Buenos AiresDowntown
Buenos Aires is as sophisticated as any European city, with its wide avenues, fine colonial architecture and rows of pavement cafes. The city was built by French, Italian and Spanish immigrants and the Porteños (locals) still regard themselves as more European than South American. Travelers walking through the leafy parks and boulevards could be forgiven for thinking they were in
Madrid,
Paris or Milan.
Buenos Aires was founded on the shores of the
Rio de la Plata in 1570 and was named after the patron saint of sailors for the good wind or
buen aire.The city remained
a colonial backwater for 200 years while the Spanish concentrated their attentions on wealthier
Peru. During this time Buenos Aires became a thriving center for smuggling between
South America and
Europe. Dissatisfaction with Spanish economic and political dominance escalated to boiling point and culminated in the revolution of May 1810 and finally to independence in 1816. Its history since then has been dogged by military coups and political mismanagement; the consequences of which are growing disaffection with the government and widespread poverty, as is evident in the sprawling shantytowns on the city's outskirts.
This turbulent history has not managed to stifle the indomitable spirit of the Porteños whose passion, charm and vibrancy have forged this great city, a place in which the fire of Evita's soul and the allure of the tango endure.
Getting Around: The street structure, organized in a grid pattern, makes Buenos Aires easy to navigate, and the best way to explore the city and take in its character is on foot. However, the city is serviced by an efficient, widespread and cheap public transport system that consists of buses and an excellent underground rail service (the Subte). Although it services most of the city center, the Subte is not very extensive beyond the central core. The Subte costs $0.70 per journey. Pre-paid Subte cards or passes can be purchased from the ticket booths (boleterias) at each station in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10 or 30 journeys. It gets very hot and crowded in summer especially during peak hours, and closes between 10pm and 5am. The bus (colectivo) network is huge and covers the city, and although very useful for getting around, the overwhelming amount of routes makes it confusing for tourists. Bus fares are paid in coins into an automatic ticket vending machine when boarding the bus and cost a minimum of $0.80. Many services run all night but with less frequency. There are also urban train services that can be useful for reaching the outlying suburbs. Taxis are everywhere and relatively inexpensive, but although generally safe, visitors should be aware that there are fake taxis that pick up tourists and rob them. It is safer to phone for a radio taxi or remise, a fixed-price radio cab booked in advance that acts like a chauffer-driven car and can be cheaper than taxis over longer distances. They are more useful than renting a car for excursions from the city and even for a day's tour of the suburbs.
Nightlife: Famed for its plethora of trendy clubs, fashionable music bars and attractive restaurants it's no wonder the city of Buenos Aires never sleeps. From the dimly lit tango bars and mainstream hard house dance clubs to the
Teatro Colón and smaller independent theaters, there is something for just about everyone in this buzzing city.In typical Latin fashion, dinner is very late and usually taken between 10 and 11pm and clubs only really get going at around 2am. Recoleta,
Palermo, and Costanera are the trendiest neighborhoods for dance clubs and all the hippest locals can be found sipping on long drinks in the surrounding bars. It is not uncommon to find residents walking home at sunrise after a big night out on the town.Culture vultures will simply adore the arts and culture scene here and plenty of Broadway-style hits can be found in both English and Spanish shows at most of the 30-odd professional and underground theaters in the San Telmo and Abasto neighborhoods. Other than the usual run-of the-mill watering holes, there are also many bars in Buenos Aires offering shows such as flamenco dances, readings, tango and folkloric dance shows, and live acoustic music, providing a twist and bit of entertainment to accompany your usual evening drinks. The gay scene is Buenos Aires is thriving and rivals only that of
Rio de Janeiro's in South America, with San Telmo being the main strip catering to this market with small gay bars and restaurants.
Climate: Buenos Aires has a temperate climate with average temperatures ranging from 94°F (35°C) in January to 50°F (10°C) in July. The heaviest rain falls during autumn and spring, though rain can be expected at any time of the year. Many locals leave Buenos Aires during the hot summer months (December, January and February) and head for the coastal resorts.
The SouthThe southern region of
Argentina is a fascinating mix of desert, ice-capped mountains, vast plains, sandy beaches and majestic glaciers. South of the Rio
Colorado is the captivating Patagonia region, an area of diverse landscapes largely protected by the existence of a dozen national parks and reserves. Temperatures in the region can be extreme, from mild to well below zero and most visitors wisely choose to travel to Patagonia in summer. Patagonia is far from an icy wasteland, however. Bursting with wildlife, the area is also covered with large tracts of arable land (producing large amounts of fruit and vegetables), and is home to the country's biggest oil and coal reserves.
The coastline in the south has the warmest water in the country and a favored destination is Las Grutas, a tourist-oriented beach resort on the Blue Gulf in the
Rio Negro province. The area takes its name from the many caves dotted about the coastline, and provides visitors with an opportunity to sunbathe on the well-sheltered beaches, or engage in plenty of watersports. The southern coastline is also incredibly popular due to the large amounts of marine life that can be found here, from Southern Right whales to elephant seals, sea lions, and penguins, as well as an astounding array of birdlife.
Continuing further south, one hits the world's southern-most city,
Ushuaia, situated on the
Tierra del Fuego archipelago. This island territory (partly shared with
Chile) is a favorite starting point for tours to
Antarctica, but also offers plenty of activities, sights and sounds for the visitor, including trekking in the Andes in the western part of the archipelago, spectacular kayaking, some of the world's best brown trout fishing, and Argentina's only coastal national park. The southern region of Argentina is every bit as fascinating as the north and certainly has a lot to offer the intrepid traveller.
The NorthThe northern regions of Argentina are an interesting mix of colonial heritage, incredible natural beauty, agriculture and an indigenous flavor. Two major Argentinean rivers, the
Paraná and the
Uruguay, flow together in the northeast of the country, creating the Rio de la Plata estuary. The land in between the rivers is known as
Mesopotamia, a swampy, wet and very hot region covered with yatay palms, orchids and tree ferns.
Perhaps one of the principal attractions in this region are the spectacular
Iguazú Falls in the Iguazú National Park, tucked away in the extreme northeast, surrounded by
Brazil. Lush forests bursting with wildlife and impressive, rugged mountains lie in contrast to the vast, fertile plains of the Pampas below. Spread over a large portion of the country, the Pampas are known as the Gran Chaco in the North, and these plains form the agricultural heartland of Argentina, where
gauchos(cowboys) roam and where the country's famous beef comes from. The Gran Chaco is much drier than the central part of the Pampas and is a rich source of tannins and timber.
Closer to the Chilean border in the west is the impressive
Andes Mountain Range, and its highest peak, Cerro Aconcagua, situated in the famed wine region of Mendoza. The bustling city and industrial hub of Córdoba is also to be found in the north and here, Jesuit traditions, colonial architecture and traditional
guachoculture combine, with plenty of traditional festivals and local arts and crafts to be discovered. There are many treasures to be found by travelers willing to move beyond Buenos Aires, and the northern region is not to be missed.
