Tigre | |||
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Location in Greater Buenos Aires | |||
Coordinates: 34°25′S 58°35′W / 34.417°S 58.583°WCoordinates: 34°25′S 58°35′W / 34.417°S 58.583°W | |||
Country | Argentina | ||
Province | Buenos Aires | ||
Partido | Tigre | ||
Elevation | 2 m (7 ft) | ||
Population (2010 census [INDEC]) | |||
• Total | 380,709 hab. | ||
CPA Base | B 1648 | ||
Area code(s) | +54 11 |
Tigre (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈtiɣɾe], Tiger) is a town in the Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, situated in the north of Greater Buenos Aires, 28 km (17 mi) north of Buenos Aires city. Tigre lies on the Paraná Delta and is an important tourist and weekend attraction, easily reached by bus and train services, including the scenic Tren de la Costa. It is the principal town of the Tigre Partido.
The town sits on an island created by several small streams and rivers and was founded in 1820, after floods had destroyed other settlements in the area, then known as the Partido de las Conchas.
The area's name derives from the “tigres” or jaguars that were hunted there, on occasions, in its early years. The area was first settled by Europeans who came to farm the land, and the port developed to serve the Delta and to bring fruit and wood from the Delta and ports upstream on the Paraná river. Tigre is still an important timber processing port. The “Puerto de Frutos” (fruit port) is now a crafts fair located in the old fruit market by the riverside. The Naval Museum is also nearby. Antiques shops, riverside restaurants and pubs, the casino and Parque de la Costa, an amusement park and its renowned natural beauty make Tigre a popular tourist destination throughout the year.
Tigre is also the starting point for a visit to the Paraná Delta. For locals and tourists alike, vintage mahogany commuter launches and motorboats are the favourite way to travel through its web of inter-connecting rivers and streams. English-style rowing clubs, countless marinas, humble dwellings and elegant mansions from the “Belle Époque”, such as the Tigre Club, are to be seen, as well as small pensions and upscale lodges, restaurants, teahouses and simple picnic sites.