Argentina Travel Planet

Buenos Aires

Located on the Rio de la Plata, Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina is a beautiful, multicultural, and sophisticated city that has gained the reputation of being the ‘must-see city’ in all of Latin America.

‘There is a place called La Biela, it is my favorite corner in the world. It is a coffee shop near Recoleta where Evita`s buried. You can go there and sit in the evening, at 3 in the morning there are hundreds of people in the streets. And you can get up at 8 and go back and have your espresso. Going to Argentina, going to Buenos Aires, I like it more there than anyplace else. – Robert Duvall

The capital, home to 13 million people, is located in the province of Buenos Aires in the north eastern corner in the Central region of Argentina. Buenos Aires is made up of more than 40 distinct neighbourhoods, each equally unique, each displaying its own special characteristics, and each worth a visit.

San Telmo is the laid-back and bohemian neighbourhood where the streets are paved in cobblestone, and the restaurants and stores all have a special artistic and antique flair.

La Boca, careful where you step, has the beautifully small area called Camanita where the houses and shops are painted all the colors of the rainbow, art is sold in the street, and tango music and tango dancers display themselves proudly.

For trendy boutiques, hip restaurants and bars, and plenty of green parks and plazas, Palermo is an area where foreigners and locals alike gather to see and be seen.

Puerto Madero was designed from a combination of modern sophistication and trend with a once industrial and commercial centre to make an upscale and incredibly trendy riverside neighbourhood, completely outfitted with restaurants, shops, and bars.

Recoleta and Retiro are side by side, and are for the fancy and carefree; the Recoleta cemetery is a must visit, as are the handful of fantastic art galleries and museums featuring world class works of art.

The famous Florida street and the surrounding downtown area is the business and commercial centre of the city. International companies, Argentine businesses, top-notch shopping, and a myriad of restaurants and cafes keep the streets of downtown pulsating from early morning to late evening.

Buenos Aires was once the arrival destination for European immigrants, mostly coming from Italy, France, and Spain, and quickly became the Europe out of Europe.  The people of Buenos Aires, better known as portenos, are proud of their unique and mixed backgrounds and today have a sort of European/ Latino culture that is apparent everywhere in the city whether in the architecture, wide avenues, music, cuisine, fashion, lifestyle, attitude, etc, and definitely sets apart Buenos Aires from other Latin American cities.

Its internationally acclaimed status, beginning years ago, has made this city truly world-class in regards to its restaurants, bars, nightclubs, cafes, shopping, museums, art galleries, theatres, concerts, futbol, tango, cuisine, and drink. No matter day or night, there is always something happening in this thriving metropolitan city.  Restaurants and cafes offer everything from the simplest to the funkiest or most upscale décor imaginable; bars and nightclubs offer the same sort of diversity but also in the forms of atmosphere, music, and drinks. Argentines love to shop, and most streets and all major avenues showcase stores where you will find everything from luxury to budget shopping, truly a shopper’s paradise. Museums, art galleries, theatres, and concerts are in abundance, featuring as many international artists as local artists, and always keeping up with the latest trends in art, music, and dance.  Tango and futbol are passionately worshipped by all, a passion that is passed down from generation to generation, and truly reveals a lot about the Argentine culture once experienced.

Transportation is easy and most of the times relatively fast, especially for a city of this size. Buses reach every corner of the city, including areas just outside of the city, and run all day and all night. The subway system has 5 lines and actually covers quite a large area of the city, its easy to manage, and all in all one of the most comfortable forms of affordable transportation in the city. Taxis are in abundance and they are safe and easy to catch, perhaps the best form of transportation for late night, and with a foreign currency are very affordable.

Argentina’s economic devastation of 2001 and the devaluation of the Argentine peso made cities like Buenos Aires, and the rest of the country, very affordable for hard currencies and although prices have increased over the years, they have not reached the level they once were at and the affordability of the country is still a major draw for visitors.

Another place to check in the Argentina Travel guide, also located in the central region is the province of Cordoba, a city full of history, culture and excitement, definitely not to be missed.