Overview

Buenos Aires has a bunch of interesting sights for tourists. The best place to head for to see them is Plaza de Mayo in the centre of town, which houses the likes of Casa Rosada and good people watching. Other must-see sights are the ancient Café Tortoni and equally ancient Subway A-Line, while the Latin American Art Museum and Botanical Gardens are also worthwhile.

Microcentro

Microcentro is downtown Buenos Aires and comes with the bulk of the sights and attractions. It is the all-round best place to be based if you are unsure where to book your hotel as it also has the most shopping and dining options. Florida Street is the high profile street here, a pedestrianised thoroughfare loaded with excellent shopping and snacking.

Mayo Square (Plaza de Mayo)

This beautiful square is the historic core of Buenos Aires and stems from the 1600s. It is one of grand buildings, elaborate fountains and graceful palm trees that regularly plays host to protests and public gatherings. The plaza is the best place for people watching and general wandering in Buenos Aires.

Rose House (Casa Rosada and the Presidential Museu

Rose House is Buenos Aires' most beautiful building and lies in the busy Plaza de Mayo. Evita famously addressed the Argentine workers from a balcony here, while today this is where the Argentine president's offices are. Highlights include the hourly Changing of the Guard and the associated Presidential Museum, which is attached to the house.

Botanical Gardens

Buenos Aires' Botanical Gardens lie in the heart of the city and are ideal for a stroll and to escape the noise of the city. There are many fabulous plants from all over Latin America here, as well as the usual suspects from around the world. There is also a large greenhouse which stages a regular art show.

Café Tortoni

Café Tortoni is a Buenos Aires institution and is a must-visit for the history alone, if not for the coffee. It has been in the same spot since its 1858 inception and has played host to many notable individuals over the generations. The interior is superbly decorated and displays its original look, and the walls are adorned with historical photos of the city.

Latin American Art Museum of Buenos Aires (MALBA)

The Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires is one of the city's very best museums and possibly that of the whole of Latin America. There are excellent permanent and temporary exhibitions here featuring the works of Antonio Berni, Diego Rivera, and Frida Kahlo, as well as other top artists of the region. Also be sure to check out a Latin movie.

Subway A-Line (A Line Subte)

The A-Line was Buenos Aires' first subway line, which opened way back in 1913. It is actually the oldest in South America and gives a unique look back at Buenos Aires of old. The line runs from Plaza de Mayo to Primera Junta and the trains on this line are the original wooden carriage type. Even the stations are old and rickety but the experience is lots of fun.

Overview

In this football and horse mad nation the sporting options within the capital are unfortunately a bit thin on the ground for tourists. There is some good walking to be had, however, with several quality parks, while golf courses lie a fair way outside town. You could have a bash at the tango, or perhaps watch the traditional horseback sport of pato for some spectator action.

Walking

The walking in Buenos Aires is fantastic as there are streets and streets containing fabulous architecture, tree-lined boulevards galore, bustling squares, and a myriad of parks and gardens. Plaza de Mayo is the favourite part of town to have a wander, with its pretty buildings and trees.

Golf

The Argentineans like their golf and there are a fair few decent courses around the capital, including the Cancha de Golf de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, which is on Avenue Torquist not far from downtown. It is a 71-par course with fantastic holes, fairways and scenery and prices are very reasonable to boot. Jockey Club Argentino in San Isidro is a bit farther out but is another good one.

Tango

The tango is the national dance of Argentina and if you are any way into dancing, it is a must try while visiting Buenos Aires. There are tango dance halls all over Buenos Aires and especially on Calle Florida, while the ‘milongas' takes it a bit more seriously. The monthly El Tangauta magazine is very useful for tango lovers.

Pato and polo

Pato is an Argentinean game which is played on horseback although it's out of reach of the average tourist. It has been around since the 17th century and features two teams of four players, each whom attempt to put a ball with straps through a hoop at either end of the field. You can see pato being played at noted sports grounds. Polo is taken seriously in Argentina and the Argentine Open Championship is a big event held every November at the Campo Argentino de Polo.

Football

Football is the main spectator sport in Argentina, and like most other countries in South America it is taken very seriously. The main teams to look out for are the Boca Juniors, River Plate, Independiente, and San Lorenzo, who play on a Sunday in season. The Estadio Boca Juniors in San Telmo hosts regular matches and has a fantastic atmosphere.

Dining and shopping

Buenos Aires has a well developed café culture and they tend to pack out all over the city during the afternoon when the locals, known as portenos, drink tea and snack. Other than the cafés, Buenos Aires has restaurants representing virtually every notable country there is, including a wide range of ethnic food, and prices are generally reasonable. The locals tend to eat breakfast late, lunch early, and dinner an all night affair.

The traditional Argentine parilla restaurants are particularly enjoyable. They do the best grilled meat, which comes from the renowned Pampas region of Argentina. Other notable Argentinean eats are tripe, kidneys, and blood sausage which are also generally grilled, while sweetbreads usually accompany salad or French fries.

Palermo is one of the trendiest neighbourhoods in Buenos Aires for eating, while the Microcentro and Recoleta districts have long established restaurants popular with portenos as well as with tourists. Recoleta also has the renowned La Biela café, which has a fantastic ambience and coffee. The favourite café in town, however, is Café Tortoni, a popular attraction as well as historical eatery. The so called confiterias are a cross between a café and a restaurant, with sandwiches and empanadas (savoury pastries) galore. They are fairly large affairs, great for a midday snack and can be found city-wide.

Shopping options in Buenos Aires range from glitzy malls to strings of fashionable boutiques in affluent areas and open-air street markets. The good thing about shopping in Argentina since the nosedive of the local currency is the bargain prices for outside shoppers. Leather goods and local fashion are the best buys, yet sadly traditional handicrafts are a little thin on the ground.

Florida and Lavalle streets have the best shopping in Buenos Aires, with literally hundreds of quality shops along pedestrianised streets. The MicroCentro is the best option for tourist souvenirs, while for street entertainment of a night, head for the intersection of these two streets. Other popular shopping areas in the capital are Palermo's Palermo Viejo, which is a bit like New York's SoHo and will appeal to the younger crowd, while Murillo Street is best for leather goods.

You will find the best bargains and most atmosphere at Buenos Aires' open air-markets, which come with obligatory street performers. For antiques, check out the San Telmo Antiques Fair on a Sunday (between 10:00 and 17:00); for arts and crafts have a look at the Cabildo Patio Feria on a Thursday and Friday; and for just about everything, the Recoleta Fair runs on weekends and is Buenos Aires' largest.

You can find all sorts of cuisines in Buenos Aires' best restaurants, from the finest pastas and other Italian treats to Mediterranean goodies and Argentina's best steaks. Quality restaurants can be found all over town and there is also a buzzing café culture; the Tortoni Café is the most famous eatery of all in the capital.

Overview

Buenos Aires' airport is well served by international airlines and flights come in daily from many major cities. Facilities at the airport's two terminals are good and transfer options include public buses, minibuses and taxis. Trains also serve Buenos Aires from Chile, as do buses, and getting about town is by train, metro, bus, and taxi.

Airports

There are two airports in Buenos Aires, with international flights coming into Ministro Pistarini International Airport (Ezeiza Airport) and domestic flights to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery. Ministro Pistarini International Airport is a fair way out of town with transfer times around 45 minutes, while the domestic airport is just 15 minutes away from the city centre. A huge number of national airlines descend on Ministro Pistarini from all over the world, including from London, Paris, Madrid, Sydney and New York.

There are two terminals at the airport (A and B), with Terminal A handling the bulk of the traffic and thus having the majority of facilities, including ATMs, currency exchange and shops and restaurants. Terminal B also has a fair amount of passenger facilities, apart from duty-free shopping and ATMs.

Transfer options to Buenos Aires from Ministro Pistarini International Airport include public buses, private buses and taxis. Buses depart from outside the terminals at regular intervals. There are several public buses available to different parts of Buenos Aires from the airport, with bus 394 to Monte Grande railway station; bus 502 to Ezeiza City; bus 51 to Constitución, via Monte Grande; and bus 86 to Plaza de Mayo in central Buenos Aires.

There is also an airport shuttle service which is provided by Manuel Tienda León, and minibuses are also on hand. Fixed-price taxis and metered taxis both run to town from the airport. Do not use unlicensed taxis in Buenos Aires.

Public Transport

Train travel in Argentina, as in other countries in South America, is not great, although there has been a resurgence of the rail system of late and InterCity trains do serve the capital from Chile, Bolivia, and from elsewhere in Argentina. Services from Chile come in via Bariloche; via Santa Cruz from Bolivia. There are five train stations spread across Buenos Aires.

Long distance buses terminate in Buenos Aires at the rambling Estación Terminal de Omnibus at Retiro Station in the north of town. Services are generally good and also connect with neighbouring countries although flying is your best option. There are two main ferry terminals in Buenos Aires with services arriving from Colonia and Montevideo, Uruguay. Buquebus ferries arrive at Puerto Madero terminal while Ferrytour boats serve the Dársena Norte terminal.

For getting about in Buenos Aires you have the choice of commuter trains, an ancient subway system, buses and taxis. The train network is surprisingly good in Buenos Aires and you can go far for a small price. There are five stations in town and trains run out to the suburbs every 15 minutes or so. The subway is cheap and efficient and there are five lines that extend from the centre of town (El Centro). It is a very old system, with the A-line in itself being a tourist attraction. Services run from 05:00 to 22:00 daily.

Public buses in Buenos Aires have the most extensive reach and are both reliable and cheap. They serve the city centre as well as the Greater Buenos Aires area and well marked bus stops are frequent. Taxi travel in Buenos Aires isn't the most reliable form of getting around due to uncrupsulous drivers in illegal taxis. The licensed, metered taxis are black and have yellow roofs and they can be hailed or booked by phone.