ARGENTINA

Buenos Aires, "the Paris of South America," is an overwhelmingly large and busy city, but it is filled with beautiful architecture, amazing food, and a vibrant culture! There is plenty to see and do, and you would need to spend at least a week if you wished to see every notable architectural building, museum, and activity, but listed to the right are some of the main ones that can be seen in a few days.  

The best way to explore the city is to break it up into neighborhoods and explore each one: 

Palermo: If you are following our recommendations, that means you will be starting in Palermo. This is the quaint, cobblestone-covered street neighborhood that dreams are made of. Anywhere you look, you will find plenty of shops and restaurants, so this neighborhood is really where you will be spending most of your evenings, once you have finished exploring and it is time to eat and drink! 

Recoleta: Next, you can head over to Recoleta neighborhood, which is where you will see why Buenos Aires is dubbed "the Paris of South America." Here many of the buildings resemble those found in Paris and it is one of the busiest areas but also contains a majority of sites. Make sure to check out Plaza de Mayo so see the architecture on all four sides. In other parts of the neighborhood you will find the Recoleta Cemetery (8250 ARS to enter), and El Ateneo Bookstore, a beautiful old opera house that has been turned into one of the World's most beautiful bookstores, don't expect to find a wide variety of books in English though, this was much more to see the place rather than shop.

San Telmo: If you are in the mood for a casual, affordable, yet delicious lunch experience, you will want to head over to San Telmo Market in the San Telmo neighborhood. Here you will find tons of restaurant stalls with locals and tourists alike posted up for a meal. Afterwards, you can take a stroll through the neighborhood. This part of the city is popular amongst the backpacking crowd, as it is slightly more budget friendly, but this means that you will find some great bars and restaurants that won't break the bank. 

La Boca: The last neighborhood of note is La Boca. This once extremely poor shipping port has been turned into a colorful neighborhood. The immigrants arriving in Buenos Aires would build their houses and shops out of old shipping containers and building materials and then painted them in very bright colors, which gives this neighborhood it's unique appearance. While the streets were pretty, this was a part of the city that we could have skipped out on. It was very dirty, pick pockets were a huge problem, the shops felt touristy and filled with trinkets, and overall it was a place we were excited to leave as soon as we stepped foot in it, but that was just our experience. 

See a Tango show: Argentina is the birthplace of the Tango, so it would be a shame to leave the city without witnessing the dance firsthand. If you are lucky, you may see professional dancers break out in routine somewhere on the street throughout the city (San Telmo being your best bet), but this is not guaranteed, so the best thing to do is book yourself a Tango show. There are plenty around the city, so you can always ask your hotel for recommendations, but another great option is to look up reviews for places closest to your accommodation. Many of the shows offer drinks and/or dinner for an additional fee.

Avenida 9 De Julio: This street, running through the middle of the city, is up to 14 car lanes wide in some parts, making it the widest street in the world. There is not a ton to see or do on the street, but if you are up for a challenge, a little fun, and some good laughs, we dare you to try to walk all the way across the road in one turn of the walk sign. Most pedestrians can only make it halfway before the red hand sign appears so see if you can do better. Not to brag, but we made it with seconds to spare and without having to run... just saying. 

Visit Uruguay: If you find yourself with an extra day to kill, you can always take the ferry over to the nearby country of Uruguay. The ferry takes about 1 hour each way and will drop you off in the UNESCO town of Colonia. You can stroll the beautiful streets, enjoy a meal, and add another country to your list. While this is a great day trip, Uruguay is an amazing country and deserves more than just a day visit. You can check out our full itinerary here if you wish to spend more time exploring. 

Overall, Buenos Aires is much more a city to be enjoyed rather than having to check a bunch of sites off of your list, so take your time exploring, make sure to enjoy plenty of steak and local wine, and take in the energy of this beautiful city.