MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Old river service between Argentina and Uruguay returns

The service Cacciola used to provide will be resumed by Líneas Delta Argentino on behalf of Buquebus

Travelers interested in crossing rivers separating Argentina from Uruguay will have a new choice as of Friday when the Tigre (Argentina)-Carmelo (Uruguay) route is to be resumed, this time around by Buquebús, which has taken over the service previously offered by Cacciola until 2019.

Buquebus has signed an agreement with Líneas Delta Argentino to exploit boat rides through the Parana river's delta north of Buenos Aires and also to boost the arrival of Uruguayan and international travelers since road services to Montevideo are to be available from Carmelo. Tigre is just a suburban train ride from downtown Buenos Aires.

The new variant adds to Buquebus' assortment after having resumed direct services between Buenos Aires and the Uruguayan cities of Colonia and Montevideo.

The Tigre-Carmelo-Tigre route opens the possibility of reactivating local hotel industries and tourist attractions on each shore.

The Líneas Delta Argentino ships bound for Carmelo will depart from the Tigre River Station. Round-trip tickets start at AR$ 12,000 (around US$ 60 at the unofficial exchange rate) for economy class accommodations. The river journey lasts around three hours.

According to Argentine tourism operators, each Uruguayan traveler leaves US$ 110 on average for a 3-night stay.

On the other hand, real estate developments in Carmelo are looking forward to the new connectivity. In addition to Buquebus, Colonia Express is also said to be planning to serve that destination.

According to Buenos Aires' La Nación, the Zagarzazu airport near Carmelo is to be converted into an international terminal. It takes around two hours by car to reach Montevideo from Carmelo.