Buenos Aires Travel Guide
Buenos Aires is a city that is full of enchantment. This cosmopolitan metropolis is filled with diverse people and is a melting pot of cultures. It is known for it’s European-style bringing an eclectic mix of old-world and new-word flair to South America.
There are so many things to do and see in this bustling capital city of Argentina. With several districts making up Buenos Aires you are sure to find a favorite spot, if not many. Visit San Telmos’ beautiful colonial-style homes on cobblestone streets.
You can tour downtown Microcentro with its historical Argentine landmarks or go to see the vibrantly colorful neighborhood of La Boca. If you want to delve into a popular restaurant or bar, be sure to visit the ultra-hip Palermo district with its beautiful tree-lined streets and trendy shops, you will not be disappointed.
If you are looking for fine dining and high-end shopping experience, then Recoleta is the place to go. Known for its beautiful architecture, this district fancies the Argentine aristocracy with its opulent homes and manors. There is really so much to see in Buenos Aires and these are just some of the vivacious neighborhoods that you can explore.
Along with the amazing restaurants and trendy shops, you will also find many places to lay your head after a tiring day. If you are planning a dream vacation here and are looking for somewhere to stay, one of the best ways is by finding Buenos Aires vacation rentals. You can find furnished apartments in Buenos Aires with all the amenities you will need to make you feel comfortable and at home. With SumoApartments.com you can search through the many luxury apartments in Buenos Aires and find something to accommodate your lifestyle and travel needs. To rent an apartment in Buenos Aires is the greatest way to travel to this lovely city and it is private and more affordable than any hotel. You can find a studio, condo, or home in one of the many fabulous neighborhoods. Let SumoApartments.com help you find the perfect short-term or long-term Buenos Aires apartment that is sure to enhance your stay in this big city.
Buenos Aires, capital city of Argentina
Buenos Aires, located on the eastern coast of Argentina near Uruguay, a Cultural Delight, is rich in architecture, art, entertainment and history. The city is home to nearly 13 million people, ranking as the 17th largest city in the world, just ahead of London. Because of its long history of European immigration, Buenos Aires is heavily influenced by Spanish and Italian culture, creating a unique blend distinctly Argentinean.
Visitors to Buenos Aires can enjoy the beauty of Argentina’s visual arts in the Colón Theater. The theater reflects the affluence of the early 20th century, with red velvet seats, a soaring domed ceiling, and layers of ornate balcony seats. The theater is considered one of the best in the world for acoustic quality. Performances run from March through December, in arts such as ballet, orchestra and choir.
Anyone interest in Buenos Aires’ architectural grandeur should visit the Basilica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar and the Metropolitan Cathedral. Built in the early 18th century, the basilica houses six Baroque-style altars, one of which contains Peruvian silver. Also featured in the basilica is a golden Madonna statue, along with various paintings and relics. The Metropolitan Cathedral, which overlooks the iconic Plaza de Mayo, offers a diversity of styles in its architectural design because it was constructed and reconstructed over several artistic periods.
For those interested in the history of Argentina, the Plaza de Mayo is the place to be. Sightseers can walk the streets where the Argentinean revolution began or visit the Cabildo building, the old colonial seat of government where revolutionaries met to declare independence from Spain. The Cabildo now houses a museum of colonial artifacts, such as 17th-century art and furniture.
Also in the Plaza de Mayo is the famous Casa Rosada, the Pink House, which contains the presidential offices. Casa Rosada gained popular fame when Madonna filmed a scene for the 1996 film Evita on the Casa Rosada’s balcony. Part of the building now houses a presidential museum, and tours of the house are available to the public.
Sightseers can also enjoy the Plaza de los Congresos. This public park, adjacent to the National Congress building, features a rare reproduction of Auguste Rodin’s The Thinker; also on display is a monument to the Two Congresses, two key meetings in Argentinean history that helped secure the country’s nationhood.
To get off the beaten path and experience culture up close, visitors should head to La Boca neighborhood.
La Boca, located at the mouth of the Riachuelo River, was settled primarily by Italian immigrants and sports a distinctly Mediterranean look. Multi-colored buildings line uneven sidewalks and stone-paved streets. The area is known for artists and soccer fans and is a terrific place to find excellent tango dancers.
For a good view of the cityscape, travelers should take to the river, Rio de la Plata. This wide body of water is often identified as an estuary because it is the meeting point of the Parana and Uruguay rivers. Visitors can enjoy day cruises on the river, with excellent vistas of Buenos Aires and surrounding areas. Spanning the river is the iconic footbridge, Puenta de la Mujer, the Bridge of the Woman. This white, modernist-style bridge features an asymmetrical mast and supporting cables. Two pylons anchor the bridge to the shore, and a third allows the center of the bridge to rotate 90 degrees, allowing river traffic to pass. The bridge affords great views of the city and the river.
Whether visitors enjoy history or art, entertainment or scenery, Buenos Aires will delight. Buenos Aires is a city full of color, a city full of music, a city full of culture.
Best of Buenos Aires
Teatro Colón
The Colón Theater (tel. 54-11-43787344) is the pride of Argentinians because represents its love for culture and history, Located at 621 Libertad Street, is the most important lyric theater in Latin America and is considered as one of the four great opera houses in the world.
La Recoleta Cemetery
Recoleta is an exclusive and elegant neighborhood, with many attractive places to visit including cafes, restaurants, shops, green areas such as Plaza Alvear and Plaza Francia, historic building like the Colónial church of Nuestra Señora del Pilar, the Buenos Aires Government Exhibition Centre, the Bellas Artes National Museum, the National Library, the Cultural Center and others.
Plaza de Mayo
The Plaza de Mayo is the political heart of Argentina, in fact, the city was built around the Plaza, it is located between the Cabildo, the Casa Rosada, and the Cathedral. The Plaza is the center of the most important events in Argentina, is the central meeting for social demonstrations and national celebrations.
Government House or Casa Rosada (Pink House)
The Government House (Casa de Gobierno in Spanish), known as the Casa Rosada, is located on the eastern end of Plaza de Mayo, originally was a fortress, after was a customs house, a post office, and finally in 1873 was remodeled and became the official seat of the President of Argentina, is a French and Italian styles building, with palm trees and fountains in the yards.
Museo de Arte Latinoamericano (Malba)
The Museo de Arte Latinoamericano (Latin American Art Museum) of Buenos Aires, known as MALBA, is located close to Plaza Francia at 3415 Figueroa Alcorta Avenue in the Recoleta neighborhood, opened since 2001, is a not-for-profit institution created by Argentine businessman Eduardo F. Constantini, with the mission to preserve, collect and promote contemporary Latin American artists, promoting the knowledge of the regional cultural diversity and promoting artistic exchange between the national and international community.
Barrio de Palermo
Palermo is one of the most beautiful areas in Buenos Aires, with its charming streets, bookstores, bars, boutiques, and many relaxing places.
Puerto Madero
This barrio initially was designed by Eduardo Madero as the new harbor of Buenos Aires, the project was a failure. In the 1990s, the docks and warehouses abandoned were recycled, renovated, and turned into house restaurants, offices, five-star hotels, cinemas, museums, among others.
Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral
The Catedral Metropolitana de Buenos Aires is located in the city center, at Rivadavia and San Martin Streets. This neoclassical building was designed by the Italian architect Antonio Masella, the construction began in 1753 and wasn’t complete until 1829, the Cathedral contains many artworks including its 18th-century colony altar.
Eating in Buenos Aires
In recent years, the number of Restaurants in Buenos Aires has been increasing, now Buenos Aires is one of the best Capitals cities in the World for culinary experiences, there are Italian, Spanish, Japanese, French, Nordic, Mexican Chinese, Arab, Turkish and Armenian restaurants. The most popular meal es the grilled meat (asado or parrilla), everybody eats a lot of meat here, other popular meals are pizzas and empanadas and the typical Argentinian cookie, the Alfajor. There are also a large number of vegetarian and macrobiotic restaurants.
Many people say that the Pizzeria Guerrin is the best place to eat pizza in Buenos Aires, it is located on Avenue Corrientes 1368, just two blocks from the Obelisk, open since the 1800s, Guerrin has 140 varieties of pizza and a lot of other dishes, with inexpensive prices. An alternative web page is http://www.buenostours.com/guerrin-pizzeria and its telephone is (54 11) 4371-8141.
Cafe Tortoni, it is an old, classic and luxurious cafe, some of its distinguished visitors: Ernesto Sábato, Atahualpa Yupanqui, Carlos Gardel, Alfonsina Storni, Federico García Lorca, Joan Manuel Serrat, Robert Duval, the King of Spain Don Juan Carlos de Borbón, Hillary Rodham Clinton. The Cafe Tortoni has been open since 1858, located on Avenue de Mayo 825 between Piedras and Tacuari, its telephone is (54 11) 4342-4328.
La Biela is another nice cafe, located on Av. Quintana 596 RM Ortiz, in the glamorous barrio Recoleta, near to the Recoleta Cemetery.
Cabaña Las Lilas (tel. 787-764-0771 or 787-764-0722), located in Puerto Madero, is the home of the best steaks in Argentina according to many reviewers, some of them say that it has the best steaks in the world, is one of the most expensive grills in Buenos Aires, but here you will have one of the best experiences in your visit to Argentina, juts try the “lomo” with the smashed pumpkin, a real gem of their menu. If you are not a beef eater, you can try some of their salmon, or some of the large selection of salads, finally you can match an Argentine wine with your meal.
La Brigada (tel. 11/4361-5557) located at Estados Unidos 465, is another famous steakhouse in Buenos Aires, the place has a casual atmosphere. Its asados, chorizos, sausages, goat sweetbreads, and chinchulines are great, and their wine list is the best with over 35,000 bottles, La Brigada has the second place in Recoleta al Peña 2475.
The grill restaurant Las Nazarenas in Buenos Aires, is another good alternative, or maybe you can visit Siga la Vaca (Follow the cow), is a restaurant specialized in meats, located in Puerto Madero, with great quality, good service and price.
If you are looking for the Best Seafood, you can visit the Dora (tel. 11/4311-2891), open since the 1940s and located at Leandro N. Alem 1016, is an expensive restaurant with a high-quality cuisine based on seafood dishes, the exterior of the restaurant looks like an office building because in Dora everything is all about food; dishes based in octopus, codfish and prawn are recommended, its selection of white wine is one of the largest in Buenos Aires.
Olsen (tel. 11/4776-7677), located in Palermo at Gorriti 5870, is a Scandinavian restaurant, specialist in seafood, in an environment full of relaxing, you will experience an enjoyable moment in this place, its bar has a large list of cocktails also.
The best French Restaurant in Buenos Aires is La Bourgogne (tel. +54-11-48053857), located in the Alvear Palace Hôtel (Ayacucho 2027), this formal and elegant restaurant has been declared one of the “Best Restaurants in the World for Wine Lovers.”
Buenos Aires Geographical Location
Located on the western shoreline of Rio de la Plata, which is on the southeast coast of the continent, Buenos Aires is the capital and the largest city of its country Argentina as well as the second-largest city in South America. According to a 2010 census, Buenos Aires is home to almost 2.9 people.
Buenos Aires is considered to be an Alpha World City, which simply means it has been deemed an important point for the global economic system.
Buenos Aires Language
Buenos Aires and throughout Argentina, the official language is Spanish with limited English, German, French and Italian spoken throughout.
Buenos Aires Predominant Religion
- Roman Catholic – 92%
- Protestant – 2%
- Jewish – 2%
- Other – 4%
Buenos Aires Currency
The Peso is the official currency of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Buenos Aires Climate
Buenos Aires climate is temperate. Coldest months are June and July with temperatures often of 0 degress C or 30 degrees F while the warmest months are January through March when temperatures periodically reach 40 degrees C or 110 degress F.
Buenos Aires main attractions
- Rio de la Plata
- Metropolitan Cathedral
- Puente de la Mujer
- Cabildo
- Two Congresses Park (Plaza De Los Dos Congresos)
Other attractions in Buenos Aires
- Government House or Casa Rosada, which means Pink House
- Colón Theater
- Basílica Nuestra Señora del Pilar
- Japanese Garden
Closest major airport to Buenos Aires, Argentina
- The closest airport is within the city and is Ministro Pistarini International Airport.
- The airport codes are (EZE/SAEZ).
- The airport is located 14 miles southwest of Buenos Aires. Parking is available at the south end of the airport.