Lonely Planet Buenos Aires Read online

  Buenos Aires

  Contents

  Plan Your Trip

  Welcome to Buenos Aires

  Buenos Aires' Top 10

  What's New

  Need to Know

  Top Itineraries

  If You Like...

  Month By Month

  With Kids

  Eating

  Drinking & Nightlife

  Entertainment

  Shopping

  Sports & Activities

  Tango

  Explore

  Neighborhoods at a Glance

  The Center

  Sights

  Eating

  Drinking & Nightlife

  Entertainment

  Shopping

  Puerto Madero

  Sights

  Eating

  Entertainment

  Congreso & Tribunales

  Sights

  Eating

  Drinking & Nightlife

  Entertainment

  Shopping

  San Telmo

  Sights

  Eating

  Drinking & Nightlife

  Entertainment

  Shopping

  Sports & Activities

  La Boca

  Sights

  Eating

  Drinking & Nightlife

  Entertainment

  Shopping

  Retiro

  Sights

  Eating

  Drinking & Nightlife

  Shopping

  Sports & Activities

  Recoleta & Barrio Norte

  Sights

  Eating

  Drinking & Nightlife

  Entertainment

  Shopping

  Belgrano, Nunez & the Costanera Norte

  Sights

  Eating

  Drinking & Nightlife

  Entertainment

  Shopping

  Sports & Activities

  Palermo

  Sights

  Eating

  Drinking & Nightlife

  Entertainment

  Shopping

  Sports & Activities

  South of Palermo

  Sights

  Eating

  Drinking & Nightlife

  Entertainment

  Shopping

  Sports & Activities

  Day Trips from Buenos Aires

  Tigre & the Delta

  San Isidro

  San Antonio de Areco

  Colonia

  Sleeping

  Understand

  Understand Buenos Aires

  Buenos Aires Today

  History

  Music

  Literature & Cinema

  Art & Architecture

  Survive

  Transportation

  Arriving in Buenos Aires

  Getting Around Buenos Aires

  Tours

  Directory AZ

  Discount Cards

  Electricity

  Embassies & Consulates

  Emergency

  Gay & Lesbian Travelers

  Health

  Internet Access

  Medical Services

  Money

  Opening Hours

  Post

  Public Holidays

  Safe Travel

  Taxes & Refunds

  Telephone

  Time

  Toilets

  Tourist Information

  Travel Agencies

  Travelers with Disabilities

  Visas

  Women Travelers

  Language

  Buenos Aires Maps

  The Center

  Puerto Madero

  Congresso & Tribunales

  San Telmo

  La Boca

  Recoleta & Barrio Norte

  Retiro

  Belgrano, Nunez & the Costanera Norte

  Palermo

  South of Palermo

  Table of Contents

  Behind the Scenes

  Our Writer

  Special Features

  Cafes of Buenos Aires

  Fileteado Porteno

  The Immortal Evita

  Street Art

  Welcome to Buenos Aires

  Buenos Aires combines faded European grandeur with Latin passion. Sexy and alive, this beautiful city gets under your skin.

  Steak, Wine & Ice Cream

  BA's food scene is increasingly dynamic, but for many travelers it's the city's carnivorous pleasures that shine. Satisfying a craving for juicy steaks isn't hard to do in the land that has perfected grilling wonderfully flavorful sides of beef, washed down with a generous glass of malbec or bonarda. Parrillas (steakhouses) sit on practically every corner and will offer up myriad cuts, from bife de chorizo (sirloin) to vacio (flank steak) to ojo de bife (rib eye). But leave room for ice cream, if you can – a late-night cone of dulce de leche (caramel) helado can't be topped.

  Meat cooking on a parrilla (grill) | ROCHARIBEIRO/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

  Art & Architecture

  Look closely: this city is beautiful. Sure, it might look like a concrete jungle from certain angles, but stroll through the streets, paying attention to the magnificent architecture around you, and you'll soon be won over. Grand French- and Italian-style palaces grab the limelight, but you'll see interesting architectural details in the buildings of even low-key, local barrios. These days the beauty of these traditional neighborhoods is further enhanced by colorful murals painted by artists involved in the city's vibrant street-art scene. For these talented individuals, the city is their canvas.

  Nightlife

  Take a disco nap, down some coffee and be prepared to stay up all night – this city doesn't sleep. Restaurants get going at 9pm, bars at midnight and clubs at 2am at the earliest; serious clubbers don't show up until 4am. And it's not just the young folk who head out on the town in this city; BA's diverse range of bars, clubs and live-music venues offers something for everyone, from DJs spinning electronica to live jazz sets. Just remember you'll be doing it all very late.

  Tango

  BA's famous dance is possibly the city's greatest contribution to the outside world, a steamy strut that's been described as 'making love in the vertical position'. Folklore says it began in the bordellos of long-ago Buenos Aires, when men waiting for their 'ladies' passed time by dancing among themselves. Today, glamorized tango shows are supremely entertaining with their grand feats of athleticism. You'll also find endless venues for perfecting your moves, from milongas (dance salons) to dance schools. Be aware that some people become addicted – and can spend a lifetime perfecting this sensual dance.

  Jacaranda trees in springtime | PHILIP LEE HARVEY/LONELY PLANET ©

  Why I Love Buenos Aires

  By Isabel Albiston, Writer

  When I first arrived in Buenos Aires in 2010, Argentina was celebrating 200 years of independence and the city was a carnival. I fell hard and fast for this crazy place with its dogs in soccer shirts and passionately held opinions on everything from politics to how to prepare mate (the yerba tea infusion). For the next four years, my days were spent cycling between parks and timeless neighborhood cafes; nights began with asados (barbecues) and ended at sunrise. In spring, when the blossom of the jacaranda trees turns the city purple, there's nowhere I'd rather be.

  Buenos Aires' Top 10

  Cementerio de la Recoleta

  1Meander through the maze of narrow lanes lined with elaborate mausoleums in what must be the world's most ostentatious necropolis. This 'city of the dead' was BA's first public cemetery, though it quickly became exclusive; some of Argentina's most illustrious historical figures are buried here, including Eva Perón ('Evita'). Myriad styles decorate the crumbling tombs, f
rom art nouveau and art deco to neoclassical and neo-Gothic. There are also wonderfully flamboyant statues to discover, so pay your respects to Evita before getting lost among the marble angels.

  1

  FANDRADE / GETTY IMAGES ©

  Buenos Aires' Top 10

  Tangoing at a Milonga

  2Nothing captures the essence of Buenos Aires like the sensual and melancholy tango, and no visit to the city is complete without experiencing tango in some form. To experience it in its most authentic form, head to a milonga (dance event), held at dozens of venues. Tango classes are often held before milongas, so take part – or just watch, but don't look too long at that handsome stranger across the room; a stare is an invitation to dance, and you could be breaking some hearts!

  3

  JUICE IMAGES LTD / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

  Buenos Aires' Top 10

  Attending a Football Game

  3In Buenos Aires, fútbol isn't just a game. The national pastime inspires near-religious passion in porteños, clearing the streets and sending spectators into fits of ecstasy and anguish as they huddle around TV screens or brave the explosive stadium crowds. The atmosphere is particularly boisterous (read: out of control) when River Plate and arch-rivals Boca Juniors face off during the much-anticipated Superclásico games. The tension is palpable, and for two hours on a Sunday afternoon here, nothing else really matters.

  2

  NATURSPORTS / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

  Buenos Aires' Top 10

  Savoring a Steak Dinner

  4Believe the hype: Argentine beef is some of the best in the world. Eat, drink and be merry at one of BA's hundreds of parrillas (steakhouses), where a leisurely meal begins with waiters pouring malbec and carving generous slabs of prime beef. Parrillas run the gamut from neighborhood joints to classic establishments to upscale restaurants, so there's a price for every pocket. There are even closed-doors restaurants offering asado (barbecue) experiences. One thing is certain: you can expect some of the best meat you've ever eaten.

  5

  ANALIA VALERIA URANI / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

  Buenos Aires' Top 10

  Plaza de Mayo

  5Founded in 1580, Plaza de Mayo is the stage on which many of the dramatic events in Argentina's history were played out, from military bombings in 1955 to Evita's emotional speeches to massive union demonstrations (still going today). Most of the time, however, it's a peaceful place where families feed pigeons. It's where you'll find the Casa Rosada presidential palace, which you can visit for free on weekends. If you're here on a Thursday afternoon, you might witness Las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo: mothers peacefully marching for social-justice causes.

  1

  ADAMICO / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

  Buenos Aires' Top 10

  Strolling through San Telmo

  6The neighborhood of San Telmo is a beguiling mix of faded grandeur and bohemian spirit. The elegant belle-epoque architecture and crumbling villas are throwbacks to the district's 19th-century heyday, before yellow fever and cholera sent the aristocratic masses to higher ground. Today, you can wander along Defensa or Balcarce streets toward leafy Parque Lezama, taking in picturesque vistas of romantic facades and drooping balconies as you window-shop for antiques. The neighborhood continues to evolve, but much of the old-world atmosphere remains. Come on Sunday for the famous street fair.

  1

  T PHOTOGRAPHY / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

  Buenos Aires' Top 10

  Spotting Street Art

  7From the city's leafy northern suburbs to the abandoned warehouses of its gritty, southernmost edge, Buenos Aires has become a canvas for talented street artists from all over the world, who come here to paint in collaboration with Argentina's own graffiti superstars. Little pockets of the city are home to a particular concentration of murals – explore them on a guided tour with Graffitimundo. Keep your eyes open as you walk around Palermo, Colegiales and San Telmo; you might even see the city's next masterpiece being created.

  2

  GRAFFITIMUNDO ©

  Buenos Aires' Top 10

  Cycling through Palermo's Parks

  8It's official: Buenos Aires is bike friendly! With an extensive network of cycle lanes and a free city bike program, there is no better way to explore the city than on two wheels. But if the thought of taking on the traffic makes you nervous, fear not. A bike tour of Buenos Aires – especially around Palermo's green parks – is a great way to experience cycling in this vehicle-dominated city. Here, miles of safe bike lanes exist, and you can enjoy the green of grass instead of the gray of concrete.

  2

  CHAD EHLERS / AGEFOTOSTOCK ©

  Buenos Aires' Top 10

  Taking a Nature Walk at the Reserva Ecológica

  9In the shadow of Puerto Madero's shiny skyscrapers, an incredible nature reserve emerged from an area of abandoned, marshy wasteland. These days the remarkable park is home to hundreds of birds, colorful butterflies, turtles and iguanas. Take a walk along the paths that loop up past the coastline of the Río de la Plata. Amid the refreshing river breezes, peace and sense of space it's hard to believe you're just a 20-minute walk from the city center.

  2

  JON ARNOLD IMAGES LTD / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO ©

  Buenos Aires' Top 10

  Feria de Mataderos

  10Folk music emanates from the outdoor stage, local couples take to the streets to perform the traditional chacarera and chamamé folk dances, and food stalls dish out hearty country dishes such as locro (a meaty stew), deep-fried empanadas and humitas (a kind of tamale). This is Feria de Mataderos, an authentic celebration of Argentine country traditions. You might also see gauchos demonstrating their horse-riding skills by playing sortija, a game where they stand in their saddles and ride at full speed to spear a tiny dangling ring. Catch it on Sundays.

  7

  YADID LEVY / AGEFOTOSTOCK ©

  What's New

  Craft Beer & Burgers

  BA has gone mad for craft beer, with new bars and microbreweries opening every week. Accompanying the beer trend is a hunger for juicy burgers. Big Sur is one of the most recent to appear on the scene. Look for the free BA Tap Map to help you plan your way around.

  La Mar Cebicheria

  The much anticipated opening of Peruvian restaurant La Mar Cebicheria has left BA's foodies swooning over the quality of the fresh ceviche and leche de tigre (citrus-based marinade) salsa.

  Espacio Memoria y Derechos Humanos

  More commonly known as the Ex ESMA, this former naval campus was a secret detention and torture center during the military dictatorship of 1976 to 1983. Now the building where the human-rights abuses took place has been converted into a memorial museum.

  Barrancas de Belgrano

  This elegant Belgrano park has been given a facelift and it's looking gorgeous. Come for the milonga La Glorieta, held at the park's bandstand in the evening.

  Los Galgos

  Formerly a run-down but historic cafe, Los Galgos has been completely transformed into a classy cocktail bar.

  Centro Cultural Kirchner

  The spectacular cultural center is now fully open, with a packed schedule of free concerts and events – get in quick if you want to score a ticket.

  Coffee

  The days of bad coffee in BA are over, thanks to a crop of new cafes dedicated to producing high-caliber brews using imported Colombian beans.

  South of Scalabrini Ortiz

  Threatening to knock Palermo Viejo off its foodie perch is the increasingly hip neighborhood located on the south side of Av Scalabrini Ortiz. It's where you'll find Proper, Benaim and NoLa, among other hot new bars and restaurants.

  City Government Tourist Program

  As well as opening a new tourist information kiosk in La Boca ( GOOGLE MAP ; %for WhatsApp messages 011-2851-8074; https://turismo.buenosaires.gob.ar; Av Don Pedro de Mendoza 1901; h9am-6pm; W; g33, 64, 29), the Buenos Aires city government has launched a series of free walking tours, plus rowing tours in Puerto Mad
ero and even eco-car trips around the Reserva Ecológica and Parque 3 de Febrero. Be sure to check out the current program.

  Underground Art

  Some of BA's top street artists have brightened up Subte stations with wonderful murals. Check out recent works at Federico Lacroze on the Línea B.