Gualeguaychú

Sights

The first town of any size on the route north, Gualeguaychú is famous for its extended carnival. It's lively throughout the summer, with an attractive costaneraon the Río Gualeguaychú, where there are several balnearios and restaurants, a pleasant place for a stroll with views of the picturesque port. Carnival is celebrated at the local corsódromo (arena), a hugely popular event, lasting well beyond the usual fortnight to fill every weekend for a couple of months. The port and balneario municipal (town bathing spot) are the departure points for short boat excursions and city tours.

On the costanera at Gervasio Méndez is El Patio del Mate www.el patiodelmate.com.ar, a workshop where dedicated craftsmen make the cups from which mateis drunk, varying widely from simple dyed gourds to ornate silver goblets.

Around Gualeguaychú

Villa Paranacitois a village set in the delta islands, 100 km south of Gualeguaychú, where houses are built on tall stilts and boats are the essential means of transport. It's popular with anglers in the waters of the nearby Río Uruguay (half an hour further by boat), and anyone looking for a quiet place to stay, immersed in the islander culture.

Estancia La Azotea is a 19th-century house popular for day visits, with cattle ranching, horse riding, an asado lunch and the use of a pool in summer.

West and northwest of Gualeguaychú, there are a string of small eco communities near Larroque and Urdinarrain, newly opened to tourism both to share the tranquillity of these peaceful rural places and to meet their inhabitants. At Aldea San Antonio, you can visit a German settlement and tour in a horse-drawn carriage. At the tiny community of Irazusta, 63 km west, there's a community of just 350 inhabitants, where Señora Eufemia provide accommodation and meals at family houses, an enriching experience for both guests and hosts. This is a pilot project, intended to stop the depopulation process of small communities: for more information visit www.responde.org.ar (in Spanish). So far it's been very successful.

Into Uruguay: Fray Bentos

Fray Bentos is the main port on the east bank of Río Uruguay, a friendly little town with an attractive costanera. The main reason to visit is to see the meat-packing factory. The name Fray Bentos was synonymous with corned beef in Britain throughout the 20th century, and the factory (frigorífico) known as El Anglo, which produced Oxofor many years has been beautifully restored as the Museo de La Revolución Industrial. The office block in the factory has been preserved and some of the old machinery can be seen. See also the Bovril estancia, Vizcacheras www.vizcacheras.com.ar.

Concepción del Uruguay and around

Sights

Concepción del Uruguay lies on the western shore of the Río Uruguay 74 km north of Gualeguaychú, with views of islands in the river opposite. Founded in 1783, it was capital of Entre Ríos province between 1813-1821 and 1860-1883, and retains some fine architecture in its public buildings, and has a distinctively lively character, thanks to a young student population.

The old town is centred on beautiful Plaza Ramírez, with the Italian neoclassical-style Basílica de la Inmaculada Concepción, containing the remains of General Urquiza on its western side. Next to it is the Colegio Superior Justo José de Urquiza, the first secular school in the country, although its 19th-century buildings were largely replaced in 1935. Museo Casa de Delio Panizza in a mansion dating from 1793 and containing 19th-century furnishings and artefacts.

Around Concepción del Uruguay

Palacio San José, www.palaciosanjose.com.ar, is the former mansion of General Urquiza, which dates from 1848, built in Italian style with 38 rooms and a chapel. It was once the country's most luxurious residence. Now a museum with artefacts from Urquiza's life, the palace stands in a beautiful park with an artificial lake. There is also a second palacio, Palacio Santa Candida www.santacandida.com, which is another wonderfully old estancia that can be visited.

Basavilbaso is a historical small town which in the early 20th century was an urban centre for Lucienville, inhabited by Jewish immigrants from Russia. There are three well-preserved synagogues, of which the Tefila L Moises has a beautifully painted wooden ceiling. It's also worth visiting the Navibuco synagogue, 2.5 km out of town, dating from 1895, and two Jewish cemeteries nearby.