Where to Go in Buenos Aires

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Where to Go in Buenos Aires

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Sightseeing Overview
Sightseeing Overview Initially most visitors are steadfastly determined not to fall into the tourist trap in Buenos Aires and solemnly vow not to have anything to do with anything remotely connected to Eva Perón, tango or football. Very few succeed in their goal, for once in the city the visitor becomes engrossed in efforts to experience one, if not more, of the three elements that the capital is traditionally famed for. Nevertheless, Buenos Aires is littered with museums and magnificent mansions and buildings. After sightseeing and shopping, there are fantastic parks to relax in and bars and cafés for sampling the excellent local cuisine.

Although initially confusing, the city is based on a grid system and is soon easy to master. The main point of orientation is the Avenida 9 de Julio, the world’s widest avenue, running from Plaza Constitucion to Avenida de Libertador. Most places of interest are contained in the five main barrios (neighborhoods) within the microcentro so the attractions are easily accessible by foot. The main square, Plaza de Mayo, is situated in the city’s southeastern section. Visitors will undoubtedly come here and to La Recoleta Cemetery, Evita’s final resting place. Also in the center are La City, the financial district, and Calle Florida and Lavalle – the pedestrianized shopping areas. South of the central area are the oldest parts of Buenos Aires, San Telmo and La Boca, while to the north lie the wealthier barrios of Retiro, Recoleta, Palermo and Belgrano.

The Obelisco never fails to catch the eye and this 67m (220ft) high monument, together with the multi-lane avenue, in the middle of which it is located, has become a symbol of the city.

Tourist Information
Centro de Información Turística (Tourist Information Center)
Tel: (011) 4114 5794 (information line).
E-mail: turismo@buenosaires.gov.ar
Website: www.bue.gov.ar

Tourist information offices and booths are located at: Florida 100, Florida; Dock 4, Puerto Madero; Terminal De Ómnibus, Avenida Antártida Argentina, Retiro; Quintana 596, Recoleta; Defensa 1250, San Telmo; and Shopping Abasto, Avenida Corrientes 3200.

Secretaría de Turismo de la Nación (National Tourism Office)
Avenida Santa Fe 883
Tel: (011) 4312 5550 or 2232.
E-mail: info@turismo.gov.ar
Website: www.turismo.gov.ar

There are also National Tourism Information stands at the international and domestic airports.

Passes
There are no tourist passes available.

Key Attractions:

Plaza de Mayo
If Buenos Aires has a center, this is it. Located at the historic heart of the city, and bounded by the key commercial and shopping areas, the Plaza de Mayo is a large public square containing gardens, fountains and statues. At one side of the square is the only surviving Government building from colonial times – the Cabildo, which was constructed in 1748. In 1810, it was the focus for the May Revolution and the museum reflects the history of this period. At the opposite end of the square is the Casa Rosada – a shocking pink Presidential Palace with a world-famous balcony, where the likes of General Galtieri, Diego Maradona, Evita and Perón have addressed the crowds at various stages in Argentina’s history. Originally a fortress, the Casa Rosada was remodeled when Buenos Aires became the Capital of the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata in 1776. It gained its bright pink color during the presidency of Sarmiento when, in 1873, he chose the color to represent a mix of the red and white of the two main political parties. The south side of the building houses the Museo de la Casa Rosada in its basement.

Cabildo
Calle Bolívar 65
Opening hours: Tue-Fri 1030-1700, Sun 1130-1800.
Free admission.

Casa Rosada
Balcarce 50
Tel: (011) 4344 3600.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1800, Sun 1400-1800. Guided tours of the museum at 1100 and 1600 Mon-Fri, 1500 and 1630 Sun. Guided tours of the palace at 1700 Mon-Fri.
Free admission. Identity card or passport required.

La Boca
This barrio is best known for its football team, Boca Juniors, for whom the legendary Diego Maradona played, but also for its multi-colored wooden and corrugated iron houses. The houses were built and painted by the resident dock-workers, of mainly Italian descent, who used leftover materials and paint from the ships. The most famous street, Calle Caminito, possesses the best of the painted houses and is where artists, street performers and tango dancers congregate daily. The colorful district heavily influenced Benito Quinquela Martín (one of Argentina’s most famous painters) whose work can be seen at the recently renovated Museo de Bellas Artes Quinquela Martín. It is also worth exploring the temporary exhibits of Argentine artists at the modern Fundación Proa museum. The working class area of La Boca is now a popular destination for artists and tourists, but visitors should avoid straying into the less touristy areas for fear of pickpockets and muggers.

Calle Museo Caminito
Outdoor exhibition on Calle Caminito
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800.
Free admission.

Museo de Bellas Artes Quinquela Martín
Avenida Pedro de Mendoza 1835
Tel: (011) 4301 1080.
Opening hours: Wed-Sun 1000-1800.
Admission charge.

Fundación Proa
Avenida Pedro de Mendoza 1929
Tel: (011) 4303 0909.
Website: www.proa.org
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1100-1900.
Admission charge.

San Telmo
San Telmo is one of the city’s oldest districts, where narrow streets with crumbing buildings add to the cultural intensity of the area. The labyrinth of streets, containing cafés, book stores, antique shops and artist studios all lead to Plaza Dorrego, which becomes an outdoor antiques and bric-a-brac market on Sundays. Tango music and dance demonstrations can be enjoyed in this square or at one of the many venues, such as El Viejo Almacén, devoted to this melancholy art form. There have been some efforts to regenerate this historic district and the Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires houses experimental artwork in an old tobacco warehouse.

Plaza Dorrego
Sunday markets from 1000-1700.
Free admission.

El Viejo Almacén
Balcarce and Avenida Independencia
Tel: (011) 4307 7388 or 6689.
Website: www.viejoalmacen.com
Opening hours: Daily dinner and show at 2000. Show only at 2200.
Admission charge (Book in advance).

Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires
San Juan 350
Tel: (011) 4361 1121.
Website: www.aamamba.org.ar
Opening hours: Tues-Fri from 1000-2000 and Sat, Sun and holidays from 1100-2000.
Admission charge. Free on Wed.

La Recoleta Cemetery
A cemetery may not be everyone’s idea of a tourist attraction, but La Recoleta, founded in 1822, is famous as the final resting place of Maria Eva Duarte Perón or Evita. The burial site can easily be located by following the guided tour groups or by seeking out the mass of bouquets. The populist sentiment of the inscription on Eva’s tomb, Volverá y seré millones (‘I will return and be millions’), did not enamour this woman to the descendants of the members of Porteño high society buried around her. The cemetery also contains the tombs of writers, scientists, national heroes and former presidents, exhibiting a variety of architectural styles.

Calle Junín 1760
Tel: (011) 4803 1594.
Opening hours: Daily 0700-1745. Guided tours last Sun of month, Mar-Dec, at 1430.
Free admission.

Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA)
This ultra-modern building was built to house the Costantini collection of Latin American art and is a welcome addition to the city’s cultural landscape. It is the mission of the museum, opened in 2001, to promote appreciation of Latin American art from the early 20th century to the present day. Many Argentine artists are represented, including Xul Solar, Benito Quinquela Martín and Antonio Berni. Many Brazilian and Uruguayan works are also shown, as is a famous self-portrait by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. This light, airy gallery also has spaces for temporary exhibits, an outdoor sculpture balcony, art book and gift shop, library and a smart café.

Avenida Figueroa Alcorta 3415
Tel: (011) 4808 6500.
Website: www.malba.org.ar
Opening hours: Thurs-Mon, and holidays, 1200-2000; Closed Tues; Wed 1200-2100.
Admission charge. Free Wed.

Museo Evita
Inaugurated on 26 July 2002, on the 50th anniversary of Evita’s death, the Museo Evita tells the life story of Eva Perón using a mixture of personal artifacts, dresses, photographs and audiovisual displays. Already a famous radio and theater actress in her own right, Eva Duarte became one of the most revered and reviled figures in Argentine history when she married Colonel Juan Domingo Perón who was elected President in 1946. Evita used her position to further the rights and conditions of the working class. Her life came to a tragic end when she died of cancer, aged 33, in 1952. Evita has become the subject of various books, films and a stage musical, and newsreel footage of the state funeral shows how popular she had become during her brief life.

Calle Lafinur 2988
Tel: (011) 4807 9433 or 4809 3168.
Opening hours: Tues-Sun, and holidays, 1400-1930. Guided tours at 1600, 1700 and 1800 Tues-Sun.
Admission charge.

Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
Housed in a redbrick neo-classical building in the Recoleta district, the airy National Fine Arts Museum contains collections of European paintings and sculpture along with a complete collection of Argentine art. Downstairs, there are galleries devoted to Impressionists, such as Renoir, Monet, Degas, Pissarro and Sisley. Rubens, Rothko, Pollock and an assortment of other renowned artists also feature, along with internationally famous Argentine artist, Lucio Fontana. A new exhibit features the personal collection of filmmaker Maria Luisa Bemberg. Visitors can also see the works of other Argentine artists and temporary exhibits on loan from international museums.

Avenida del Libertador 1473
Tel: (011) 4803 0802 or 4803 8814.
Website: www.aamnba.com.ar
Opening hours: Tues-Fri 1230-1930, Sat-Sun 0930-1930.
Free admission.

Teatro Colón
Located near Plaza Lavalle, the Teatro Colón is regarded as one of the greatest opera houses in the world and is an essential visit, even for those not usually interested in classical music. The Renaissance-style building, designed by Italian architect Francisco Tamburri, has seen the likes of dancers Vaslov Nijinsky and Anna Pavlova grace the stage. Bernstein, Strauss and Stravinsky have conducted here and Caruso, Melba, Callas, Pavarotti and Domingo have all sung in the 2,500-seater auditorium and tested the highly regarded acoustics. Visitors can take guided tours through the Central Hall, the ornately gilded and mirrored Salon Dorado and the auditorium, whose dome is decorated with frescoes by Raul Soldi.

Box office and theater entrance:
Libertad 621
Guided tours entrance:
Pasaje Toscanini 1168 (on Viamonte 1100)

Tel: (011) 4378 7132/3.
Website: www.teatrocolon.org.ar
Opening hours: Guided tours in English or Spanish are available Mon-Fri hourly 1100-1600, Sat hourly 0900-1600, Sun hourly 1100-1500.
Admission charge.

Further Distractions:

Jardín Japonés (Japanese Garden)
The Jardín Japonés is one of the best open spaces for quiet contemplation away from the noise and pollution of the city center. Created in 1967 as a gift from the Emperor of Japan, the garden is a tranquil park of Asiatic shrubs and trees beautifully landscaped around a small lake bubbling with huge carp fish.

Avenida Casares 2966, near Avenida Figueroa Alcorta
Tel: (011) 4804 4922.
Website: www.jardinjapones.com.ar

Puerto Madero
An ambitious regeneration project has turned this former working dock into a lively and popular area for a stroll, a drink or a bite to eat. The old redbrick warehouses now house galleries, bars and restaurants. Old docking cranes line either side of the dock, which is spanned by the Puente de la Mujer (Bridge of the Woman).

Docks 3 and 4, Avenida Alicia Moreau de Justo

Reserva Ecológica (Ecological Reserve)
Built on land reclaimed from the River Plate, this 360-hectare open space has become a verdant nature reserve packed with plants and creatures typical of the region. Paths for walkers and cyclists crisscross the park and there are many viewing platforms.

Avenida Tristán Achaval Rodríguez 1550
Tel: (011) 4315 1320.

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