It sometimes feels as if you were in Madrid. In the poshier parts of town at least, where life is good. But Buenos Aires has its own character: self-confident, crazy about football and meat and tango, and with some sharp Latin edges.
(more pictures of Buenos Aires can be found here)
It definitely isn’t my favorite Latin metropolis. For that, the art is simply not good enough. But the things it gets right, it gets really right. Buenos Aires is the football capital of the world, and the grilled meat is some of the best on the globe as well.
CONTENTS
General introduction
Do not underestimate the size of this urban jungle. Officially there is a distinction between the city of Buenos Aires and the surrounding province (Capital Federal). But in reality you will not notice any border between the city (3-4 million inhabitants) and the sprawling metropolitan area surrounding it (another almost ten million people).
It has more than a thing in common with Santiago, the capital of Chile: both have pockets of beautiful colonial architecture, arbitrarily mixed with / messed up by high apartment buildings and relatively new, posh office skyscrapers. There is a huge foreign influence here (mainly English, but also German). And where Santiago is surrounded by a ring of Andean mountains, Buenos Aires is shaped by the Rio de la Plata river.
Both capitals are also located at around the middle of the northern half of their country. That makes them the gateway for connecting domestic flights south (towards Patagonia) or north into the mountains. The city itself features beautiful luxurious neighborhoods (Palermo, Recoleta), authentic run-down ones (Boca, San Telmo) and relative slums (called villas here). But you will remember Buenos Aires for two things: meat and football, the lifeblood of the country.
Food and drinks
Argentinians are hated by basically all other Latin countries because of their supposed arrogance. There is obviously a thin line between self-confidence and arrogance, but when it comes to meat the country has its bragging rights.
The grill (parrilla) is the center of the kitchen, if possible on coal (al carbon). The grass-fed beef is so tender waiters tend to chop it up with spoons, just to show off a bit (‘because we can’, a waiter answered with a smile when I asked him why they do it like that). The meat don’t come cheap, but is worth it. Chorizo is especially good, blood saucage (morcilla) is as soft as it gets on the inside. And then there is the ‘ojo de bife’ (rib-eye steak) that is mouthwateringly good. Google for the best restaurants, but in the area where I stayed (San Telmo) there are at least three I can recommend: La Brigada (popular with football fans), Desnivel (a low-key affair) and the Grand Carnicerias de la Plata. There is also an older but still pretty valid best-of Buenos Aires steak list on Eater.
Beyond meat, you will find lots of Latin street food. Choripan (chorizo saucage in bread) is everywhere, but be careful to eat it from street vendors. It can and will destroy your stomach and holiday. Milaneses (basically Wiener schnitzel in white bread) is popular and cheap. Same goes for empanadas of all kinds.
Another huge quality of Buenos Aires are the bars. They have a wooden interior, are visited by tourists and locals alike, and are very similar to the ones in my beloved birth country the Netherlands. From breakfast to late evening drinks, they are great places to convene.
Activities / things to do
- Microcentro:
- this is the historic centre of the city, surrounded by a highway to the south (Autopista 25 de Mayo) and avenues with high-speed buses to the left (Avenida 9 de Julio) and right (Avenida Paseo de Colon)
- many of the traditional historic sights are here. Think of the Plaza de Mayo, and adjacent Casa Rosada (former home of the Argentinian president). The nice but slightly run-down neighborhood of San Telmo with its cobblestone streets is here as well. In that quarter is a famous but touristy sunday street market
- the Centro Cultural Kirchner (officially now Palacio Libertad) is a stunning former post office. After a renovation and expansion, it now also has the national amphitheatre (a futuristic shape that somehow landed inside the old building) and extra exhibition cube spaces hanging above it. Spectacular sight, with some good and free contemporary art as well
- speaking of art, San Telmo has two good places for contemporary art side by side. The MAMBA (Museo de Arte Moderno Buenos Aires) is the biggest, in an old red-bricked building. It not only has impressive architecture (check the staircases!), but also good temporary exhibitions. Almost next door is the MACBA (Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Buenos Aires). It’s not huge, but elegant, and definitely worth a quick visit
- Puerte Madero is a relatively new part of the city on the eastern edge of the Microcentro. It is a small inner harbour for luxury yachts, with on one side renovated warehouses and on the other side luxury residential skyscrapers. There is a huge private art collection here as well (Amalia Lacroze de Fortabat Art Collection). It also is the gateway to the Reserva Ecologica Costanera Sur, a natural reserve popular amongst locals in the weekends to get close to the water. Because despite Buenos Aires being along the Rio de la Plata, you will hardly see the river
- Around Microcentro:
- west of the Avenida 9 de Julio is a dense area with several landmark buildings. There is the Palacio Barolo, a Dante-like masterpiece. Book a tour to discover the intricacies of the building. Relatively close is the parliament (Palacio del Congreso). Definitely worth a visit is the Ateneo bookstore, inside a former theatre. A unique experience, on the southern edge of the Recoleta district
- immediately south of the Microcentro, within walking distance from San Telmo, is La Boca. The area is of course known for the football club Boca Juniors and its iconic Bombonera stadium in the middle of it. The surrounding streets are painted in club colors blue and yellow, full of bars and street art (around Camenito) attracting tourists to this once run-down part of the city. But now there is more: the former factory Usina del Arte now turned into an amazing performance and exhibition venue. And right at the water, near the famous bridge, is the Fundacion Proa, a splendid small art museum
- Palermo & Recoleta
- these neighborhoods are much more upmarket then the old Microcentro. Palermo has different areas (Soho, Hollywood) with some impressive nightlife. These areas are also very safe, therefore most tourists stay here. It has the Latin luxury vibe you might be looking for
- Recoleta has, amongst others, the famous cemetery in its name. This is where Evita Peron is buried. Expect hordes of tourists here willing to pay the ridiculous entrance fee
- very close is the Floralis Generica, a massive open air art piece of a flower that open and closes depending on the sun
- next door is the Museo de Bellas Artes. It has an overview of modern art in the 19th and 20th century, if that is your thing
- contemporary art is more north, more in Palermo, in the excellent MALBA (Museo de Arte Latinoamericana de Buenos Aires). The modern building has some great spaces for temporary exhibitions
- not far away from there is the Jardin Botanico, a triangular space that is a nice place for a walk but has an underwhelming amount of flora. The greenhouses are usually closed to the public as well. Entrance to the gardens is free though
- nicer are the Japanese Gardens. Very touristy, not big, but worth a quick visit
- if you are looking for big concerts, the Movistar Arena is your thing. It is officially in the Villa Crespo neighborhood, close to the Chacarita cemetery, west of Palermo. It has a 15k capacity and is near the stadium of Atlanta football club. It opened in 2019 after many financial problems during construction
- if looking for some brutalist architecture, the Biblioteca Nacional Mariano Moreno is your thing. Perched on a small hill on four legs, this concrete Godzilla manages to impress
- Various:
- Chacarita cemetery: just north of Villa Crespo and the Movistar Arena, this massive cemetery is a must-visit. It not only features the graves of some famous Argentinions (the king of tango Carlos Gardel amongst them). In the heart are Galerias, massive multi-level alleys below ground where the coffins of plain Argentinians are kept behind rows and rows of square stones stacked in a grid
- Espacio de de la Memoria de los Derechos Humanos: Argentina had its problems in modern history, most of all with the military dictatorship between 1976 and 1983. Lots of opponents of the regime ‘disappeared’, which led to the famous ‘Mothers of the disappeared‘ demonstrations on Plaza 1 de Mayo. Most of those ‘disappeared’ where thrown to their death from planes, as we now know, and were often incarcerated beforehand in the former ESMA maritime headquarters in the north of the city. This space is now the memorial space for human rights. It is a bit underwhelming as it misses a clear structure and mostly lacks English translations as well, but nonetheless has some impressive moments. There is a house with pictures of the Mothers of the Disappeared, and one of the planes that executed the death flights. There is also a new denter focused on the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) here, an issue that still angers Argentinians
- tango: not the reason I came to Buenos Aires. but ask around for good places to see a milonga, a demonstration of the local tango dancing style
- football: every neighborhood here seems to have its own club and its own stadium. From the huge ones (River Plate and Boca Juniors) to much smaller ones like Atlanta and San Telmo. It is the lifeblood of the city, unique in the world. You will find a quick guide to football in Buenos Aires, with links to specific articles to the seven stadiums I visited, and an article about how it feels to visit a football game in Argentina
- if looking for rollercoasters and rides, the Parque de la Costa might be your thing. It is located in the suburb of Tigre, on the northern edge of the city, 80 minutes by train from Retiro station
- bored of the city? by high-speed catamaran boat you can go to the small colonial town of Colonia in Uruguay in 45-60 minutes. If you have more time, take the 4 hour boat to Montevideo
Getting to Buenos Aires and getting around
- the international airport (Ezeiza, airport code EZE) is a 30 minute drive southwest of the city. You can take a taxi or Uber (around 25 euros), an airport shuttle bus (Leones, around 12 euros) or a public bus (line 8 takes you to the Microcentro in around an hour for one euro). The buses stop at a small building 100 metres from the airport terminals. For the public transport you need the Sube ticket (see below)
- there is another airport close to the city center, commonly known as Aeroparque. It is right at the water, north of Retiro station and close to El Monumental stadium in the north. It is mainly used for domestic flights and flights within South America
- within the city:
- most important is the Sube card: you can get it at the main stations. If you recharge it, you can use it for both bus and subway and suburban trains. Recharging can be done in kiosks everywhere as well (look for the stickers), but often only in cash. The upside: public transport is dirt cheap here. More info on the Sube card: https://subte.ar/tarjeta-sube/
- there is an extensive bus network (check Omnilineas.com.ar), often with their own high-speed lanes. When entering, state the destination to the driver and he will deduct the amount from your Sube card
- metro: it is a decent but not great network. It runs from the Microcentro in various directions, and is especially handy for connecting to the suburban trains. Metro is signposted by Subte signs. Also see https://subte.ar/mapas/
- suburban trains: there are several end stations in different parts of the city. From there, they will connect you with the vast metropolitan jungle that is Buenos Aires. In the south you have Plaza Constitucion, which is the famous gateway to the football clubs in the southwest (Racing Club, Independiente, Lanus, Banfield, Talleres and others). Once station is on the western edge of the center, Retiro is north of the Microcentro and opens up towards Recoleta, Palermo and beyond.
Miscellaneous
- Weather: it rains a lot at the Rio de la Plata. But the climate is relatively mild, with average daytime temperatures of 12 degrees even in winter and 25 degrees in summer. When it rains, expect downpours though
- Safety: the city is relatively safe. During daylight San Telmo and Boca are fine to walk around. In the dark as well, just avoid empty streets. After midnight, stick to huge avenues if you can. In Recoleta and Palermo there is no issue at all. The villas (slums) should be avoided
- Costs: Buenos Aires isn’t cheap. Despite economic problems prices are similar to Europe
