The best kayaking experience for digital nomads (and not) in Bs As

If you are heading to Buenos Aires as digital nomads or just as tourists you cannot miss this life-changing experience with José from Kayakear. We have learned many things during this adventure. But the most important one is that there is a before and an after it. How we perceived kayaks completely changed. And now we are aware of what kayaking really is about. Want to know more? Keep reading 👇🏽

A new perspective on kayaking

I will start by acknowledging the fact that at first Martín and I had some visionary ideas about kayaking as digital nomads.

After the first lockdown, we spent in Italy. We felt the urge to be adventurous as soon as we could leave the house. So three years ago we bought an inflatable “kayak” and head off to the Eolian islands with it. It was a fun toy to play with at that moment and it gave us the push to learn more about kayaking. But surely it wasn’t comfortable enough for a nomadic lifestyle and neither had the features that we were looking for in a kayak. It didn’t feel safe in certain weather conditions, you had almost no control, it was quite sluggish and very soon it ended being uncomfortable.

After selling our toy. We decided to take our kayaking experience (or at least that was what we thought) to a new standard by renting sit-on-top kayaks for a while. Until the day we were in Argentina and we met José. It was exactly what we needed to take our kayaking to the next level.

We went on a guided tour kayaking with him on two single sit-in boreal kayaks and it was amazing! From that moment on nothing was the same. As we truly understood and experienced what kayaking is about: Balance. Control. Direction. (and of course, having fun!)

Kayakear and José’s passion

After contacting many different places in Tigre, that we didn’t connect with, we finally found Kayakear.

As soon as José picked up the phone I understood he was the guy we were looking for! Friendly, kind, knowledgeable, and willing to help us in anything we needed. It didn’t take long before we became friends and nowadays I can say I am so happy our roads came across. Not only because he changed our view about kayaking, but also because we met a great human being!

The first time we met we asked him how and when he started kayaking. He explained to us that when he was a kid he was used to driving little boats to take people around to places in the Delta. Until one day, when he was very young, the local priest took him out kayaking. That was a breaking point for him, he understood straightforward what he wanted to do every single day of his life, and that was kayaking.

Some of the things we liked the most about Kayakear were its easy-going environment, the attention put into every detail, and the people that work there. As a matter of fact, later on, we had the chance to learn that every person that works in Kayakear was once a customer that started helping José in exchange for kayaking teachings, and that nowadays are part of the Kayakear team. Amazing, right?

Our experience as digital nomads

Reaching Kayakear

Friday, 12th of November, we wake up at 06:00 AM to start our digital nomad journey from our Airbnb in the city of Buenos Aires. We leave the apartment and walk to the train station to jump on the Mitre line and in an hour, more or less, we reach Tigre. The first thing we do is to take a picture of the cute carpinchos (the Spanish word for capybaras) welcoming monument 🐹 (you can find the pic below).

It’s an incredibly sunny day ☀️ and at this time of the morning, the place looks wonderfully quiet. In just a few minutes walking we reach Kayakear.

José welcomes us and brings the three sit-in boreal kayaks that we are going to use today. The kayaks look amazing! He actually explains to us how important it is for him to keep everything in a perfect state, buying new materials and keeping them clean. He really cares about what he does, and you can sense the passion he puts into it in every word he shares with you.

First things first: learning the theory

The preparation part of our kayaking experience with José starts with some very well-explained theoretical parts.

This first piece of information might not be a shocking truth for experienced kayakers, but I have been thinking my whole life that sit-on-top were real kayaks, as many digital nomads and beginners might think as well. The truth is that once you try a sit-in boreal kayak you will realize how false this assumption is! Before having this tour with José we rented from him a double sit-on-top to spend our first weekend in Tigre and it was super fun, don’t get me wrong, but it was another kind of activity. The point is that the difference between the two types of kayak is huge as for how you feel, what you learn, and how you experience a connection with both the river and yourself.

José explains to us some technical details about the many materials kayaks are made of, the differences between a sit-on-top and a sit-in boreal, how to understand which paddle is best for you, the professional way to get inside and outside the kayak, and the right movements to row without getting tired.

Because the real secret in kayaking is to flow with the river putting the less effort possible while becoming one with the movement of the water.

Putting new knowledge into practice

After the amazing introduction, we are ready to start our nomadic adventure. We take the kayaks to the water and get inside using the techniques that José just showed us. Easy peasy!

We begin from the main course of the Río Luján. We need to reach the smaller streams between the islands to don’t get hit by the waves of the boats that navigate here. But before, we must find our balance on the kayak, just as José thought us. Moving my body I realize that the kayak moves with me very gently so I have to keep my hips flexible and radicate to the center with my sacral bone (for me yoga helped but Martín had no problem neither). Once we have found our balance, we start taking control of the kayak with the paddles. And then finally defining the direction we want to head off. Ready to go.

We had so much fun, saw amazing birds such as the great white heron, discovered the local biodiversity, and had an amazing pizza on an island at the chill restaurant El Timón Dorado with José, before returning back to land.

The best time ever!

Choosing the right route according to your level

Originally we have planned to do the long route of the Río San Antonio (the one in red on the map below). But, even if we are sporty digital nomads, we weren’t ready to do 21 kilometers on a kayak and José realized it quite soon. So we changed it to an easier and shorter path of 10 kilometers (the orange one). And it was perfect for our level of (in)experience!

So, if you do not have previous knowledge this activity is not a problem, but you must be in good physical shape and condition because kayaking can be way more challenging than you can imagine. In the end, you are in good hands so you can decide with José which level of difficulty is best for you!

Some useful tips

  • Sleep well the night before 😴
  • If you want to know how to reach Tigre check this other article
  • Bring some freshwater 🚰 with you (pretty basic but you never know…)
  • A hat 🧢 is a must, don’t forget about it!
  • If you have some dry-quick clothing is better, if you don’t, bring a change with you 👗
  • Go on weekdays 🗓️ if you can, on weekends it is nice as well but more crowded
  • Be ready to have some real fun, meet an amazing person 🦩 and learn loads of things!

Contacts

  • El Timón Dorado WhatsApp +54 11 4426 0007

Book your kayak experience with our special discount!

If you are in Buenos Aires and need a break from your digital nomad job don’t think twice, text José and go explore the river with him, you won’t regret it!

P.S.: don’t forget to tell him you come from Digital Nomads Network to get our special discount!