General Belgrano on the Río Salado: Nature, riverbanks and culture

The city of General Belgrano lies on the banks of the Río Salado. In the surrounding area, river landscapes, nature trails and cultural attractions come together: bathing areas and a long promenade define the riverfront, while Bosque Encantado offers its own focus on nature and history. When planning your trip, you can decide whether you’d like to spend most of your time by the water, enjoy outdoor activities or visit cultural sites. This lets you shape your stay around the interests that matter to you.

Río Salado: Riverbanks and bathing areas

High riverbanks and water-management structures such as a lock system are part of the landscape along the Río Salado. The five-kilometer-long riverfront promenade runs from the CEF canoe school to the new northern bathing area, passing between locks 1 and 2. The “Viejo” and “Nuevo” bathing areas are located along it. Balneario Viejo stretches from the pedestrian bridge to the area known as “arroyito,” giving it a different landmark from the northern bathing area.

Balneario Nuevo covers about five hectares. Its facilities include basketball, soccer and volleyball courts, cafés, a barbecue area and an Olympic-size swimming pool. Between the two bathing areas is the municipal campground, with a barbecue area and a spot for fishing for pejerrey and carp. Camping Municipal is intended for camping, stays in motorhomes and day visits. If you’re planning to use a particular facility or stay there, check its current availability in advance.

Get active outdoors

You can take leisure trips on pedal boats on the Río Salado. For canoe and kayak excursions, you can book professional guides for the entire trip; the excursions are suitable for both beginners and experienced paddlers. This means you can choose from different water activities: a pedal-boat ride or a guided canoe or kayak excursion. Which option you choose depends on the kind of activity you’d like to include in your trip.

There are several options on land, too. Rural biking routes follow country roads, passing old railway stations and mature tree-lined avenues, as well as running alongside the Río Salado. Horseback riding in General Belgrano is available both to experienced riders and to people who have never ridden before. The route descriptions provide an overview of the landscape, while prior riding experience is explicitly not a requirement for the horseback rides.

Nature and culture nearby

Bosque Encantado is a 23-hectare nature reserve with more than 88 species of centuries-old plants. Trails lead to the former main house of Estancia Santa Narcisa, which now houses the Museo de las Estancias. The site thus combines a natural setting with the history of the former estancia main house. Bosque Encantado got its name in 1968 from journalist Don Justo Piernes.

The city’s Cine-Teatro also has a historical connection: it is housed in a building erected in 1928 by the Sociedad Española. In Parque Recreativo La Isleña, an area in the tourist riverfront zone is where artisans, producers and entrepreneurs offer their goods. At Termas del Salado, highly mineralized hydrothermal water emerges at 41°C from a nearly one-thousand-meter-deep borehole at Avenida Intendente Ferrer and Camino de la Rivera. These different places offer their own highlights, from architectural history and riverside attractions to the water’s distinctive properties.

Discover more destinations: General Belgrano, Lincoln Partido, Magdalena Partido, Adolfo Alsina Partido, Arrecifes Partido, Laprida, Azul Partido, San Isidro Partido.

For the broader travel overview: Buenos Aires.