buenos aires || top 10 places to see for first time visitors
Argentina is our very first South American country visit and its capital Buenos Aires surprised us in so many ways imaginable! In a short sojourn in this vibrant city, we sensed deeply the Argentinians' passion and beautiful love affair with polo and football, tango, neighborhood parillas (steakhouse restaurants), meats especially beef, weekly asados (barbecue), empanadas, alfajor and dulce de leche.
The city, we discovered, is home to several neighborhoods or barrios, each having a unique feel and character to it. Below are some of them:
|| Palermo is fashionable and trendy, full of hip restaurants and clubs, as well as shopping malls and independent designer shops.
|| San Telmo feels old and charming with its cobbled streets and antique stores, as well as historical and old, sometimes shabby, colonial buildings.
|| La Boca is very colorful and artsy, bursting with history of its immigrant past.
|| Retiro is a busy urban jungle, with the largest transportation hub of the city, and is also home to old opulent neighborhoods and luxurious shopping boutiques.
|| Recoleta is known as the old rich neighborhood with well-maintained wide boulevards displaying elegant European architecture reminiscent of Paris
We loved strolling in each neighborhood and discovering inviting plazas, green cheery parks, and unusual corner cafΓ©s where people of all ages gather at the end of the day.
As soon as darkness falls, PorteΓ±o night owls unquestionably party hard. A truly unique experience would be to watch and participate in tango dance events held in traditional milongas (dance halls), or if this isnβt your thing, check out their illustrious underground bars and βclosed-doorβ restaurants. Nash and I had the opportunity to dine in at Casa Felix and to this day still hold that experience close to our hearts.
Below are top 10 of our favorite places to visit as a first-timer in the city:
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1. SAN TELMO & FERIA DE SAN TELMO
San Telmo is the oldest barrio in the city. In the 17th Century, it started out as a very poor neighborhood and was home to mostly dockworkers and brickmakers. Today, however, San Telmo attracts thousands of tourists on Sundays when the most famous βFeria de San Telmoβ take place.
Each Sunday, its cobblestone streets and Calle Defensa become home to entertainers, folklore musicians and Tango dancers along with a huge street bazaar. Plaza Dorrego gets filled with antique stalls selling very unique items β old Argentine pictures, colonial silver, artworks, clothing, furniture, paintings, classic toys, old jewelry, figurines, tins, and just about anything old you can imagine. Getting hungry is no problem as thereβs lots of food stalls selling quick snacks like those divine crunchy garrapiΓ±adas (sugared almonds and peanuts) below. The area is also abundant with quaint eateries and cafΓ©s that serve different budgets.
Nearest Metro: San Juan
Address: Intersection of Humberto Primero and Defensa Street
Schedule: Sundays 10am-6pm
Website: http://visitas.casarosada.gob.ar/
Admission Fee: Free
2. PLAZA DE MAYO & CASA ROSADA
Walking towards Plaza de Mayo and seeing the architecture in this part of the city for the first time truly felt like we were in Paris, except we were constantly reminded we werenβt because everyone around us were speaking Spanish. Plaza de Mayo is the oldest public square in the city and since 1810, it remains the place where most people gather to show support or protest against the government.
Once we reached Plaza de Mayo, it was very hard to miss Casa Rosada. If Americans have the βWhite Houseβ then the Argentines have the βPink Houseβ, literally, as the seat of the Argentine national government and is home to the presidentβs office.
Now do you guys remember Evita Peron, the famous ex-first lady of this country and the star of the famous song βDonβt Cry for Me Argentinaβ? It was in the balconies of Casa Rosada where she made her speeches to the masses during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Eva is loved by many because she fought for improving the lives of the poor and advocated for womenβs rights to vote in political elections. To get in, you can either visit the museum on Wednesdays to Sundays or participate in free guided tours on the weekends, both for free.
Nearest Metro: Plaza de Mayo, PerΓΊ, Catedral, Bolivar
Address: Av. Corrientes 989, C1043AAJ CABA, Argentina
Schedule: Wed-Sun 10am-6pm (museum)
Sat-Sun 10am-6pm (free-guided tours)
Website: http://visitas.casarosada.gob.ar/
Admission Fee: Free
3. MUSEO NACIONAL DE BELLAS ARTES
The Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (MNBA), or the National Museum of Fine Arts, houses an impressive collection of paintings, drawings, sculptures, and art pieces from the Middle ages through the 20th Century, both Argentine and international art. We randomly found this museum as we were walking towards Floralis Generica. Nash and I both love museums so we were very happy when we found out that it was free of charge too. We were excited to find artworks by Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Gaugin, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and many more.
Nearest Metro: Las Heras
Address: Av. del Libertador 1473, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Schedule: Tues-Fri: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. & Sat-Sun:10 a.m. to 8 p.m (Mon: Closed)
Website: https://www.bellasartes.gob.ar/en
Admission fee: Free
4. EL ATENEO GRAND SPLENDID
Back in San Francisco, if thereβs one place me and Nash love to spend time in the most when we have free time, it would have to be in a bookstore. We find peace and comfort, as well as get new inspiration and ideas when we are surrounded by books.
In this visit, our beloved Barnes and Noble bookstore and Starbucks combo got swept under the rug for a moment. The El Ateneo Grand Splendid is the most gorgeous weβve ever seen. Imagine frescoed ceilings, elegant theater boxes, and ornate balconies. In the middle is a grand stage with deep red curtains, which now serves as a cafΓ©. The El Ateneo was built in 1919 as a performing arts theater, then it was turned into a cinema, and now finally converted to a bookstore. For all you booklovers out there this one surely wonβt disappoint.
Nearest Metro: Callao
Address: Av. Santa Fe 1860, 1123 CABA, Argentina
Schedule: Mon-Thurs 9am-10pm, Fri-Sat 9am-12pm, Sun 12pm-10pm
Website: http://www.yenny-elateneo.com/
Admission Fee: Free
5. PALACIO BAROLO
While researching for a place where Nash could shoot beautiful views of the city during sunset, we stumbled upon Palacio Barolo. Itβs one of the cityβs most beautiful buildings that was built to pay tribute to the Divine Comedy written by the famous Dante Alighieri. The building itself depicts hell, purgatory, and heaven through its divided structure.
Our favorite part of this place was the antique 1920βs elevators which we rode in going up to this 22-story building and the lighthouse on the 22nd floor. The lighthouse was a bit hard to climb up to since it can only be accessed by going through a dark narrow spiral staircaseβdefinitely not for the claustrophobics. Once at the lighthouse, we saw panoramic views of the Congress and Casa Rosada. This place can only be visited through guided tours, so we suggest to book them in advance, like we did, to ensure your slot.
Nearest Metro: SaΓ©nz PeΓ±a
Address: Av. de Mayo 1370, 1085 CABA, Argentina
Telephone Hours: Mon-Sat 9am-8pm, Tues 10am-6pm
Website: http://palaciobarolo.com.ar/?lang=en
Admission Fee: AR $220
6. MUSEO DE ARTE LATINOAMERICANO DE BUENOS AIRES (MALBA)
This is our favorite museum in the city. We found a large collection of modern and contemporary Latin American artwork which includes paintings, photography, sculpture, drawings, print, and installations from famous Latin American artists worldwide.
If you are pressed for time and can only visit one museum, this should be it. Finish your visit by heading to their chic and classy cafΓ© on the ground floor for some coffee and a bite of Torta Rogel, an amazing Argentinian dessert made of thin crunchy pastry layered with dulce de leche and topped with meringue.
Nearest Bus Stop: Avenida Presidente Figueroa Alcorta 3401-3499
Address: Av. Pres. Figueroa Alcorta 3415, C1425CLA CABA, Argentina
Hours: Thurs-Mon 12pm-8pm, Wed 12pm-9pm, Tues closed
Website: http://www.malba.org.ar/en/
Admission Fee: AR $90 and Wednesdays AR $45
7. FLORALIS GENERICA
Floralis GenΓ©rica is a giant flower sculpture that blooms daily in the beautiful green park called Plaza de las Naciones Unidas. It is made of steel and aluminum designed by Argentine architect Eduardo Catalano in 2002. It represents βhope rebornβ when its petals blossom anew each day at 8am and then closes at sunset, when the flower glows red. The park is well maintained and is a perfect spot for an afternoon picnic or if you just want to take a quick break from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Nearest Bus Stop: Avenida Presidente Figueroa Alcorta
Address: Plaza de Las Naciones Unidas near Av. Figueroa Alcorta and A. Biblioni
Hours: Petals open at 8am and closes at sunset
Admission Fee: Free
8. RECOLETA CEMETERY
This cemetery is considered among 10 of the most beautiful in the world and it truly is! Call us weird but itβs very intriguing for us to see burial grounds in different parts of the world. Getting lost in this labyrinth of the dead, we saw impressive statues and lavish mausoleums made of marble. It was eerie to peek into dusty coffins and crypts through grills and broken windows of mausoleums. Can you imagine if these coffins weren't sealed properly? Gosh we sure hope they are!
Recoleta cemetery is the final resting place for many of Argentinaβs wealthy, powerful, and most influential people like Evita Peron, past Argentinian presidents, army generals and entertainers, and many other controversial individuals. You can buy maps by the entrance and there are also free-guided tours in English (Tues. & Thurs. 11am) and Spanish (Tues-Fri 11am), weather permitting.
Nearest Metro: Las Heras
Address: JunΓn 1760, 1113 CABA, Argentina
Hours: Mon-Sun 7am-6pm
Website: http://www.recoletacemetery.com/?langswitch_lang=en
Admission Fee: Free
9. BASILICA NUESTRA SEΓORA DEL PILAR
For me and Nash, no visit to a city is complete without visiting one church at least. This gleaming colonial white catholic church is considered a National Historical Monument and dates back from 1732. Front and center is a Peruvian altar embellished with genuine local silver. Also donβt forget to check out the small cloister museum on the left side of the church to see religious artifacts, writings, paintings, and priest robes. Also, take a glimpse outside the windows as you will see good views of Recoleta cemetery from here.
Nearest Metro: Las Heras
Address: JunΓn 1898, C1113AAV CABA, Argentina
Website: http://www.basilicadelpilar.org.ar/
Admission: Free
10. LA BOCA & EL CAMINITO
Last but definitely not the least on our list is our most favorite, the very colorful Caminito, which means βlittle pathβ in Spanish. It is an outdoor museum showcasing La Bocaβs (a neighborhood) immigrant past. Millions of immigrants poured into Argentina between 1880 and 1930 and a lot of them were Italian port workers. Since there werenβt enough homes for immigrants at that time, they built 'conventillos' (shared housing) from metal sheet scraps and old wood from boat yards. Carrying their tradition from Genoa, they painted their houses with leftover paint from the shipyard.
Today, however, these conventillos house souvenir shops selling paintings by artists like this lady we bought a very cute artwork from, Marta Grosso. Although a little touristy, there are several restaurants in Caminito where you can watch tango shows. Please know though that although it is to your discretion, dancers collect tips from restaurant guests after performing their dances. Walk in the back streets and alleys and you might just get lucky like us and be able to play football with local kids in the area.
Nearest Bus Stop: Avenida Don Pedro Mendoza
Address: Valle Iberlucea del, Dr. y Magallanes
Website: https://turismo.buenosaires.gob.ar/en/atractivo/caminito
Admission Fee: Free
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