The Zona Sur del Gran Buenos Aires includes the south and east of the Metropolitan area around the city Buenos Aires and has a total of about 3 million inhabitants. It is far less known as a destination than that Zona Norte, but offers quite a few attractions to those interested.
While the inner suburbs are characterized by industry and therefore not very attractive for travelers, the outer suburbs have numerous green areas, river beaches and a nature reserve in which the almost cleared gallery forest on the Río de la Plata is protected. As an urban center, the city of Quilmes stands out, which can also offer some architectural sights.
Regions / districts
Like the entire province of Buenos Aires, the Zona Sur is divided into partidos (comparable to urban districts or large municipalities).
Along the important trunk road Autovía 2 Directly on the Río de la Plata are from Buenos Aires heading south-east:
- Avellaneda, a major industrial city with 350,000 inhabitants. The main town of Avellaneda looks like a continuation of the city of Buenos Aires, but next to it you will also find the huge social housing complex Dock south, the tranquil middle class district Sarandí and on the Río de la Plata even a wooded area called Quintas de Sarandí, which can only be reached practically by car via dirt roads.
- Quilmes, Seat of an important brewery and former seaside resort, 570,000 inhabitants. The area on the river is well-kept and tranquil, while the center exudes urban joie de vivre, but the outskirts have some large slums (Itatí with 50,000 inhabitants).
- Berazategui, green suburb with the largest park in the metropolitan area Pereyra Iraola and part of the gallery forest reserve. 300,000 inhabitants. The very green part of the city Ranelagh is one of the noblest garden cities in the region, but there is also a lot of poverty.
- Florencio Varela, Outskirts inland from Berazategui with a nice center and very poor suburbs. A 19th century church and an outlying Scottish chapel (borough La Capilla) are the main attractions.
Along the Ruta Provincial 210:
- Lanus, not very attractive industrial city, home of soccer idol Diego Maradona, 400,000 inhabitants
- Lomas de Zamora, 600,000 inhabitants, one of the few cities in Gran Buenos Aires that really has urban flair and offers, among other things, a pedestrian zone and cultural centers, in the west is the protected forest area Santa Catalina.
- Almirante Brown, a large district with numerous residential suburbs, 350,000 inhabitants. The main town Adrogué was one of the first garden cities in Argentina and is characterized by many green spaces, avenues and an irregular road network, as well as culture and a shopping center.
- Presidente Perón, 80,000 inhabitants, quiet suburb decoupled from Almirante Brown in the 1980s; the center named Guernica looks tranquil, but the outskirts are very poor.
- San Vicente, quiet country town on the border of the metropolitan area, located in a small lake district, local recreation area for the residents of the zone, swimming is prohibited, however, 50,000 inhabitants.
Along the Ruta Provincial 205 / Buenos Aires-Cañuelas motorway:
- Esteban Echeverría, 250,000 inhabitants, the main town Monte Grande has a nice shopping center with some nice plazas, but the outskirts are rather dreary and poor.
- Ezeiza, 150,000 inhabitants, known for its international airport, but especially attractive as a local recreation area with some forest areas
- Cañuelas, 40,000 inhabitants, up-and-coming city on the edge of the conurbation, headquarters of the region's dairy industry
Other goals
- Parque Pereyra Iraola, 10,000 hectares of green lung between Berazategui and La Plata. The best way to get there is by train (Buenos Aires - La Plata via Quilmes, Station Pereyra) or via Autovía 2. In 2008, the park was declared a biosphere reserve to protect it from the encroachment of buildings. Inside there is an estancia, an artificial lake and an astronomical observatory. While some parts of the park are heavily frequented on weekends, the eastern part in particular is quiet and natural.
- Reserva Natural Selva Marginal de Hudson, protected gallery forest between Berazategui and La Plata. There are two ways of access: through the city Hudson (Partido Berazategui) or better over the city Punta Lara (Partido Ensenada), which can be reached by bus from La Plata. In addition to some rather inaccessible reserves southeast of La Plata, this 1,600 hectare area is the only way to raise the original vegetation on the Río de la Plata. The vegetation is lush and resembles that of subtropical rainforest areas. So far there is only an official infrastructure in a small area near Punta Lara, access to the inner area of the reserve is forbidden.
background
Unlike the attractive northern suburbs of Buenos Aires, the south is particularly considered an industrial region. The river bank is only interesting in Quilmes and Hudson, otherwise a mosaic of middle-class and poor neighborhoods dominates the area. Quilmes is also the only town with a mall with a big city flair.
The most attractive places for travelers can be found on the border of Gran Buenos Aires too La Plata, where the Parque Pereyra Iraola is the largest park in the metropolitan area with numerous amusement areas and at the same time the limited access nature reserve Selva Marginal, which protects the gallery forest on the Río de la Plata (access is best from Punta Lara which is approached by buses).
language
getting there
Numerous means of transport run through the area in a tightly knit network. There are four suburban train lines, of which the one from Buenos Aires to La Plata is likely to be the most attractive, it also stops in Pereyra-Iraola Park, but comes to the Río de la Plata and thus also the Selva Marginal nature reserve and the local recreation area on the beach of Quilmes is only approx. 2 km away. There are also numerous bus routes.
The highways Buenos Aires - La Plata and Buenos Aires - Ezeiza - Cañuelas offer less congestion than the often congested main avenues for a low toll.
mobility
Starting point for the Rail transport is the station Constitución in the eponymous district of Buenos Aires, accessible by subway. There are three main train lines: one over Avellaneda and Quilmes to La Plata (parallel to the Río de la Plata), one through the cities Lomas de Zamora and Adrogué to the pampas suburbs Alejandro Korn as well as one about Monte Grande and Ezeiza (The airport itself is not served, however, it is 4 km east of the Ezeiza station) to the up-and-coming country town Cañuelas. A connecting line between Temperley and Bosques (towards La Plata) and a little-traveled branch line from Puente Alsina (Lanús) to Aldo Bonzi (Zona Oeste) complete the offer.
The dense bus network can be used to get to the corners where no train goes. There are also plenty of taxis, from different providers in every city.
Tourist Attractions
- Estancia Abril. Pompous neo-baroque palace in Parque Pereyra Iraola (south of Hudson in the Partido Berazategui), built in 1932, known as "Versailles Argentina ". Unfortunately only accessible from the outside as it is privately owned; a country club was set up around the estancia.
- Iglesia San José, in Quilmes. In this pretty, medium-sized church, the simple neo-colonial style was slightly modified and added to with decorations and statues.
- Quilmes Brewery. With the Beer park (Parque Cervecero) and the social housing area Villa Argentina. Argentina's most famous beer brewer, the German-born Otto Bemberg, invested not only in the brewery in his hometown of Quilmes, but also in a small park and a colonial-style working-class district with a pretty chapel.
- Casa de las Botellas, near the Costanera in Quilmes. House made entirely of bottles.
- Casa de la Cultura, in Quilmes. Attractive building in the eclectic style that incorporates borrowings from the baroque, renaissance and classicism. It was restored and converted into a cultural center in the 2000s.
- Museo Histórico del Transporte Carlos Hillner Decoud, Laprida 2200 and Ricardo Rojas. Tel.: 54 (011) 4280-5488. Transport museum, which mainly shows carriages from the colonial era, but also historical boats and models.
activities
The Eldorado of counterfeiters and bargain hunters- Sports in Parque Pereyra Iraola (horse riding, walks, ball sports)
- Visit to the nature reserve
- Kitesurfing on the Quilmes riverside
kitchen
The best gastro mile is in Quilmes. There is also a good selection in Adrogué and Lomas de Zamora.
nightlife
In the "beer city" Quilmes there are numerous bars and a few discos.
accommodation
- Hotel Poland, Alvear 624, Quilmes. Tel.: 54 (011) 4253-0543.
- Ciudad de Quilmes Apart Hotel, Moreno 490 corner of Videla. Tel.: 54 (011) 1552470248.
security
Some areas of the area are dangerous. In particular, the skyscraper is nightmare Dock south across from La Boca (Buenos Aires) as well as the numerous slums along the Buenos Aires - La Plata motorway. The Pereyra Iraola Park, on the other hand, is safe.
Lanús is considered to be very polluted by industrial fumes and is said to have a high rate of lung cancer.
climate
Please refer Buenos Aires.
