October 20, 2023
You’ve been stuck in lockdown with covid blues for a while now and there’s now only one thing on your mind: travelling. Well, we’re here to tell you why Buenos Aires is an incredible place for you to visit and the perfect launching point for your adventures in South America.
With its colourful neighbourhood, cosmopolitan culture, delicious food and generous inhabitants, Buenos Aires knows how to please any type of traveller! We recommend you stay here for at least 3 days to really take in all the city has to offer. If you’ve got more time on your hands, then we recommend a couple more days to explore the surrounding areas that are just as worth it. If you’ve travelled this far, you might as well make the most of it!
Continue to read if you want to learn about our favourite places to visit in Buenos Aires.
La Boca - The art district
We couldn’t start this article with anything else than La Boca, our favourite part of Buenos Aires.
While most of the city is very beautifully inspired by European cities, La Boca is like a little colourful explosion in the middle of Buenos Aires. It’s an incredible gallery and all outdoor for everyone to enjoy. Originally, La Boca was the first port of the city and was populated by immigrants mainly from Italy and Spain who worked in warehouses. The area was very poor and most of the people were living in “conventillos” where they shared rooms.
Benito Quinquela Martin, a child of La Boca became a renowned artist and decided to give back to his neighbourhood by buying land and creating a public school, a museum for local artists, a theatre, a kinder garden and even a breast milk centre. He also decided to organise an outdoor art exhibition that we know today as the famous Caminito. He spent three years working on this project with only donations of leftover paints, metal siding and more to show that the rehabilitation of a neighbourhood was more a question of willpower than money.
Yes, today La Boca is very touristic but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t visit it. Wander around the cute artisans’ boutiques, admire the tango dancers and try some delicious food!
If you’re a football lover, go to the Boca Junior Stadium and visit their museum. It’s a great experience and we’ll even give you a little fun fact to impress your friends when you return or even just as a social media caption. Whilst being built instructions were given to paint it the colour of the flag of the country of the first boat to reach the harbour of La Boca, and that was Sweden. So that explains the yellow and blue.
In terms of safety, stay around Caminito, it’s perfectly safe during the day but don’t venture there at night.
Palermo – The edgy district
Located in the North part of the city, Palermo is the place to be if you love a good blend of food, street art and fashion in one of the most up and coming areas of Buenos Aires.
We recommend you start off with the MALBA museum which holds large collections of modern and contemporary Latin American art but also pieces by world known Friday Kahlo and Diego Rivera. On a sunny day the lighting inside is incredible, and the geometric shapes and windows of the building are really eye catching. Perfect for a few pictures to show off your cultural side.
Once you’ve walked around and worked up an appetite, we have just what you need. End down to Feria de Plaza Serrano to enjoy a nice glass of Argentinian wine and some delicious food in the open-air market. There’s also plenty of cafés around the square for you to pick from and we guarantee some of the best food is found here.
It would be a shame to not enjoy the beautiful weather and there is no better way than enjoying either the Botanical Garden or the Parque Tres de Febrero. There are free guided tours at the botanical gardens on weekends for you to learn more about the thousands of different plant and trees species and wander through the roman garden. If you’re tired of all the walking you can rent out a little pedalo and enjoy a break from all the street art with a little float around the lake.
San Telmo – The Bohemian district
Whilst the new and edgy of Buenos Aires might be more appealing to you, it would be a shame to not take some time in the oldest neighbourhood of Buenos Aires; San Telmo.
This part of town is best enjoyed on a Sunday where it’s huge market ‘Sunday Ferria’ will have you fall in love in no time. Make sure you’ve got space in your suitcase because you’ll definitely want to take an antique souvenir home.
Speaking of old and antique be sure to head to El Zanjon de Granados, after 20 years of restorations this museum has opened its doors and allows you to discover some of the history of Buenos Aires.
No day is complete without food and being in the oldest parts of town you have to try a typical steakhouse or grilled famously known as Argentinian Parrilla. You can either go for a fine dining experience or just get yourself a nice piece of grilled meat from one of the many street vendors.
Enjoy a night out to remember with a Tango show, because there is no trip to Buenos Aires without some tango. There’s plenty to choose from but we have a personal favourite for El Querandi show located in a cozy little room where the dancers get up and close with you. You’ll be fully immersed and blown away.
Recoleta – The Endless life district
Recoleta is another one of the unmissable neighbourhoods situated in the northern part of the city. Famoulsy known for the Recoleta cemetery, there is plenty more to see here.
Sure you can’t come here and not visit the cemetery designed by the French architect Prosper Catelin as it is one of the most visited in the world but that’s not all. It is one of the most charming and elegant neighbourhoods with little boutiques, shops filled with arts and crafts from local artists and plenty of delicious restaurants.
It is also home to the picturesque Bookstore El Ateneo Splendid, which is the largest bookstore of Latin America and even if you are not a book worm trust me this one is incredible, and it would be a shame not to miss it.
Now you’re starting to see the reoccurring themes with Buenos Aires, and that’s just because there is so much to unpack here and discover so we can’t help but suggest another museum. The Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes has work from some of the most renown artists like Monet, Rembrandt and a plethora of national artists.
If you’re not impressed yet “Avenue Alvear” extends for seven blocks and is rows of incredible mansions, each more impressive and incredible than the other. If you want to really treat yourself, then this is the place to me with designer shops, jewellery stores and plenty more places for you to spend that money you deserve to spend on yourself!
Tigre - Buenos Aires Gateway
We told you to have quite a few days planed in Buenos Aires and that’s because a day trip to Tigre is definitely recommended. There are quite a few ways to get here, you’ll have the choice between the bus or the train service, the latter being the easiest. It’s super easy, with regular trains and a direct service with the Mitre Line will get you in to this water surrounded town in no time ready to make the most of your day.
The location of Tigre makes it perfect to enjoy a slightly different experience with plenty of rowing or Kayaking options. Getting on the water allows you to discover the hidden canals and little islands that make this place so unique. It is also here that you’ll get to navigate the Parana Delta, the only delta in the world that flows into fresh water as opposed to the sea.
If you don’t feel too comfortable on the water fear not, we’ve got you covered. You’ll find many people travel the 30kms from the center to Tigre on the weekend and that’s mainly due to the market located on the riverfront. You’ll find plenty more handcrafted items here but also souvenirs, plants and little accessories. For a lunch on the go you’ll have a whole selection of snacks ranging from cured meats to olives with a cheeky homemade jam. Of course, you don’t need to wait for the weekend; as this is opened throughout the week. But you’ll have a bigger choice at the end of the week.
For the little bit of culture, swing by the Museo Reconquista to learn more about the history of Tigre, with plenty of explanations, facts and photos. If you’re lucky, or plan ahead you’ll even be able to attend a workshop.
There’s no better way to reach the end of this post than with an absolute favourite of ours “Colective Mala Prensa”, it’s a super cute boutique with plenty of choice. Everything made from local artists, with a full range from small trinkets to large items. You’ll definitely leave here with something unique, that will also help locally.
So that’s it from us, now you have a little idea of what to expect in Buenos Aires and that’s still not everything. We just gave you a taster of what to expect here, as there is plenty more for you to unravel here. As always, we are here to help you plan the best tour for you and find something that matches your idea of a perfect idea. Get in touch today and we’ll organise the rest for you.
