Sun, sand and muddy river in Rosario



Rosario



Every time I mention that I have been to Rosario most people ask:

“Why did you go there???”

Even Argentineans ask me that.

So why did I go there… Rosario might not be the obvious place to stop during a trip to Argentina. Especially not, if you compare this small(ish) town to places like Buenos Aires, Bariloche, Iguazú Falls and the Glaciar Perito Moreno. But there are actually a few things about Rosario that makes it worth going there for a day or two.

1) It is almost in the middle between Buenos Aires and Córdoba and as a result is a convenient place to break an otherwise 10 hour long bus journey.

2) It is the birthplace of ‘Che’ Guevara, the Argentine flag and most recently, the famous soccer player Lionel Messi.

Che's birthplace

The monument to the Argentine flag

3) It is situated on the shore of the Río Paraná which is South America’s second longest river at 4000km.

4) The waterfront stretches for 15 km along the river and is a nice place to wander looking at good-looking guys playing soccer, people hanging out and massive cargo ships sailing by.

Cargo ship on the river

5) The river has a number of subtropical islands with sandy beaches and murky brown water which the rosarionos happily swim in. All within easy reach from the centre of town. But remember sunscreen and lots of water!

The beach

6) There is a very nice museum called Museo de Arte Comtemporáneo de Rosario (MACRO) which is housed in a brightly painted grain silo on the waterfront and features temporary exhibitions by local young artists. The museum also has a great view of the area from the top floors and a really nice café in front.

MACRO

7) It is a lot quieter than Buenos Aires and hostels and food are much cheaper.

As you might have guessed, I liked Rosario. I spent one afternoon walking around the city and one day relaxing on the beach of one of the islands. Would I’ve liked to stay longer? No, not really. Is that because I broke one toe on my first day and got really badly sunburned on my second day? Eh, no. Two days were just plenty of time to see and do what I wanted and those accidents could’ve happened anywhere. Especially, if you're me and you forget to put sunscreen on your legs and don’t look where you are going. Would I go back on my next visit to Argentina? Hmm... No, I don’t think so. There are just so many other places I also want to see.