The best places to go biking in Buenos Aires

Like clockwork, on March 21st, summer in Buenos Aires ended. Temperatures dropped and the breeze sent crisping leaves fluttering across the pavement. With the passing of summer go the rooftop asados, pool parties and days at the quinta. However, now that the clinging heat has dissipated, it’s the perfect time to indulge in an autumnal bike ride, and Buenos Aires is littered with fantastic cycling destinations, both in and out of the city. We round up some of the best places to go on two wheels, in Capital and beyond.

RESERVA ECOLÓGICA COSTANERA SUR

The Ecological Reserve is easily the finest spot for biking the city has to offer. A resilient patch of land between the urban tyranny of Puerto Madero and the commercial waters of Rio de la Plata, the reserve is a testament to the power of nature. For three decades after 1918, the Costanera Sur was the haunt of wealthy porteños looking to escape the city for the tranquil idyll of the waterfront. It was Buenos Aires’ answer to the Cote D’Azur. The Argentine gentility flocked to bathe in the river’s waters and to sip cold beers at the decadent Cervezeria Munich, but the advent of Argentina’s rail system in the late 70’s drew the Costanera’s patrons further south to the beaches of Mar del Plata. In the 80’s, the abandoned stretch of coastline became a dumping ground for the new port’s construction waste, a concrete graveyard. This is when nature intervened. Wild vegetation overtook the contaminated waters and building detritus to create a natural wetlands which achieved its official status as a place of “National Interest” in 1994. Now the reserve is home to an amazing array of flora and fauna. A path inhabited by joggers, walkers and cyclists alike runs around the perimeter of the reserve. There are ample opportunities to stop and observe the feathery stalks of pampas grass swaying uninterrupted, or to park your bikes and look out over the river to Uruguay. For the true Argentine experience, bring a mate and some galletitas, and on your way back, stop at Parilla Mi Sueño for a delicious bondiola sandwich.

How to get there: from Plaza de Mayo

Take Balcarce until Adolfo Alsina, turn right and cross Paseo Colon. Turn right and follow the bike lane around to Azopardo until Estados Unidos, then into Puerto Madero along Rosario Vera Penaloza until you reach the Costanera and entrance to the reserva.

TIme: approx. 20-30 minutes

Distance: 4-5km, 7km more to go round the reserva

COSTANERA NORTE

Costanera norte -
Costanera Norte. Photo: buenosaires.gob.ar

On the opposite coast to the Ecological Reserve is the veritable playground of Costanera Norte. By night, the waterside strip pulses to the electro rhythms coming from the superclubs that line the coast, but by day, the broad promenade that snakes along the river is the perfect place for an afternoon bike ride. The coastline is littered with food trucks selling tasty sandwiches, and further down is a pretty park full of families and hippies playing reggae out of the back of their cars. But the pleasure of biking along the coast isn’t the only draw to the Costanera Norte; it also boasts a number of weird and wonderful sites that are definitely worth the trip.

Tierra Santa is a bizarre Jesus theme park, complete with a convincing Middle Eastern village, staff with uniforms straight out of Nazareth, ridiculous mannequins acting out Biblical scenes, and, of course, an immense statue of Christ himself that mechanically rises out of the ground, turning from side to side, on the hour.

Parque de la Memoria commemorates the Argentine victims of the last military dictatorship, who were kidnapped, tortured and presumably murdered between 1976 and 1983 in what is termed “The Dirty War”. It is commonly acknowledged that many of the “disappeared”, as the victims are referred to, met their tragic fate in the waters of the Rio, and the memorial serves as a sombre reminder of the atrocities committed by the military regime. The names of the disappeared are inscribed into a wall that sits perpendicular to a ramped path. The park is also a sculpture garden, with 18 sculptures by national and international artists dedicated to the park.

Parque Costanera is an undulating, concrete oasis set over a 3500m circuit of ramps, rails and steps, a haven for BMXers and skateboarders. It also has Argentina’s first longboard ramp.

How to get there: From Plaza Italia

Follow Av. Sarmiento through the bosques on the the pavement north until you reach Rafael Obligado, then re-join the bike lane until you reach the Costenera Norte.

Time: approx. 1 – 1.5 hours

Distance: approx. 7-12 km

SAN ISIDRO RIVERSIDE

peru beach -
Perú Beach. Photo: viajaraargentina.wordpress.com

Past Capital’s encircling boundary of Avenida General Paz, this stretch of coastline separating San Isidro from the river has a distinctly rural feel. Ride under low railway bridges, past thorny brambles and untamed bushes, down overgrown lanes until you reach a series of country lanes which take you to the pastoral embankments that hug the river. This section of the coast at Zona Norte lets bikers and day trippers get up close and personal with the brown body of water between Argentina and Uruguay. Beyond the clusters of friends drinking mate, the groups of hippies playing bongos and guitars and the tightrope walkers who slackline between the trees, the horizon is dotted with colourful kites and windsurfers bobbing against the blue sky. Head futher down the coast to Peru Beach or any of the other complexes for drinks, food and a host of adventure sports such as kayaking, kite surfing, windsurfing and rock climbing.

How to get there: From Plaza Italia

Follow Av. Sarmiento through the bosques on the the pavement north until you reach Rafael Obligado, then re-join the bike lane until you reach the Costanera Norte. Continue along the CostAnera Norte and then back onto Rafael Obligado past Parque Norte, Parque de la Memoria and the Ciudad Universitaria. Hop onto Av Cantilo until Parque de los Niños. After Parque de los Niños, return to Av Libertador until Eduardo Ramseyers and continue along the coast towards Peru Beach.

Time: approx. 2.5-3.5 hours

Distance: approx. 18-25 km

Trains: Linea Mitre, approx. 25 minutes from capital.

PARQUE DE LOS NIÑOS

playa buenos aires - agendacultural.buenosaires.gob.ar
Playa Buenos Aires. Photo: agendacultural.buenosaires.gob.ar

Continuing on from Costanera Norte, Vicente Lopez meets the Rio de la Plata at Parque de los Niños, a 32 acre landscaped park with beautiful views of the river. A plethora of outdoor activities are available to partake in and the park boasts a varied collection of flora and fauna. It is ideal for bike rides, both to and around the park and has generous swathes of grassy areas for picnics and sunbathing. In the summer, between January and March, Buenos Aires gets it’s very own beach in the park. Sand is shipped to Buenos Aires Playa within Parque de los Niños and sun loungers and umbrellas transport you away from the chaos of the Argentine capital, if only for an afternoon.

How to get there: From Plaza Italia

Follow Av. Sarmiento through the bosques on the pavement north until you reach Rafael Obligado, then re-join the bike lane until you reach the Costanera Norte. Continue along the Costanera Norte and then back onto Rafael Obligado past Parque Norte, Parque de la Memoria and the Ciudad Universitaria. Hop onto Av. Cantilo until Parque de los Niños.

Time: approx. 2-3 hours

Distance: approx. 15-20 km

TIGRE

 

tigre - remarkablyunremarkable.net
Tigre. Photo: remarkablyunremarkable.net

For those wanting to venture further afield a escape Buenos Aires entirely, the Tigre river delta is a watery oasis. A longer bike ride of five or six hours will take you all the way out to the silty waters, islands and inlets at the mouth of the river. The town itself is charming and small enough to walk around on foot if you arrive by bike. If you plan on staying longer, take the water taxi around the islands and maybe even stop for lunch in one of the waterside restaurants. Many who cycle out to Tigre and choose to get the train back, which has a carriage at the end where you can leave your bike for the duration of the 45 minute train ride back to Buenos Aires.

How to get there: From Plaza Italia

Follow Av. Sarmiento through the bosques on the the pavement north until you reach Rafael Obligado, then re-join the bike lane until you reach the Costanera Norte. Continue along the Costanera Norte and then back onto Rafael Obligado past Parque Norte, Parque de la Memoria and the Ciudad Universitaria. Hop onto Av Cantilo until Parque de los Niños. After Parque de los Niños, return to Av Libertador until Eduardo Ramseyers and continue along the coast towards Peru Beach. From there take La Ribera until San Isidro yacht club, then take Juan Bautista de la Salla and on to Gral Arias, then to Av Gral Juan Domingo Peron until you cross Rio Lujan, then to Italia and then until Tigre.

Time: approx. 5-6hours

Distance: approx. 35-40km

Trains: Linea Mitre, approx. 45 minutes from capital.

The following two tabs change content below.
Sorcha O'Higgins

Sorcha O'Higgins

An architect in her former life, Sorcha tired of building houses after 4 years working in London and decided instead to build a new life in South America. Armed with no Spanish, an unpronounceable Irish name and a passion for the unknown, she landed in Argentina in mid-2013 after a failed romance with Mexico, and hasn't looked back since. She now spends her days dissecting her life with a pen by writing for various blogs, savouring the flatness of the city on her cruiser bike and spreading the good word of graffiti by giving street art tours.


Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *