PAINANI
PAINANI

PAINANI · RUN / LOCAL

57 · Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina

Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur

An 8 km flat loop on wide gravel and wood-chip paths between Puerto Madero and the Río de la Plata, free, closed on Mondays and on any day of rain or strong wind.

RunningTrail runningLoop
8.2 kmDistance12 mElevation gainEasy mediumSite gradeBuenos AiresNearest base

Site grade

Easy mediumFeatured

Flat, wide and signed, with 12 m of gain in 8.2 km. The difficulty is the calendar: closed Mondays, closed in rain or strong wind, and shut before dark.

The experience

The loop measures 8.2 km with 12 m of gain on wide gravel and wood-chip paths. It is the flattest run in this journal; the effort is choosing a day the gates are open and a pace the cyclists will tolerate.

Aves Argentinas records that the reserve was born spontaneously on rubble tipped into the Río de la Plata and protected by city ordinance 41.247 on 5 June 1986. It has been a Ramsar wetland since 2005 and is the most biodiverse green space in the city.

The reserve grew, in Aves Argentinas's words, spontaneously on rubble tipped into the Río de la Plata. Declared a natural park and ecological zone on 5 June 1986, it turned forty in 2026, and the city marked the date by opening a visitor and interpretation centre at the Brasil access.

Where the sources disagreeThe reserve is closed every Monday, except holiday Mondays, and the city closes it for safety on any day of strong wind, rain or persistent drizzle; check before you cross town. Hours are 8:00 to 18:00 in winter and 8:00 to 19:00 in summer, Tuesday to Sunday and holidays; other hours circulate online and are not on the city's page. Stay on the marked paths; the city warns that unauthorised trails are easy to get lost on and are reserved for guided visits. The loop distance is a mapping-site measurement, not a city figure, and the city publishes no trail lengths. Grass fire is a known risk: the fire-hydrant network on the internal roads was rebuilt for the fortieth anniversary in June 2026 and 16 certified forest brigade members are on site.

Trail path

The line
you follow.

StartBrasil gate, Av. Tristán Achával Rodríguez 1550FinishBrasil gateDirectionEither way round the perimeter. Interior paths cut the loop short; unauthorised tracks are for guided visits only and it is easy to lose your bearings on them.
  1. 01Brasil gate
  2. 02Lagoon paths
  3. 03River edge
  4. 04Viamonte end
  5. 05Return along the inland side

Route sections

01 · The Rubble ForestBrasil gate to the lagoons
Wide gravel between walls of vegetation that grew on demolition rubble dumped in the river. High banks close the view; the city skyline is behind you.02 · The River Plate WallLagoons to the river edge
The path meets the Río de la Plata, brown and wide enough to look like sea. The bank is broken concrete; there is no swimming and the wind comes straight off the water.03 · The Long StraightRiver edge to the Viamonte end and back
The perimeter runs north along the river to the Viamonte access, then turns inland past pampas grass and the second lagoon. This is the running: flat, wide, and shared with cyclists and walkers.04 · Beat the GateInland side to the Brasil gate
Back toward the visitor centre at the Brasil access, opened for the reserve's fortieth birthday in June 2026. The gates close at 18:00 in winter and 19:00 in summer; the staff mean it.

Weather profile

What the sky
is likely to do.

Río de la Plata weather at sea level: humid summers, mild winters, and sudden wind and rain that close the gates. Summer afternoons are hot on the exposed river side; winter mornings are the running window.

Season & timing

Managed seasonOpen year-round Tuesday to Sunday and holidays, 8:00 to 18:00 in winter and 8:00 to 19:00 in summer. Closed Mondays and on days of strong wind, rain or persistent drizzle.Best windowApril to October, on a still weekday morning at the 8:00 opening, before the cyclists and the school groups.SurfaceWide compacted gravel and wood-chip paths, grass verges, short stretches of broken concrete at the river edgeDirectionEither way round the perimeter. Interior paths cut the loop short; unauthorised tracks are for guided visits only and it is easy to lose your bearings on them.

Signature moments

What you will
remember afterwards.

01

Leaving the Puerto Madero towers behind at the Brasil gate

02

The Río de la Plata opening out at the end of the first straight

03

Pampas grass along the inland side

04

The gate closing behind the last runners at dusk

ANNIVERSARY

40

Years since the rubble was declared a natural park, on 5 June 1986

Infobae, 4 June 2026: the city celebrated the reserve's fortieth anniversary by restoring the fire network on more than 10 km of internal roads, expanding the native-species nursery, and opening a visitor reception and interpretation centre at the Brasil access on 6 June 2026.

Access & logistics

AccessThe Brasil gate is at Av. Tristán Achával Rodríguez 1550, at the eastern end of Avenida Brasil, across the Puerto Madero docks from San Telmo. A second access is at the Viamonte end to the north; the city names both in its June 2026 works notice.PermitsNone. Entry is free. Stay on the marked paths.BookingsNone. Guided visits are offered by the reserve; the city's agenda page lists them.WaterCarry your own; nothing is published about water points inside the reserve.FoodNothing inside. Puerto Madero's restaurants are across the docks from the Brasil gate.Mobile coverageFull city coverage throughout.DurationNo official time. Outdooractive gives 2 h 40 for the walk; the city tourism office says you can walk round in about an hour.

Key hazards

  • ▲Closure without notice on windy or wet days
  • ▲Cyclists on the shared paths
  • ▲Getting lost on unauthorised trails
  • ▲Grass fires in dry spells
  • ▲Broken concrete at the river edge
  • ▲Heat and no shade on the river side in summer

SafetyOrientation only. Always use current official maps, alerts and safety guidance. Check the weather closure before you go, stay on marked paths, and be out before the gate closes.

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Official sources

Last verified 2026-09-16 · Record CETC-RUN-057 · Orientation only. Always use current official maps, alerts and safety guidance.

Photograph: Constanza Verón (WMAR) · CC BY-SA 4.0