Getting to know Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is contagious. Not in a bad way, of course, we absolutely loved the argentinian capital. It can truly be taunting at first but once you get the hang of the city vibe, you literally hit the jackpot. Wandering the city parks, buying vintage in San Telmo, finding the right spot to sip some mate and stopping by Palermo for a long night-out. With so much to see/do, it’s imperative that you’ll find something that fit your taste.

Buenos Aires is an XXL-sized metropolis which is nothing but a wildly optimistic group of neighbourhoods.

It’s a love-love relationship. We are not really fans of cities but BA (as most people know it as) had the right kind of magic that would even make us go back. And that’s a big statement! Whether you plan staying a couple of days, a week or possibly more it’s hard to choose the right amount of time (more to it later). Nevertheless, some people also find the traffic, big distances and city atmosphere too stressing. Anyhow, here’s how we got to know Buenos Aires during our one-week stay in the capital.

The neighbourhoods melting pot

Before we start getting into the whole “best place to stay” and “things to do” business, it’s important to get to know some of the neighbourhoods in Buenos Aires. Trust us, if you’re a first-timer BA like us, this is going to be of great help.

Palermo

Ask around and everybody will tell you Palermo is the place to go if you wanna party. Full of trendy cocktail bars, quirky modern fashion stores and stylish restaurants, it’s without a doubt the artsy beating heart of the city. Creative and cool the neighbourhood is also subdivided into Hollywood and Soho. Make sure to swing by the bosques of Palermo to take a break from the city stress.

Best things to do: Bosques de Palermo, MALBA art museum and Evita Museum

San Telmo

Sitting at the complete opposite of the spectrum from Palermo sits the bohemian neighbourhood of San Telmo. On a sunny day, there’s nothing better than wandering the vintage flea markets, check out some great mural street art and enjoy the shadows of some incredibly huge Jacaranda trees. Don’t forget the tango bars!

Best things to do: Vintage Flea Markets, Sunday open-air market, architecture

Recoleta

Full of expensive shops and fancy boutiques, pretty much everyone ends up strolling around Recoleta at least once while in BA. The neighbourhood is famous for its interesting cemetery (where icons like Evita Peron rest), a great art museum and what NatGeo named the “second world’s most beautiful library” the Ateneo Grand Splendid.

Best things to do: Cementerio La Recoleta, National Museum of Fine Arts, Ateneo Gran Splendid

La Boca

Nice neighbourhood, mostly famous for the colourful Caminito alley which is the main reason most people visit the place for. A good deal of artists shops/exhibits are present in the area and for the sport lovers it also the birthplace of the Boca Juniors team. Not the safest spot at night in BA.

Best things to do: Walk the Caminito

Puerto Madero

Practically a copy and paste version of Cape Town’s marina or Liverpool’s harbour, Puerto Madero is a vast dockside area where the feeling “local” got lost along the way. Mainly home to offices and high-end apartments only draws attention on weekends where everybody takes shelter from the city’s stress at Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve.

Best things to do: Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve

Monserrat

Many consider Monserrat as the “official” historical center where most of the city’s monument such as the Casa Rosada or Plaza de Mayo can be found. If you want to see something different, head to Cafe Tortoni, an old coffee-house build back in the 1850s but be aware: everything here is filled with tourists!

Best things to do: Casa Rosada, Plaza de Mayo, Cafe Tortoni

Belgrano

Mostly a pricey residential area a.k.a. where most of the most beautiful yet expensive AirBnB’s can be found, the neighbourhood has its own interesting touch. Home to the Barrio Chino (Chinatown), lots of food-stall and several parks, is the right place to wander for those looking for a snack in the park.

Best things to do: Snack in the park, Barrio Chino

Almagro

The “nothing-special” kind of neighbourhood where to set camp to be able to comfortably visit the other neighbourhoods, whether walking, taxi or Uber. During our stay in BA, we stayed here because of the cheap accomodation prices and it was the best choice ever. First time in BA? We would overnight here to have the real feel of Buenos Aires.

How long to stay

We know, whenever you’re about to organise a trip to a country’s capital it’s always a huge gamble on how long to stay. Some capitals are marvellous like Bogota and Quito and might deserve plenty of time but others like Tegucigalpa might not even deserve a couple of hours. So what’s the deal with BA?

In our opinion, the right amount of time to visit Buenos Aires is anything between 3-7 days depending on whether you have tight plans or not. Obviously, if you want to spend more time in the city go on, we’re sure BA will find the way to keep you entertained at all times. And even if you end up having an “empty” day, why not head to the cinema and watch the latest movie at the ticket booth? Don’t worry, obviously in original language!

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