Along the Río Uruguay

The mighty Río Uruguay is over 1600 km long, and a staggering 10 km wide in places. It forms Argentina's eastern boundary with Uruguay and Brazil, and along the Argentine side are dotted a few interesting towns and cities. With time to spare you could return from the northeast to Buenos Aires via the river. Gualeguaychú is so keen to party, it celebrates its carnival every weekend for two months, but you can calm down in Concepción del Uruguay, with attractive old buildings, or Colón, with its historic port area and sandy beaches. There's a national park protecting splendid palm forests, though the reserve La Aurora del Palmar is more accessible. You can stay on colonial

estancias

, jungle islands, and with small communities at Irazusta and Arroyo Barú. The section that follows takes you from south to north along the Río Uruguay.