Buenos Aires

Introduction

Boca - Buenos Aires - Argentina

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Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, is a sprawling mass of a city on the banks of the Río de la Plata, not a river but the world's widest estuary. First impressions may be of a dirty, polluted and noisy city, but a scratch below the surface will unveil a wealth of character. This city lives for football, in particular the age old rivalry of Boca and River. It's a city of extremes, from the wealthy Recoleta (where a grave will cost you more than a house in London's rich suburbs) to the filthy but charming Barrio de Once, a crowded neighborhood with pickpockets and beggars.

Neighbourhoods

The city of Buenos Aires is divided in 48 barrios (neighbourhoods), grouped in 15 comunas (councils). Alongside their official names, many areas are also referred to by their traditional names: have a look here for an overview. The following list contains the barrios of greatest interest:

• San Nicolas and Montserrat are better known together as Microcentro. Here you will find tourist highlights such as Obelisco, Congreso and Plaza de Mayo. Avenida 9 Julio splits the barrio in two, and has to be seen to be believed. It is the widest in the world, and an entire column of city blocks (each 100 metres wide) from Retiro to San Telmo were demolished in its creation, with the Obelisco planted squarely in its intersection with Avenida Corrientes.
• Palermo is a massive northwestern barrio. Parts of it are famous for their Soho-feel, and have lots of fancy restaurants and little boutiques.
• San Telmo is one of the oldest parts of Buenos Aires, and is commonly regarded as the birth place of tango. It has many restaurants, bars and youth hostels. One of the main tourist drawcards, San Telmo is a beautiful cobblestoned sanctuary not far south of the chaotic city centre. It is here you find tango dancers performing for donations, along with the usual street artists you come to expect of any large city these days, some of whom are of a standard to have their own CDs, for sale on the spot. Rustic cafés and wine bars are all part of the charm here, along with historic churches and colonial architecture. The Sunday artisan market is a great institution in San Telmo, when the streets become a pedestrian zone for the day, and are lined with stalls selling crafts, clothes, leather goods, 'antiques' and jewellery.
• La Boca, at the mouth of Riachuelo (little river) and the city's first port is perhaps the most famous area of Buenos Aires. It was there on the promenade overlooking a now very polluted dock that the sailors of old danced the tango with prostitutes in the night. The cultural heart of La Boca would have to be the Caminito (little way), a brilliantly painted street even by Latin American standards. La Boca has always been a poor neighbourhood, and the buildings of the Caminito, each previously inhabited by several families at once, were constructed from a hodgepodge of materials scrounged from the area, and painted with whatever colours were available at the time. Although artists inhabit the streets and tourists wander around posing with tango dancers during the day, at night the area is too dangerous to visit. It is also home to the stadium of Boca Juniors, one of Buenos Aires' two leading soccer clubs.
• Recoleta, just east of Palermo, is the city's wealthiest neighbourhood and home to the famous Recoleta cemetery where a grave is as expensive as a flat in downtown London.
• Puerto Madero was once destined to become the city's port, but was closed in preference to the current port, a couple of kilometres or so north of the city centre. Puerto Madero fell into disrepair and disrepute until the 1990s, when a gradual revamp saw it transform into one of the city's trendiest (and most expensive) barrios. Harbour cranes - relics of the past - are lit up at night, standing guard over the channel which runs through the middle of the area.

Sights and Activities

The offer of cultural activities in Buenos Aires is huge, and most of them are either free (i.e., sponsored by the government) or charge very modest entry fees. The city maintains an excellent on-line cultural agenda in which information on numerous exhibitions, festivals, projects, etc. is collected. Besides that, there are various Centros culturales across the city centre that organise their own activities, plus a large number of theatres.

Tango

Buenos Aires is renowned for the tango, a dance birthed in 19th century Argentina. While it isn't practised widely by Argentines anymore, the tango is still a major drawcard for tourists. Far from being a clichéd dance style, Tango has a depth of character and innovation that will draw you stepping and spinning into its soulful world. For everything and more on Argentine tango and where to dance it, have a look at the Argentine Tango article.

Wines

Wine trips are starting to create quite a stir in the world of hospitality. Argentina has a unique terrain which makes its wine products very different to those encountered in Europe. The most popular wine from this region is Malbec, though the cultivation of several other varietals have proved quite successful and created interesting products.

Around Buenos Aires

Although not even located in Argentina, a daytrip to the Uruguayan town of Colonia del Sacramento is definately worth a visit. There are quite a few ferries daily that make the short trip across the river to Uruguay and it makes for a great day escaping the crowds of the huge metropolis that forms Buenos Aires.

Events and Festivals

Various major annual festivals take place in Buenos Aires. This list mentions some of them; for up-to-date information, consult the city's cultural agenda.

• Festival Mundial de Tango (August) - A week of free tango activities in the streets and theatres of Buenos Aires. Although increasingly touristy, still well worth going.
• Campeonato Mundial de Baile de Tango (August) - Campeonato Mundial de Baile de Tango - following the tango festival, yearly world championships of tango dancing. International competition (especially from Japan and Colombia) is killing, but thanks to the 'impartiality' of the jurors, an Argentine couple always comes out on top in both competitions (stage tango and salón tango). Parallel to the campeonato, the city organises a singers' contest and a competition for composers, which generate much less attention, but are well worth attending.

Weather

Being close to the Atlantic, Buenos Aires has a moderate climate although it can be swelteringly hot in summer (December and especially January). Average daytime temperatures are around 30 °C during these months, but 40 °C is not uncommon during some heatwaves. Thunderstorms are common in late spring (October & November). Winters tend to be cool around 15 °C during the day and 8 °C at night from June to August, but warm days are not unheard of either. Buenos Aires has a persistent smog problem, which is at its worst in December.
Most of the precipitation falls from October to April, with a peak in March (134 mm), though winters still see around 60-70 mm of rain a month. Snow and frost are uncommon.

Getting There

By Plane

Buenos Aires has two airports. Ministro Pistarini International Airport (IATA: EZE, ICAO: SAEZ), more commonly known as Ezeiza International Airport, is Argentina's main international airport. Aerolineas Argentinas flies from here to Auckland, Barcelona, Bogota, Caracas, Córdoba, Lima, Madrid, Mendoza, Miami, Rome, Santa Cruz, Sao Paulo and Sydney. Quite a few other airlines serve cities like Mexico City, Toronto, Paris, New York, Dallas, London, Houston, Panama City, Havana, Atlanta, Rio de Janeiro, Quito, Frankfurt, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, Doha, Montevideo, Brasilia and Washington, D.C..

Buenos Aires' other airport, Aeroparque Jorge Newberry (IATA: AEP, ICAO: SABE), serves mainly domestic flights, including services to Córdoba, Ushuaia, Mendoza, Salta, Tucuman, Bariloche and Puerto Iguazu.

From the Ezeiza International Airport to the city centre:
There is a local bus #51 that runs from the airport to Constitucion railway station which takes 2 hours and costs 2 pesos. Also Tienda Leon runs an express bus to the city centre for 50 pesos. The trip takes approximately 45 minutes. Alternatively, it's possible to catch a taxi, although this works out to be much more expensive.

By Train

There are trains to Buenos Aires from the rest of Argentina, but there are currently no international train routes.

Listed below are the main routes, with rough prices in pesos (as of 1/1/2008):

• Alberdi - Buenos Aires (Retiro): $18-$31.
• Junín - Buenos Aires (Retiro): $16-$24.
• Pehuajó - Buenos Aires (Once): $23-$36.
• Lincoln - Buenos Aires (Once): $19-$32.
• Pinamar - Buenos Aires (Constitución): $35-$45.
• Mar del Plata - Buenos Aires (Constitución): $35-$60.
• Miramar - Buenos Aires (Constitución): $40-$50.
• Tandil - Buenos Aires (Constitución): $20-$33.
• Patagones - Buenos Aires (Constitución): $54-$60.
• Olavarriá - Buenos Aires (Constitución): ?
• Baía Blanca - Buenos Aires (Constitución): $30-$48.
• Daireaux - Buenos Aires (Constitución): $24.

Check the Ferrobaires website for up-to-date times and prices.

There are three main classes: Pullman is air-conditioned and has reclining seats; Primera is similar to pullman class, but has smaller seats; Turista class is the cheapest. Some routes also have super pullman or pullman especial which are, predictably, the fanciest of the lot.

By Car

Embrace yourself for the suicidal Bonairese traffic, buy a good map and you're set to go. Not recommended for the faint-hearted.

By Bus

As buses are the main means of transport throughout South America, you are most likely to arrive by bus. Buenos Aires has a number of bus terminals, the largest of which by far is Retiro. From here, all major Argentine cities are served, as well as a number of international destinations. The ticket booths are on the second floor, grouped by region of destination; the ground floor is reserved for arrivals and departures, while luggage storage and other services are located in the basement. The other bus terminals are of lesser use to tourists, since they are located much farther away from the center, and are serviced by much fewer lines. Check the Omnilineas website for more information about cities, schedules and prices.

Retiro bus terminal is well connected to local public transport, as a large number of city buses call here, as well as the B-line of Subte. Minivans to Ezeiza (Aeropuerto Ministro Pistarini) leave at a 5-minute distance. The Retiro and Once train stations (see above) are located right next to the bus terminal. Aeropuerto Jorge Newbery, which serves many domestic destinations, is a 2-minute bus-ride away.

Bus tickets are not expensive in Argentina, but if you want an even cheaper deal than you get at the terminal, see if you can buy tickets in one of the business houses downtown, for instance on Rivadavia, near the crossing with Saavedra street. The number of destinations on sale is limited and they may not always sell to you, but prices are up to 50% lower than at the terminal.

By Boat

Buquebus has several boats a day to Colonia del Sacramento, Montevideo and several other Uruguyan destinations. Their terminal is at Dársena Norte, on the easterly extension of Avenida Córdoba.

Getting Around

Buenos Aires is large, and though many barrios are built according to the classical rectangular colonial streetplan, the overall organisation is somewhat confusing. Note that most city maps on sale are 'upside down', and have the north to the bottom of the page. The city maintains an excellent digital map which gives a good overview of the city.

By Car

Be aware that all streets and most avenues are one-way. Typically, streets that are decreciente (traffic running south or east) alternate with those that are creciente (traffic running north or west). On the avenues, frequent/continuous lane-changing is customary, as is trying to push other drivers off the road. If you want to blend in, try to approach traffic lights at the highest possible speed before skidding to an unexpected stop when they turn red.

Be wary of traffic police. Their salary is low, so they will continue searching your vehicle and documents until they find something not in accordance with some rule or other. Be diplomatic in offering an 'informal settlement', and never do so when you're stopped by federal police (PFA). If you suspect your ignorance is being abused, insist that you get a ticket and ask for badge number, or ask to settle it at the precinct.

By Public Transport

• By Bus

The Bonairese bus system is one of the very few examples worldwide of successful tendering of public transport. The city issues concessions to private carriers who do the actual transport. On a downside, it is rather difficult to make sense of the 300+ lines that traverse Greater Buenos Aires. Trying to defy the system using rational logic proves pointless; instead, you can buy a Guia T, in which itineraries of all lines are collected. The booklet divides the city into quadrants and gives a list for each of them with all the lines that call there. The trick is to find a matching line number between your quadrants of departure and arrival, but this is no easy task. Better ask a random stranger for directions, since there's a fair chance that s/he will know exactly which bus you should take to get from A to B.

Unless you travel very far, the usual fare is AR$1.20 for a one-way trip. Changing buses requires a new ticket. You have to tell the driver your desired fare and toss your coins in the machine and take your ticket. Drivers don't have change for bills, so have some coins ready.

• By Subway

Besides buses, Buenos Aires has a five-line subway system known as Subte. Lines are numbered A-E. The network currently undergoes renovations, and most of the lines get extended as well. Bear in mind that the same stations have different names on all lines; for instance, Carlos Pellegrini, 9 de Julio and Diagonal Norte all refer to the same station underneath Obelisco. A map of the network can be found at the mapas website. The fare has recently been upped, and is now AR$1.10 per ticket, valid for as long as you stay underground. You can buy tickets at each station; paying with exact change is much appreciated.

• linea A runs between the barrios Microcentro (Plaza de Mayo) and Caballito (Primera Junta) in the west. It is South America's oldest subway line, on which many of the original 1910s vehicles are still running.
• linea B runs from Microcentro (Leandro Alem near Plaza de Mayo) to Chacarita (Av. de los Incas) in the northwest. It skirts the southern boundary of Palermo district. Chacarita cemetery is on this line, as is Abasto shopping mall.
• linea C connects Constitución and Retiro train stations and is the only line that runs north-south.
• linea D runs from Microcentro (Catedral) to Belgrano (Congreso de Tucumán) in the northwest. It skirts the northern boundary of Palermo district.
• linea E runs from Microcentro (Bolivar) to Parque Chacabuco (Plaza de los Virreyes) in the southwest, where it connects to a local train to far-away suburbs. You are least likely to take this subway.
• linea H was scheduled for completion in 2007, but is not yet open to the public. It will connect Corrientes and Nueva Pompeya, running north-south.

• By Tram and Lightrail

The third form of public transport in Buenos Aires is a network of nine lightrail connections for commuter traffic between the suburbs and the centre. As a tourist, you are unlikely to have any need for using them. An integrated map can be found here.

• Trenes de Buenos Aires operates Linea Mitre, running from Retiro to Tigre and Bartolomé Mitre in the northwest, and Linea Sarmiento from Once west to Moreno.
• Metrovias operates Linea Urquiza, that runs from Chacarita (Federico Lacroze) west to General Lemos. They also operate the Subte network, including Premetro that runs southwest from Plaza de los Virreyes.
• UGOFE operates Linea Belgrano Sur and Linea General Roca that run south from Constitucion, and Linea San Martin that runs west from Retiro.
• Ferrovias operates Linea Belgrano Norte, that runs northwest from Retiro to Villa Rosa, and Tranvía del Este in Puerto Madero.
• Tren de la costa is a touristic ecological train that runs from Maipu station to the Parana delta.

By Foot

Although Buenos Aires is spread out, most touristic sights are within a 60-minute walking distance from each other, which makes going on foot an excellent way of exploring the city. By daylight, that is: although the city is nowhere near dangerous, it is not a good idea to walk the streets on your own after dark, especially not outside Microcentro.

By Bike

It is a good thing that you won't easily find a bike rental in Buenos Aires. Given the mayhem that is motorised traffic, you would likely get killed in under 10 minutes. Around Parque Centenario and Carioca Subte station, there are a number of bicycle lanes painted on the streets, but these are mostly used by car owners to park their vehicles.

If you have set your mind on exploring the city by bike nonetheless, at least stay off the main avenues and cross as a pedestrian. Exercise extreme caution. Helmets are obligatory.

By Taxi

Taxis are cheap to European standards, and many taxistas are great fun to talk to if you speak some Spanish. They will be only too glad to give you their two cents on Argentine politics, economy, culture, and their own married life.

Taxis come in two kinds: the ones you can stop on the streets, and radiotaxis that you can order by phone. The latter kind is generally deemed safer, but incidents involving taxis are getting increasingly rare nowadays anyway. Just don't accept rides from illegal taxis (not painted black and yellow, and no numerical ID printed on the doors), as their drivers may well be less well-meaning citizens.

Money

See also Money Matters

Be careful where you exchange your money in Buenos Aires. The casas de cambio in downtown Buenos Aires have mediocre reputations. You may consider asking your hotel front desk clerk to change the currency or for a recommendation of the nearest bank that allows foreigners to make exchanges. Most ATMs will have an additional charge of around $16 pesos, but will allow you to withdraw the local currency. For more information about money, also see the Argentinian section about this subject. Be aware of the counterfeit bills that circulate in Buenos Aires. Tourists are targeted especially in dim bars, clubs and taxis.

Eat

• Impetu Bistro Porteno - Traditional Argentine cafe style menu and reasonable prices. Address: Uriarte 1504
• La Cabrera - Two locations close to each other serving some of the best Argentine meats cooked on a parilla in local style with accompaniments. Always very busy and reservations recommended. Popular with both tourists and Portenos. Address: Cabrera 5127 (esq. Thames), Phone: 4831-7002
• Milion - Address: Paraná 1048
• Gran Bar Danzon - Address: Libertad 1161 (con Santa Fé)
• Bar Uriarte - Address: Uriarte 1572 (com Honduras)
• Sucre - Address: Mariscal Jose de Sucre 676
• Te Mataré Ramirez - Address: Paraguay 402
• El Ultimo Beso - Address: Nicaragua 4880
• Bio - Address: Humboldt 2199 (con Guatemala)
• Bobo - Address: Guatemala 4882
• Café Tortoni - Address: Avenida de Mayo 825.

Drink

• Krakow Cafe Bar - This popular pub offers the best selection of tap beers in San Telmo, a huge variety of cocktails and top shelf liquors in a beautiful period location. The moderately priced menu includes tapas, picadas, pizzas, hamburgers, mains and Polish specialties. An international crowd enjoys a large projection screen for sport events, Nintendo Wii, board games, free WiFi and comfortable sofas in the living room/club section of the pub. The staff is multilingual and modern music is kept at the right volume. Happy Hour is every day till 10:00pm. Address: Venezuela 474, San Telmo/Monserrat (betw.Defensa & Bolivar), Phone: Phone: +54 11 4342 3916‎, Hours: 6:00pm-3:00am, Friday and Saturday until 5:00am
• Finis Terra - Great delights at small prices in the warm and informal atmosphere of the classic Argentinean resto-bar. Address: Honduras 5190
• Casabar - Popular Recoleta bar with a fantastic international beer and liquor selection, excellent American-style bar food, DJs and live music and all international sporting events on several large flat-screen TVs on the first floor and a huge projection screen on the second floor. Happy hour specials every night from 7:00pm until 11:00pm and other drink and food specials announced daily. Phone: +54 11 4816 2712, Hours: from 7:00pm nightly

Sleep

Apartment rentals are perhaps the best way to enjoy your visit to Buenos Aires and learn to live like a Porteno. They are very inexpensive and for example a studio apartment in the Recoleta neighbourhood can be had for as little as US$400 per week.

Work

Learn

Spanish courses offer is tremendous, but so is the variation in quality. If learning decent Spanish is your main concern, be wary of private ads unless teachers can provide verifiable references in advance; many private 'teachers' have very little or no qualifications. One programme that's above all suspicion is that of the Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA). It is pricey and takes considerable dedication, but their results are generally quite good. Others includeIBL, a Spanish School in downtown Buenos Aires.

Universities:

• University of Buenos Aires
• Instituto Tecnologico Buenos Aires
• Universidad de Belgrano

Keep Connected

Internet

Internet cafés abound; no matter where you are, there will always be one within a five minutes' radius. Kids use them for online gaming (and for secretly watching porn, until the city issued a decree that all locales install powerful filters in 2005). The going rate is around AR$2-3 per hour. Be wary of using these services for online banking etc, as there have been several reports of key-loggers, identity theft and the like.

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

Like internet cafés, locutorios are everywhere. Since public phones are scarce, they are also your best bet for local calls.

Post

Correos de Argentina is the national postal service of Argentina. Their central office in Buenos Aires is on Sarmiento 151, but there are countless branches throughout town. There are also two private carriers operating nationwide (OCA and Andreani) and a number of regional ones though Correos de Argentina will be the one most likely to be used by travellers. Post offices are mostly open between 8:00am and 8:00pm Monday to Friday and 9:00am to 1:00pm on Saturday, though there are regional variantions with longer hours in central post offices in big cities and shorter ones in small towns. Services are pretty reliable but slow, mostly taking about two weeks to deliver a postcard or letter to the USA or Europe, but usually within a few days sending it domestically. There is also a more expensive express options. You can track a package online at the Correos de Argentino website. Parcels take at least 3-5 days domestically and weeks internationally. Otherwise try international ones like FedEx or UPS to send parcels both more reliable as well as faster.

External Links

For more information, also check the official Buenos Aires Tourism website.
You can also check the Official Governmental Website for details.