Buenos Aires, Argentina
Explore the Paris of South America
“Buenos Aires mixes a potent cultural cocktail: low prices, a familiar-but-different (and sexy) vibe, good weather, great food, and the chance to start over.” - New York Magazine, February 27, 2006
“Walking wide boulevards lined with fine, European-style architecture, past chic restaurants and bistros where people linger over meals, you sometimes feel as if you are in Paris. Late at night, though, the bright lights and indefinable sense of energy in the streets reminded me more of New York... Basically, visiting Buenos Aires is like going to Europe and finding that everything is half-off American prices.” - Washington Post, July 10, 2005
With more than 3 million people, Buenos Aires is one of the 10 most populated cities in the world, making it a true metropolitan center. Often referred to as the Paris of South America, Buenos Aires is a city of European elegance mixed with a unique dash of Latin cool. The capital city of Argentina, Buenos Aires receives over 5 million tourists per year, making it one of the most visited cities in the world. In 2006, Travel & Leisure Magazine named Buenos Aires the top city in all of South and Central America, including Mexico, and readers of Condé Nast Traveller rated Buenos Aires the second best city in the Americas.
People who live in Buenos Aires are known as porteños (“people of the port”). Most have European origins and, today, still consider themselves to be European. Between 1895 and 1946, nearly 1.5 million Italian immigrants and almost as many Spaniards arrived in Buenos Aires, resulting in the city’s current abundance of Italian restaurants and gelati. Buenos Aires's Jewish community, mostly of Eastern European origin, is the largest Jewish community in Latin America.
Buenos Aires is as safe as most major cities, with a modern police force and international security standards. But, as with any major city, safety precautions should be taken. With more than 5 million tourists visiting Buenos Aires each year, porteños are accustomed to serving international tourists and recognize the importance of tourism in Argentina.
Most porteños are well-educated. In fact, The University of Buenos Aires is considered one of the top learning institutions in South America and has produced five Nobel Prize winners.
Like New York, Buenos Aires has a number of different neighborhoods (called barrios), each unique in style and characteristics. New York magazine writes:
“The architecture, the culture, even the neighborhoods make New Yorkers feel comfortable: The expensive boutiques of Recoleta are reminiscent of Fifth Avenue, the family-heavy quiet of Barrio Norte is the Upper West Side, the vaguely tough San Telmo is the East Village of a decade ago, the hippest restaurant-and-boutique zone is called Palermo Soho, and Las Cañitas is a mini–meatpacking district.”
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City Highlights
Buenos Aires is often hailed the cultural capital of Latin America for its many museums, theaters, music halls, and art exhibitions. Home to the Teatro Colón, one of the world's greatest opera houses, Buenos Aires has the largest concentration of active theaters in Latin America. The Museo del Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA), housed in a $50 million building, opened in 2001 to rave reviews. Recoleta Cemetary, with 13 acres of tombs, mausoleums, and cypress trees, is the resting place for many of the country's most famous residents, included the beloved Evita Perón. The aptly-named Casa Rosada (Pink House) is Argentina's presidential palace, from whose balcony Juan and Evita Perón (and later Madonna) addressed the masses. Buenos Aires also has a world-famous zoo and Botanical Gardens, and a large number of landscaped parks and squares. Other city highlights include the boutique shopping of Palermo Soho, the Planetarium, and the historic tango district of San Telmo.
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Shopping
“The city’s signature Europe–meets–South America style—lots of leather, woven fabrics, and delicate lace with a gaucho influence—is turning up on runways in Paris, Milan, and New York. And unlike those other fashion capitals, the dollar is still strong here. Bring an empty suitcase.”
New York Magazine, 2003World-famous leather goods, stylish clothing and accessories, and every major international brand you can think of are available in Buenos Aires’ first-class malls and boutiques. Your shopping options in Buenos Aires are seemingly endless. If large malls suit your fancy, you can find it all at Patio Bullrich, Unicenter, Galerías Pacifico, Alto Palermo, or Paseo Alcorta, just five of the city’s many major malls. Palermo SoHo, aptly-named for its likeness to Manhattan’s trendy Soho district, has become a must-see for its boutique shopping and up-and-coming designers.
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Soccer
With more soccer teams than any other city in the world, Buenos Aires has some of the greatest futbol talent in the world. Diego Maradona, perhaps the greatest futbol player in the history of the game, was born in Buenos Aires and remains an icon to many Argentines.
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Food
“This is grass-fed beef, raised on the vast ocean of chlorophyll called the Pampas. It's different. Some, including me, would say better, with a rounder flavor, leaner texture and sweeter fat.”
New York Times food critic, R.W. Apple, 2006, on Argentinean steakThe famous New York Times’ food critic, R.W. Apple, chose a Buenos Aires steakhouse (parrilla) as one of the top five restaurants in the world, where he says the taste of the steak is worth the cost of the plane ticket. Argentine steak is famous worldwide and after you taste it, you’ll know why. Dinner at a traditional Argentinean parrilla is a perfect way to relax and enjoy yourself while you’re recovering from your surgery.
Argentina’s culinary industry has been heavily influenced by the waves of French, Italian, German, and Spanish immigration. You can find all types of cuisine in Buenos Aires, including Chinese, Indian, Middle Eastern, kosher, and vegetarian. Many restaurants offer delivery service. (In fact, ice cream delivery is popular among porteños!)
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Weather
With an average temperature of 64ºF, Buenos Aires’ climate is mild all year-round. Visitors can enjoy walking around the city in any season, as extremely cold or hot days are rare. Because of its location in the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons in Buenos Aires are the opposite of those in North America. July is the coldest month, and January is the hottest.
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Getting There/Transportation
International flights arrive at and depart from Aeropuerto Internacional Ministro Pistarini, better known as Ezeiza, in Buenos Aires. Direct flights to Buenos Aires are available from most major U.S. cities, including New York, Washington DC, Miami, Houston, and Los Angeles. Carriers such as American Airlines, Continental, United, and Aerolineas Argentina fly direct to Buenos Aires. American Airlines has direct flights from Kennedy Airport to Buenos Aires (about 10 hours, 30 minutes), with prices around $1,000. Visas are not required for citizens of the US, Canada, or EU. You will be issued a free, renewable 90-day tourist pass upon arrival.
Buenos Aires has an efficient transportation system, consisting of two airports, trains, public buses, highways, and a subway system. Taxis are abundant and cheap.