Parque de la Costa: Amusement in Tigre

So different from Buenos Aires but just a few minutes away, Tigre always offers visitors the chance to find something, whether in the nature of the Delta, the quiet sunshine, the handicrafts at the Fruit Market, the museums or, in this case, an amusement park for the entire family unlike no other in Argentina.

A few blocks away from the River Station, a reference point for all the tours in the area, there lies Parque de la Costa, a proposal full of color, speed and fantasy.

As we entered the park during a weekend, the sun was ruling the skies but the heat was not felt yet. It was an ideal morning. Without further ado, we went straight to the most agitated rides: the two roller-coasters, the water roller-coaster and Vertigo Xtreme, in which visitors are dropped on a 65-meter-high free fall.

It was still early and the queues were not too crowded, so we took a second ride on El Desafío, the 600-meter-long roller-coaster with inversions. Once more, during our last ride, when we were lucky enough to sit at the front of the car, we could see the entire park from the heights.

Feeling a little dizzy and with our head in the clouds, we resolved to sit at one of the benches. In the shade, we discovered that it was long after midday so we decided to have some lunch.

As we toured around the park towards the food yard, we saw that shows for children were getting ready at several spots. Classics like “Peter Pan”, “Cinderella” or “Sleeping Beauty” and local shows like “Cara de Barro” (Mud Face) were available in the park for children of all ages. Before we sat down to eat our meal, we saw a dancing waters fountain, where water, light and sound shows are presented.

Once we had recovered our strength, we left the food yard to return to the rides. Now the weather was hotter. On a full stomach, we resolved to enjoy some quieter ride, so we went for a ride on the Nile Boats. Later on, we chose the flying chair, a classic forever enjoyed.

Willing to feel adrenaline again, we opted for El Torbellino (The Twister), a roller-coaster with spinning cars, and then for Desorbitados (Exorbitant), a big spinning gondola that left us upside down. We had a break for some ice-cream and went back to have fun on a kart ride.

To call it a day, we went on the Ferris wheel. This probably is the most traditional ride of all: with 34 meters of height it featured a gorgeous view of the park, the channels, the islands and everything Tigre has to offer. This ride is breathtaking at sunset.