The most cosmopolitain capital of South America will surprise you with all his lages avenues, his melting of architecture... It seems so huge with his 47 "barrios" but you will easily explore them. For the guests, there are only few of them which concentrated all the Hotels, museums, monuments and shops. Each one has his own history and his own personality, that fire an insatiable desire to explore.
The "Porteños", as Buenos Aires's residents are known, are really friendly and bend over backward to help someone in need of directions. Since the crisis of 2001, the "Porteños" have tapped their cultural riches, and are breathing new life into tango, food, wine, music, art and literature. With its rich Italian heritage, smoky old cafés, stately avenues and stunning French architecture, Buenos Aires is surprisingly European. Arriving in the middle of this will offer you something that you could never forget.
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La BOCA
La Boca, all along the Riachuelo canal, is the most popular neightborhood of Buenos Aires. Developped in the XIX century with the international trade and the growing port activities, it atracted the Italian immigrants at first. The painter Benito Quinquela Martin consacred all this life for La Boca. Then, proud of him, all the habitants did paint their house with powerful color. The "Caminito" is today an outside museum in the heart of this barrio and one of the most famous street in Buenos Aires. If you want to know more about Benito Quinquela Martin, the "Museo Quinquela Martin" will tell more about him and this art works. We can not talk about La Boca without thinking of Tango. All the atmosphere there reflects it, with the dancers in the street, the painting on the walls... La Boca is proud to have the most famous soccer team of Argentina, the "Boca Juniors" with their stadium "La Bombonera". |
PUERTO MADERO & COSTANERA SUR
Built in 1887 by Eduardo Madero, the docks of Puerto Madero have been recently reabilided in high-end chain hotels, restaurants and offices. The place is really pleasant and clean. Walking all along the waterfront in the port, in front of all the yacht-clubs and the most modern towers of Buenos Aires is a really nice tour. In the night, young people like to show them in trendy bars and restaurants but quite expensive too. In the day, you could visit the "Fragata Presidente Sarmiento" which was built in Great Britain in 1897 and was the first school ship of the natinal navy. Today, transformed as a museum, it is pleasant to admire all his original furnitures. Puerto Madero's signature monument is the "Puente de la Mujer", a strange bridge which actually represents a couple dancing Tango. You could find too in Puerto Madero the "Museo de la Inmigracion". In the east, the "Parque Natural y Reserva Ecologica Costanera Sur" is a tree-lined promenade and the city's largest open space. As a natural reserve since 1986, the place is excellent for bird watching. It is also known for barbecue carts that sell delicious steak sandwiches. |
SAN TELMO
In the late XIX century, the porteño elite evacuated to higher ground. Then San Telmo stayed a while one of the poorest district in Buenos AIres. Til the 60's when artists and intellectuals find interest in this rich patrimony of colonial architecture and culture. Today, it is the city's most atmospheric area with this art studios, restaurants and antique dealers. It is there that Tango survived, in Tango bars, streets, cabarets and restaurants. The "Plaza Dorego" is the heart of the neighborhood and home to the "Feria de San Telmo" antiques fair every sunday. The "Pasaje de la Defensa" as the "Calle Defensa" close to the "Plaza Dorego" has wonderful antic shops which let us imagine how was Buenos AIres during the "Belle époque". All San Telmo architecture let you smell the colonial history of Argentina. But, apart of being the historical barrio and the most touristic, San Telmo has other marvels to show. The "Basilica de Nuestra Deñora de Bethlem", the "Iglesia Ortodoxa Rusa", the very interesting "Museo historico Nacional" which is in the right place where Pedro de Mendoza fondated the city. |
MICROCENTRO
This "barrio" is the heart of Buenos Aires. The best place to begin Buenos Aires visit is probably the "Plaza de Mayo" that Porteños call like that since the independance of May 1810. With his high palms and flowers, it is from here you could admire some of the most famous building. The "Cosa Rosada" or the "Casa de Gobierno", the quarter and symbol of the presidence, the "Banco de la Nacion", the "Catedral Metropolitana" with his 12 colonnes, the beautiful "Palacio Municipal" with his french style and the "Museo del Cabildo" in one of the last colonial building. |
"La City", the financial district concentrates the national and international banks with his high and modern towers. The "Avenida de Mayo" which link the "Plaza del Congreso" and the "Plaza de Mayo", make you feel like if you were in Madrid. It was the main street in the old colonial city and it still have a lot of restaurants, bars and hotels as the wonderful "Café Tortoni". The "Congreso Nacional" can't be miss as it is big. In the way between the "Plaza de Mayo" and the "Congreso", you will cross the "Avenida 9 de Julio", the largest avenue in the world (125 m) and from it, you could see the "Obelisco" in this center. It was built in 1836 for the 400th birthday of Buenos Aires. In the Microcenter don't miss the "Avenida Correntes" famous for his nightlife and entertainment. The "Teatro Colon" on the "Avenida 9 de Julio" is one of the biggest and fasteux opera in the world. The "Calle Florida" and the "Calle Lavalle", long streets with thousand of shops of all kind. Probably the most commercial places of Buenos Aires. The "Plaza San Martin" close to "Florida" is very elegant, with his Libertador San Martin statue, his geant magnolias, palms and the "Torres de los Ingleses" as a small Big Ben. Here are some of the most famous things to see in the Microcentro but for sure, in strolling you could find some other pleasant places to see... |
RECOLETA & BARRIO NORTE
Recoleta is first known for having one of the world's greatest necropolises, the "Cementerio de la Recoleta". With the bodies of numerous celebrity of whom Evia Peron, cats wander the alleyways and tombs with geant statues, you really feel something special there. Close to the cemetery, take a look at the "Iglesia Nuestra-Señora-del Pilar" which is a really nice white church full of South American baroque art. Recoleta is the "chic" district of Buenos Aires with luxurious boutiques, selected restaurants, fashion bars. The area developped itself during the XIX century as Paris as an architectural model. It has an artistic and cultural life too. The "Centro Cultural Recoleta" and the "Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes" proove it with their expositions, theatre shows, work art studios and all their arts from the whole world. During your stay in Buenos Aires, don't miss a sunday on the "Plaza Francia". This big place which begin with the Recoleta cemetery, became a really nice and cultural area during the week-end. The young people came here to see small concerts, to watch artistic shows of all kind or to take a walk in the "feria" and all this artinasal products. |
BELGRANO
Belgrano (hero of the independance) is a residencial neighboorhood. The peaceful and green "Plaza Belgrano" has a nice church y a artisanal market every saturday. The "Museo de Arte Español Lareta", which takes place in the old house of Enrique Larreta (aristocrate, writer, ambassasador in Paris and great art collect) is a really nice museum. The house is wonderful, as the garden and the art collection are. Belgrano is not the most attractful district of Buenos Aires but they reserve few pleasant restaurants and place to visit. |
PALERMO
One of my favorite "Barrio" and for sure I'm not the only one. Nobody who is visiting Buenos Aires can miss an evening there. Full of the trendiest bars, groovy boutiques and wonderful restaurants, it's probably the area which concentrates the best restaurants. Palermo is the biggest district of Buenos Aires and one of the most captivating. It is divided itself in several district : - Palermo chico in the south-east close to Recoleta district is the most elegeant area of Buenos Aires. It joins a lot of big house built in the 1880, old palaces which became embassies or propriety of stars. The "Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo" and the "Museo Nacional de Arte Oriental" share one of this palace in a Louis XVI style. They present painting and european and oriental arts. In the same area, the "Museo de Motivos Argentinos José Hernandez" present a wonderful collection of traditional objects used in the XIX by the "gauchos". |
- Palermo Soho (called Palermo Hollywood too) has hundred hectares of park and garden. The biggest, the Palermo park is really hudge and has been concept by the french Charles Thays, on the "bois de Boulogne" concept. The "Japanese garden", a piece of Japon, as a present to the welcoming done to the first japanese immigrants. The "zoological garden" with his south american birds and monkey. In Palermo Soho, there is museum too, like the "Museo Evita" which describe all the life of Evia Peron. There is the "Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires" (MALBA), one of the best museum of the city, only about south american art, it has work of Costantini, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo... - Palermo Viejo. With his small "Plaza Serrano" flanked by cafés and bars, shops and restaurants, becomes an outdoor party at night. On the week-end, the place transforms into the "Feria de Arte Palermo Viejo" with local artists display and painting selling. In all this area, each street corner has a surprise to reveal, from funky little soap to eye-popping outlets and design shops. |
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