The waters sound and, in their wake, they shine with the sun.
Randomly, the mighty course of the
Quequén Salado River
shapes a tourist route, until it plunges into the void, between the ravines.
This is how he achieves the most instagrammable point of
Coronel Dorrego
: the surprising
Cascada Cifuentes, the highest waterfall
in the
province of Buenos Aires, which reaches 8 meters in height.
It is the most important geographical feature of Quequen Salado and is located 60 km from the main city of the municipality, in an environment where a great variety of native flora and fauna can be observed.
In the south of the province, on the edge that faces the Argentine sea, the river serves as a natural limit to divide the districts of Coronel Dorrego and Tres Arroyos, some 600 km
from the City of Buenos Aires
.
On the Quequén Salado River, the Cifuentes Waterfall.
Photo Tourism Province of Buenos Aires
“It is worth knowing this waterfall, it is not only the highest waterfall in the province, but also because with the ravines of the river it forms a beautiful natural environment.
You can take walks, spend an entire afternoon drinking mate in the middle of the landscape, fishing...", says Federico Alonso, a graduate in Tourism from Coronel Dorrego.
And he adds that "on its way to the sea, the river has different shapes, such as La Escondida Waterfall, which is a smaller one but very attractive because it is stepped."
For those who want to travel from Buenos Aires to the Cifuentes Waterfall, they have to go through the crossroads in the town of Oriente and reach Km
532 of Route 3.
Once the Quequén Salado bridge is left behind, a few meters away , there is the descent to the waterfall on the left.
Then 4 km are traveled along a rural road within a private field, but
the access is public
.
The ideal is to go with a private vehicle, but there is also a cooperative in Oriente that organizes excursions.
In Coronel Dorrego, the Cifuentes waterfall and the Quequén Salado river.
Photo Pablo Rodriguez
As Alonso explains, "during the pandemic, people from Dorrego and Tres Arroyos began to come to this place a lot because they could not travel further, in addition to the dissemination achieved in networks and tourism fairs such as the FIT of La Rural".
The closest towns are Oriente (Coronel Dorrego), Copetonas and Reta (Tres Arroyos).
And to stay, there are options in the
Marisol spa
(45 km away, ideal for the hot months, due to its extensive and solitary beaches) and the main city.
That is why he clarifies that "coming from Buenos Aires, first you will find the waterfall and then the city."
the tourist tour
The other natural attraction to take into account in the area is the
La Escondida waterfall, a
stepped-shaped
waterfall
, which is also located on the Quequén Salado river, near the town of Irene.
At km 535 of Route 3, next to the bridge over the Indio Rico stream, you have to go down a consolidated road and travel about 10 km until you reach this
waterfall, about 4 meters high
.
The waterfalls of the Quequén Salado river, in Tres Arroyos and Coronel Dorrego.
Photo Tourism of the Province of Buenos Aires
In the direction of the sea, the so-called New Bridge was built in 1962 and is an original engineering work due to the shape of the arch that supports it.
Meanwhile, the Old Bridge is located in a place located at the height of the towns of Oriente and Copetonas.
There you can enjoy the panoramic views, among which a dam and the railway bridge stand out.
You can also see the structure of a lime factory and a hydroelectric power station.
In addition, Coronel Dorrego has a
circuit of lagoons
with very good options for fishermen, where the silverside is the protagonist in the calm afternoons and the tour operators offer fishing options from the coast or from a boat to spend the day.
The folkloric festivities
Every year a series of popular festivals are held where the accent is placed on traditions, gastronomy and natural attractions.
The amazing 8 meter jump of the Cifuentes Waterfall.
Photo Shutterstock
In February, the Quequén Salado River Festival
takes place
in the Puente Viejo area, on the banks of the Quequén Salado River, a river that delimits in its lower course with the districts of Coronel Dorrego and Tres Arroyos.
In September the Festival of the Volga Germans
is celebrated
: in the town of El Perdido, this German community celebrates its roots and ancestors, with traditional costumes and dances, stories and anecdotes from immigrants, and a great popular lunch.
In October is the
Provincial Festival of the Plains
, with a traditionalist parade, horseback riding, Creole skills, erra, entrevero and swearing of herds, horse riding, tasting of typical foods in the central square of Dorrego, and dance and singing shows.
And since 2008, between March and April the Provincial Festival of the Olive Tree is celebrated
.
This year, on a long weekend in March, technical talks, visits to the party's olive farms, a contest for dishes made with olive oil, cooking demonstrations by chefs, a gastronomic patio and several live shows were organized. .
olive production
Precisely, the production of
extra virgin
olive oil
is a seal that gives identity to the place.
In recent years, thanks to tourism, the farms began to open their doors to visitors to take guided tours, enjoy tastings of local products and even participate in the harvest.
Coronel Dorrego is considered the "provincial capital of the olive tree"
, thanks to the quality of its oils and the annual Fiesta in which the harvest takes place.
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