, is the gateway to the Delta. It's the end of the commuter train line, it has a big amusement park and a giant market most famous for its furniture and fruit. It's also where all the companies that operate tours and water taxis through the delta are based.

There are no roads on the islands of the delta, the waterways assure transportation via boat or water taxi for the people and businesses found there. There are schools and churches, "corner" stores and floating gas stations, all accessible by water only, for the thousands of permanent and seasonal residents of the area.

So on steamy Saturday afternoon Simon and I jumped the train, and then jumped a long wooden boat that took us on a visit of the first section of the Delta. The first section is mostly cottages for people from the city; everything on stilts, so that rising river waters don't routinely damage what's inside.

The waters are brown, the greenery lush. Willows dip into the waters and ferns overhang narrow waterways. The dock in front of every house oftens acts as a patio, from where to take in a little sun, drink maté with friends, oversee the kids swimming, and watch the boats go by.

See Simon's pictures of the afternoon here.