Destination: Tandil, Buenos Aires
Distance from Buenos Aires: 348 kilometers
Travel time: 4.5 hours
Average cost of beer: Quilmes $5.00 AR Pesos / Local Brewery $10.00 AR Pesos
Tandil is a cozy little salami, sausage and cheese town nestled in the Pampa. With a population that barely surpasses 100,000, Tandil treats visiting tourists like visiting royalty. The locals are more than happy to offer advice, directions, or just join in a round of meandering chit-chat. For those of you whose perfect getaway combines an old-fashioned town with local flavor and a healthy dose of fresh air within a reasonable travel distance from the big city, this is the place for you!
As I just mentioned, Tandil’s cheeses are nationally renowned. You’ll notice several queserÃas (cheese factories) around town and an abundance of stores that sell these savory treats along with sausages and other locally produced goods.
Since this sleepy town is famous for these deli goods, Tandil is thusly known as the best place to enjoy a traditional Argentine picada. The word picada comes from the verb picar (to pick at) and usually consists of a wooden tablet with cubes of cheese, ham, sausage, salami and green olives. The cubes are consumed with toothpicks and, depending on its size, can serve as a meal. There is no better place to purchase these products and try a tasty picada than Epoca de Quesos (located at the corner of San Martin and 9 de Julio). This local snack spot is located in one of Tandil’s oldest buildings, with a meats and cheeses store upfront and a nice quaint and rustic restaurant in the back. It even boasts two of its own beers, a blond and a dark, which are well worth sampling.
While in Tandil, be sure to also check out Cerro Movediza, where you can make a short hike up some rocks to see where a gigantic boulder tumbled about a century ago. Recently the government installed a replica that shows what the boulder looked like during its final days. Tandil also is a great destination for those interested in mountain biking, rock climbing, and horseback riding.
Tandil nightlife boils down to pretty much two bars: Liverpool and Bar Tolomé. Both are usually dead on weekdays, but pick up on the weekends. Liverpool also plays mostly classic rock and has surprisingly cheap Fernet Branca.
For lodging, many visitors choose to stay in the modest hotel located just across the street from the bus terminal. I personally recommend the Hotel Kaiku (Mitre 902), which offers reasonable prices and accommodation, as well as a very friendly staff.
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