When the two-week school winter break approaches, and you haven’t made prior plans, the same question arises: do we stay in Buenos Aires, hope to find a last-minute deal to Europe, or travel locally? This year we went for the latter. After looking briefly at a map and realizing that the most we’d seen of Entre Ríos was either a weekend in Gualeguaychú or looking out the window of a bus bound for Iguazù Falls, the choice was made to load up the car and explore.
So, with a loose idea of spending some time at a thermal pool park and visiting Paraná, we hit the road. What followed was a trip that took us through bridges and street art, hot springs and small-town adventures, German villages, bird-filled wetlands, and a few unexpected roadside curiosities along the way.
Crossing the bridges into Entre Ríos
On a good day, it’s just under four hours of straight driving from Buenos Aires to Villa Elisa, our first planned overnight stop. But with the unpredictability of the Autopista Panamericana to take on first, there’s always an element of the unknown. Those who’ve driven this road before know well how a half-hour trip can quickly turn into a couple of gridlocked hours.
Zarate, about 90-minutes from BA, marks the point where the trip properly gets underway. Here the Complejo Unión Nacional, better known as Zárate-Brazo Largo, crosses into Entre Ríos. The complex consists of two major bridges 30km apart, with the second, Puente Justo José de Urquiza, crossing the provincial border. Beyond the bridges, the urban and industrial landscapes give way to sprawling farmland and waterways. It’s here that you first feel the shift from city life to the countryside.
Just over two hours of driving along Ruta Nacional 14, framed by tree-filled fields, brings you to Concepción del Uruguay. It’s a riverside destination in its own right, but served as a chance to stretch the legs. The riverfront is about a 15-minute walk from Plaza General Francisco Ramírez, via streets home to low-rise and colonial-style houses. Though industrial (the nicer waterfront is slightly away from the center), it makes a good stop to see the Grafitis Turísticos, a funky collection of murals decorating factory walls around the General Galarza, M. Álvarez and 9 de Julio streets.
Soaking in the hot springs of Villa Elisa
Roughly 45 minutes from Concepción del Uruguay, Villa Elisa was the trip’s first overnight and proper stop. The standout reason for visiting is Termas Villa Elisa. For $25,000 per adult (with discounts for kids), you get access to 10 different pools, including indoor, outdoor and semi-covered options, plus a wave pool, with temperatures ranging from 24°C to 38°C. Even in winter, it’s comfortable to spend an entire day here, moving from pool to pool in swimwear, flip-flops and a towel (or rentable bathrobe).
To extend the day beyond the pools, the park also has spa treatments, restaurants, tennis courts and a golf course. There’s accommodation too, in the form of a hotel, self-catering chalets and a camping area that was busy with motorhome vacationers. The Lago Aventura (closed at the time of visiting) is a four-hectare lake with pedal boating, kayaking and standup paddle boarding.
Villa Elisa itself is much quieter, set around a church square, as is typical of provincial Argentine towns. There are a handful of restaurants, with Garibaldi Cocina-Bar the liveliest on a Friday night. With an extra half-day, you can ride the Tren Histórico de Villa Elisa, or visit the Estancia Museo El Porvenir to delve into the area’s rural history.
From treetops to a giant can of corned beef
Back in the car, the itinerary backtracks a little to San José to check out Molino Aventuras Parque Aéreo. This aerial adventure park is exactly what’s needed when an energetic 10-year-old is part of your road trip team. Set among wooded parkland are a series of aerial circuits, suspension bridges, ziplines and other challenges, including a climbing wall. Which course you can tackle is determined by your height, with enough options to give all ages a thrill for an hour or two. Rates range from $10,000 to $40,000, depending on the course and how many goes you want.
Before heading west along Ruta Nacional 18 for the 3.5-hour journey to Paraná, give yourself time for lunch around San José. Alternatively, in neighboring Colón, Bodegón del Puerto serves preposterously oversized portions of calamari, chivitos and milanesas. If you come here, Galpon Don Enrique is a natural side activity. It’s an indoor market where regional vendors offer artisan cheeses, handicrafts and wines, along with a curious selection of pickled meats - think alligator, duck and hare, among others.
You won’t get far out of San José without seeing a sign for Pueblo Liebig. Closer inspection reveals that this was a thriving meat-processing town and a center of corned beef production in Argentina. This distinction is duly celebrated with the Monumento Corned Beef, an oversized can of the once world-famous product. It’s a short detour, but a prime example of the unexpected stops that make the province an interesting trip.
Riverside walks, parks and island tours in Paraná
Following the small towns, roadside detours and pastoral countryside, arriving in the suburbs of Paraná can feel like a sudden return to busy city life. But after a few hours in the provincial capital, you’ll realize that there’s an easy-going vibe that revolves around the breezy Costanera. Stretching along the Paraná River, the promenade provides a backdrop for evening walks, cycling and watching boats and rowers go by. Just inland, Parque Urquiza entices with leafy pathways and viewpoints that fill up for sunset. Kids love El Robot, a wonderfully retro, slightly eerie slide that’s barely changed since its unveiling in 1975.
You can get a closer look at the river by scheduling a guided tour of Islote Curupi through Paraná Turismo. It combines a short boat ride with a walk around the island to learn about wetland fauna and flora. On a sunny day, Playa Thompson is the place to be, with the city’s sandy beach backed by food shacks serving tasty fish empanadas. Olona SUP takes to the water with paddle boarding classes and excursions.
Plaza Carlos María de Alvear provides another reason to linger. The leafy square is home to several of the city’s best museums. Museo Provincial de Bellas Artes Dr. Pedro E. Martínez is the highlight, with a collection of 1,200 local and international works of art. Nearby, the Museo Casa de Gobierno celebrates Argentina’s bicentenary through historical artifacts and interactive activities.
For food and drinks, Gregoria Coffee & Brunch has all-day options running from cakes to bagels and tacos, paired with an unbeatable view of the river. Las Flores Bodegón does excellent grilled river fish and other generous Argentine dishes, while Rio Resto Bar is a stylish waterfront option.
Into German villages and wetlands
South of Paraná, the landscape starts to feel rural again. Ruta Provincial 14 rolls through surprisingly undulating countryside, with wide green fields and small homesteads making it hard to believe you’re still in the province’s largely flat terrain. Then, unexpectedly, German villages come into sight. Aldea Brasilera is Brazilian by name but German in heritage, having been founded in 1879 by Volga Germans who’d previously settled in Brazil. Here, Bar Comedor Munich does a good job at replicating a German tavern.
A little farther on you’ll arrive in the more aptly named Aldea Spatzenkutter. Another village established by Volga German families, its origins are easy to spot in the German flags flying along the roadsides. If you pass through on a Sunday and have time, you can learn more about the community’s history at the Museo Nuestras Raíces Alemanas.
The cultural detour gives way to nature at Parque Nacional Pre-Delta, just outside the town of Diamante. It’s a protected wetland of islands, lagoons and waterways, with short walking trails providing opportunities to spot abundant birdlife. A riverside picnic area makes this a great spot to stop for lunch, but it’s best to bring food with you as options are limited inside the park. Camping here is free, too, for anyone that fancies a basic night in a tent. Otherwise, it’s a little more than an hour to Victoria, the last stop on the tour.
Colonial streets, UFOs and wine
Victoria sits amid the waterways and lagoons of the Paraná Delta. Its cobblestoned streets and colonial buildings give it a distinctly old-world feel, where locals chat on their doorsteps and several businesses still shut during the siesta hours. The town’s elevated position among the surrounding hills has also earned it the nickname ‘the Rome of Argentina.’
Photo: ANDY ABIR ALAN / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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On the western outskirts, the Abadía del Niño Dios is the city’s major historical sight. Founded in 1899, this Benedictine monastery offers guided tours of its church, gardens and cemetery, with the chance to learn about the monks who still live and work here. For something considerably more eccentric, head to the Museo del OVNI, which opens on weekends and holidays. Here, decades of UFO sightings are documented via photographs, newspaper reports and alleged evidence.
Photo: Mushii / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
It’s not just the monastery and UFO curiosities that make a family stay here worthwhile. About a 20-minute drive east is BordeRío Bodegas y Vińedos. It’s a winery, olive oil producer and eco-tourism destination all in one. You can pick from a guided tour of the vineyards, afternoon tea, stargazing, a ceramic painting workshop and other activities.
Turning back toward Buenos Aires
From Victoria, the most direct route back to Buenos Aires follows Ruta Provincial 11 before joining Ruta Nacional 12 for the final stretch. It’s roughly a four-hour drive, a journey that neatly demonstrates how easily you can go from the quiet waterways and rural landscapes of Entre Ríos to the sprawling urban mass of Buenos Aires.
Trip length: Six to eight days
Distance: Approximately 1,100 kilometers (680 miles)