Adventure, tango and Much More at the Delta

Andrés’ words caught our attention at once and got us directly involved with what he was saying: “This tour proposes visitors to see the Delta from a different angle, away from the well-known tourist circuits, by showing extraordinary sceneries, as well as its wildlife and the habits of its dwellers”, he ended before we accepted the invitation gladly.

It was just another day and Andrés picked us up in the downtown area. In less than an hour, we were already on board one of the many commuter launches at the Tigre River Station and heading for El Toro Creek, where Tango Delta is located.

This is not the usual recreation area or restaurant, but a house in the Delta hosted by its owners, who welcomed us as if they had known us for ever. Their politeness is one of the features that make this proposal different from all others.

After sailing on the commuter launch and appreciating the codes and philosophy of the islands and their people, we arrived in a beautiful wharf that served as our destination and invited us onto solid land at El Trébol, an estate devoted to forest exploitation. The venue includes a barbecue area and a typical house from the Delta, the operations base for all the activities we were about to enjoy.

Mate, homemade breakfast including jams and bread managed to sweeten our morning as we got ready to go on the first hiking tour of the day, deep inside the woodlands, where the natural vegetation is outlined by plantations of poplars, one of the emblematic tree species in the area of the delta of the Tigre River.

An excellent two-hour hiking tour satisfied all the expectations we all had regarding nature and ecology. We were exhausted but eager to see what came next: a typical Argentinian asado with empanadas, wine and beverages to enjoy.

“We are also tango dancers and educators. Therefore, after a short rest, you will enjoy a tango lesson in which we will teach you the first steps for you to enter this wonderful world”, Mirta concluded. She accompanies Andrés in this memorable adventure for visitors.

After lunch we were feeling much more energetic. Little by little, we approached the site where we would learn the basic steps to dance milonga and tango. Before we could notice, we had incorporated the moves in a very amusing and educational way.

Thus, on the shores of a dreamed-of river, we understood that dancing the tango is accessible for everyone. It is an activity we can all enjoy, no matter how much we know about this dance.
As well, we were told about the origin of tango, its history, the milonga codes and the various styles when it comes to dancing. At Tango Delta, each of us acquired the basic knowledge to start dancing.

At the end of the lesson, we all clapped to thank what we had just learned and practiced. We had the chance to go up to the famous Paraná River by motorboat. It was very calm at the moment; therefore, it was an ideal opportunity to see its famous low lands, where the river ends into the wide Río de la Plata.

There we went as some members of the group lingered on around the house waiting for tea time, another unforgettable instance of our stay. Tea, coffee, mate, cakes, honey from the beehives at sight and homemade jam were part of the feast. And the visit was coming to an end.

As the sun set, the motorboat led by Andrés would lead us back to the starting point: the Tigre river station. The shuttle that took us down to Tigre was awaiting there to take us back to the City of Buenos Aires, but this time there was something different.

Inside each of us the tour had fulfilled its purpose: we had become islanders, lovers of the Delta, helmsmen and, of course, tango dancers. All that in less than one day.