Argentina
Buenos Aires City Guide: Steaks and tango
Driven by a world of wonders it’s time for some new adventures. A big one this time; South America! This one has been on my bucket list for quite a while now, ever since I figured I had to travel the world and my family still called me Paris Hilton (who definitely doesn’t do backpacking). First destination is Buenos Aires, Argentina. Not so much surf, but I have a feeling it does have an overload of adventures to offer. City of the tango, steaks, red wine, and dulce de leche; according to those stereotypes I love it already.
Buenas días, Buenos Aires
While staying at a party hostel in the center of town I can definitely say the adventure has started. A visit to Buenos Aires isn’t complete without seeing and dancing the Tango, eating a great steak, and diving into the rich history of this beautiful city. So that’s what we’ll do! I spent my days wandering the streets of areas like La Boca, Recoleta, San Telmo, and Palermo, each having their very own identities. There’s so much to see, do and explore, you’ll need at least a week to get to know Buenos Aires a bit.
San Telmo
San Telmo is the place to be on Sundays. From 10 AM till 4 PM its main street changes into one big flea market filled with craftsmanship, the best smelling parillas (steakhouses), and music everywhere. Wander around or take a seat at one of the terraces overlooking the liveliness of this neighborhood. Not there on a Sunday? No worries, on every other day of the week this neighborhood is worth visiting because of the abundance of cool street art and little shops and restaurants.
Recoleta
The perfect way to get to know Recoleta is by joining its free walking tour at Plaza Estado del Vaticano. In about three hours you’ll learn everything about Recoleta and its history. The ultimate highlight of this neighborhood is of course the beautiful cemetery where the grave of Evita Duarte-Peron the main attraction is. Surprisingly her grave is real modest compared to the absurdly huge mausoleums build here. Walking around this peaceful place in the middle of the craziness of Buenos Aires is actually the best.
La Boca
La Boca is such a colorful (and very, very touristy) neighborhood in Buenos Aires. There are street artists dancing the tango everywhere, bright colonial houses, and street art on every corner. La Boca is home to the local and most popular soccer club; Bocas Juniors where the famous Maradona started his career. You’ll see the face of this local hero on almost every street in La Boca. Wander around La Boca, watch the Tango on the streets, visit the stadium of Bocas Juniors and have lunch at one of the many sidewalk restaurants.
Palermo
Palermo, however, is my favorite neighborhood I must say. The cobblestone streets are filled with shops of local designers, and the nicest restaurants and bars. I almost felt like a local having dinner at Don Julio’s, sipping red wine on the street, and eating the best steak at 11 PM. Could Buenos Aires be any more perfect?
Make sure to visit Burger Joint in Palermo, which must serve the best burgers in the world. I’m not exaggerating.
Never enough time...
Buenos Aires has so much to offer, there’s never enough time to discover it all. After staying here for a week I can definitely say I have to get back and learn the tango properly (fluent Spanish might come in handy as well), indulge in all the parillas, and wander the streets of Palermo and San Telmo. Buenos Aires, it was so nice to meet you, hopefully, we’ll meet again soon.
Hasta luego,
Marthe
Wanna explore more of Argentina? Check out our other Argentina stories here!
Photos by: M. Barends©
Love the colors of this city. Can’t wait to visit during my trip across South America!
It’s amazing! Truly loved this city and could’ve spent months there discovering all it’s different neighborhoods and creativity.. You’ll have the time of your live!