Tandil

Tandil sits among ancient granite hills that rise from the pampas, some of the oldest exposed rock in South America, and the town has built a reputation on two things. The first is food: picadas of salami, cheese and cured meats served in old-fashioned shops, a tradition brought by Basque, Italian and Danish settlers and now a genuine draw. The second is the landscape, with rock climbing, mountain biking and walking on the outcrops, a reservoir for swimming, and the Cerro El Centinela with its cable car. The town's emblem, the Piedra Movediza, was a granite boulder that rocked on its base until it fell and shattered in 1912; a replica was installed on the site in 2007, and the park explains the story.

History

The town was founded on 4 April 1823 by Martín Rodríguez as Fuerte Independencia. It grew with immigrants, most of them from Spain and Italy, and a very active Danish community also settled here, guided by the Danish College of Missions; Tandil became a city in 1895 and a popular destination for visitors from Buenos Aires. The Piedra Movediza, the rocking stone that became the town's emblem, fell in 1912 and split in two; no one can be sure why, but a likely cause is the old habit of placing glass bottles under it and watching them burst to show visitors that it really moved (Wikipedia, Tandil).

Highlights

• The picada shops - salami, cheese and cured meats in traditional stores.
• The granite hills - ancient outcrops used for climbing and walking.
• Piedra Movediza park - the site of the fallen rock with its 2007 replica.
• Cerro El Centinela - the cable car and viewpoint over the sierras.

When to go

Year-round; spring and autumn are ideal, summer warm and busy, and winter cold with occasional frost. Easter week is the town's peak, when a large Way of the Cross draws crowds to the Calvario hill and rooms sell out.

Good to know

The original balancing rock has been gone for over a century, and the replica disappoints visitors who did not know. The town is a long drive from Buenos Aires. Picada portions are enormous and priced for sharing.

Nearby

Balcarce lies southeast; Mar del Plata and the coast are further south.

Key facts