Buenos Aires is the capital city of Argentina. It is a large metropolitan city in South America. Buenos Aires is an Alpha World City. It is a port city, energetic and seductive. It is the gateway to Argentina. You will find Teatro Colón, the world’s finest opera house, on the plains alongside the River in Buenos Aires. The people here are known as Portenos, and their lives are steeped in their culture. Buenos Aires has a diverse physical structure. Buenos Aires is rustic as well as modern. It has its own distinctive rhythm of life.
Buenos Aires is the birthplace of the tango dance. In this city, everything looks romantic and thumping. The current Pope Francis was born in Buenos Aires. This city in Argentina is the financial, political, commercial and cultural hub. Buenos Aires to a great extent was influenced by the European Culture and is sometimes called the ‘Paris of South America’. Buenos Aires is a city the tourist will remember.
Buenos Aires Attractions
Plaza de Mayo
The plaza is a prominent building in Buenos Aires. The plaza has a number of architectural buildings, right from the colonial era to the present day styles of construction. It is the main square in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
You will find palm trees, benches and fountains around the center of the plaza. The plaza in Buenos Aires is a political center where a number of demonstrations and protests take place. The structure of the plaza is built in Romanesque-style. Plaza de Mayo is a historical landmark in Argentina. It is also a tourist attraction and has a number of landmarks located around it. The plaza has a metro station, and it was declared a national historic monument in 1997.
La Boca Buenos Aires
La Boca is a working class area. The tourist can walk around seeing the football stadium ‘La Bombonera’ and the artists street all bright and with colorful houses at Caminito. The river Riachuelo runs along the southern border of Buenos Aires. For years, the area remained as a shipyard. It has cobblestone colorful houses and a number of artists studios. Visit the El Obrero in La Boca, which is a restaurant where you can have steaks, calamari chicken and fish. The walls of the restaurant have pictures of sportsmen. It is a soccer neighborhood in La Boca. La Boca attracts tourists for its tempting restaurants and an art museum. There is a European touch to La Boca since the early settlers were from the city of Genoa in Italy. La Boca has a mix of Italian, French, German, Spanish, Basque and Arab residents.
Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral
This is the main Roman Catholic Church in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It overlooks the Plaza de Mayo and is in the city center. The present church is a blend of 18th century and 19th century neoclassical architectural styles. Till date the church has kept its 18th century altarpieces and some statues. The church had decorations of Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Baroque times in the cathedral interiors of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires. It has side chapels connected by corridors. But it was renovated and decorated with frescoes which depict the biblical scenes. It has Venetian-style mosaic tiles. The cathedral is considered as a pictorial museum with all its masterpiece oil paintings.
Parque Tres de Febrero
This urban 400 hectares park is also known as “The Woods of Palermo”. Buenos Aires has this beautiful sprawling park no less than the Central Park in New York or Hyde Park in London. There is nature all around you with tree-lined paths, blooming colorful flower beds, ponds and the birds merrily chirping around. There is a botanical garden and a zoo in this park along with a free gym, running track, yoga and tai chi classes.
The Jardins Japones are the most beautifully sculpted gardens in Parque Tres de Febrero. Visit the tea house and sip the flavors of Japan. Stroll over tiny bridges admiring every bit of what is around you. The children are thrilled to see the gigantic Koi in the ponds. The tourists relax and enjoy in this park.
Buenos Aires Zoo
The tourists will find this zoo in Palermo district of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is a 45-acre zoo. The aim of the zoo is to conserve, preserve and educate. It has mammals, different species of birds and reptiles with about 2,500 different animals.
You will see park areas with lawns within the zoo and watch as you relax rabbits and peacocks roaming freely. Besides the caged animals, some are seen on the many ponds of the zoo.
It is really fun time for kids at this zoo as they feed animals at the Farm of the Zoo. It also houses an aquarium with penguins, fresh water fishes and tropical fishes. You see a number of reptiles in the Reptile House, and then there is a Tropical Rainforest in a building having a display of tropical plants.
The list of tourist places in Buenos Aires is unending. You can visit the Lezama Park, Cafe Tortoni, Palacio Barola, MALBA a Latin American Art Museum, Luna Park and many more.
Go shopping in Buenos Aires. It is a fabulous shopping place. Visit the trendy boutique shops at Palermo. The next place should be Palermo Soho considered a shopping paradise. Buy some antiques from shops along the streets of Defensa. El Centro is in downtown Buenos Aires where you might find some unique things to your liking or stroll along Calle Florida and do some street shopping.
Check in a luxury hotel if that’s what you want or a boutique hotel. There are apartment hotels and also family friendly hotels.
Buenos Aires has been influenced by Italian and Spanish cuisine. You will get sandwiches prepared with French bread along with herbs, cheese and sauce. Some other specialties are meat, patties, fish and pasta. A dish called Parrillada Completa is a roasted food item using meat mixed with white and red wine. Try out the pastries made of oatmeal, barley and wheat with a generous topping of cream, fudge, etc. Do not miss out tasting the famous wines. Buenos Aires has plenty of restaurants and bars.
Buenos Aires has the international airport known as Ministro Pistarini or Ezeiza where all international flights touchdown. It is 34 km from the city of Buenos Aires. Domestic flights land at Jorge Newbery also known as Aeroparque. It is close to downtown Buenos Aires. There are shuttle transport services between the two airports. Passengers are advised to use them. From either airport, you can take a taxi to your hotel.
Currency used in Buenos Aires is the Argentina Peso. The tourists can exchange their currency at any bank or Foreign Exchange Bureaus at Buenos Aires. You can use credit cards or debit cards but at your home country do enquire about the exchange transaction fee.
A visit to Argentina does not require a visa for citizens of a number of countries around the world. The tourists are given a visa on arrival for 90 days after landing at Buenos Aires. They should have a valid passport for 6 months and a return ticket. Citizens of other countries that do require a visa should get one before entering Buenos Aires, Argentina.
