This city is huge and flat and it can be bewildering to figure out where/how to go. But once you get a map in your hands and start walking, then you’ll see that it’s impossible to get lost in Buenos Aires. The city is a grid of intersecting streets and once you find where you are on the map from the street signs then it all gets really easy.
If your time in this enormous city is limited and you’re not the patient type, then get one the open air “Buenos Aires Bus” designed for tourists and you can see all the things you have to see fairly easily. There are 25 stops in total on the Buenos Aires Bus. The bus passes every 15 minutes and goes past every stop and will take you to whichever stop you want to hit. Tickets are valid for 24 or 48 hours. When you get on the bus you’ll be given a map upon which is written each stop and all the important touristic things around each destination. That way you can get out if something strikes your fancy and walk around before getting back on and continuing the tour.
Don’t leave without seeing:
1. There are many squares in Buenos Aires. Unquestionably, the most important of these is the Plaza de Mayo (May Square). This square houses the Casa Rosada, from which Evita gave her famous speech and also many other historical buildings. You may see protests here when you come.
2. Puerto Madero, previously a shipyard, after years of neglect was restored and made into a lovely little neighborhood. The old shipyard buildings were turned into restaurants, cafes and bars. The famous bridge Puente de la Mujer (Women’s Bridge) is here as well.
3. Buenos Aires has the world’s largest boulevard: Avenida 9 de Julio (July 9th Avenue). You can see many places from the famous Obelisk that sits on the boulevard.
4. After avenues like Florida and Reconcquista, one of the most important streets to visit is Defensa…. Sundays on Defensa feature an open market with souvenirs and many stalls. While wandering around, you’ll see a number of street musicians and street artists and in general find a festival atmosphere.
There are also many bars and cafes that promise a good time, and you can also be sure that there are no shortage of places to try a famous Argentinian steak, though if you ask me I’d recommend that try Empanada over a good steak. From the first morning of my whole trip couldn’t wait to open my day with a nice Empanada. You can find meat, vegetable, cheese and other Empanadas of many varieties and is a local dish similar to the Turkish “poğaça.” It is usually well-stuffed and satisfyingly filling. Don’t leave without giving it a try!
5. One of the first things you think of in Argentina is “tango”. If you make reservations early enough you can get into one of the shows they put on, though personally I found the street performances more entertaining, as well as the photographs I was able to take of them.
6. In the aforementioned bus tours you can go to the Boca region of the city and make it to La Bombonera Stadium to catch a Boca Juniors soccer match. The only problem is that this is one of the more dangerous areas of the city so you really need to be careful of your belongings, especially your camera.
7. From there you can make your way to the famous Caminito Street. This is actually one of the places you shouldn’t miss during your time in the city… Colorful houses, lovely restaurants and street tango performances all make for a wonderful time.
8. One of the other things I’d recommend that you make sure to see is the Flora Generalis. This is a massive flower made out of metal. Originally this opened up as the sun rose and closed as it set but they were unable to repair it after a malfunction and now it just stands open at all times.
9. La Recoleta Cemetary is the final resting place for most of Argentina’s most well-known people, including Evita, and each tomb is like a masterpiece of art. The statues that adorn each of the graves are both decorative and tell a story, as well as giving a sense of the personalities of each person and an idea of what each person’s profession was.
10. When you go to Buenos Aires you have to make sure you spend at least a day at one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World, Iguazu Falls. With Aerolíneas Argentinas it’s a 1 hour and 15 minute domestic flight and you absolutely won’t regret this amazing journey which will make you feel like you’re right in the middle of a documentary. When you get off the plane it takes about 15 minutes to get to the national park in which the falls lie. Inside the park you get on a small train to see the surrounding sights. The first place one has to go is “Garganta del Diablo (Devil’s Throat)”, the biggest waterfall in the region. Some of the more popular tours of the falls and the national park include boats that go right inside the waterfalls.
I couldn’t recommend more highly that you go to this city with its warm people and amazing sights, I know that I will always come back!
