Azul is a quiet city of fifty-four thousand on the open pampas of Buenos Aires province, about three hundred kilometres south-west of the capital, and it begins with a fort. In 1832 a frontier outpost was built on the banks of the Arroyo Azul, the Blue Stream, to guard settlers against raids and to push the line of European settlement farther into the plains. The town grew around it, and the grid of streets, wide plazas and low houses still has a frontier feel.
The land here is almost perfectly flat, a green and gold sea of grass, wheat and cattle pasture, with the sky taking up most of the view. To the north-east rise the low, worn granite hills of the Tandilia system, among the oldest rocks in South America, though a rider coming from the city would hardly call them mountains. The wind is a constant, and it can blow hard enough to lean a motorcycle sideways on the long straights.
As a fuel stop, Azul is perfectly placed. Stations stand along the main road, with convenience stores and often a grill restaurant, and the long distances between towns in this part of Argentina make it wise to fill up when you can. Further south and west, toward the hills of Tornquist and Sierra de la Ventana, the services thin out and stations are farther apart.
Food is the other attraction. Argentine roadside restaurants serve grilled beef, empanadas, milanesas and the sweet pastries called facturas, with strong coffee. A parrilla in the town centre is a good place for a long, unhurried lunch. The portions are large, and the bread is excellent.
The best time to ride this part of the pampas is spring or autumn, when the temperature is mild and the light is soft. Summer can be very hot, with sudden thunderstorms, and winter brings frost and fog on early mornings. A long day across the plains has its own satisfactions, and the sunsets are huge.