Globerovers Magazine, July 2019

Argentina: Central
BUENOS AIRES
Capital and largest city of Argentina,
BA is a feast for all the senses.
The road from the Iguazú Falls
to the nation’s capital, Buenos
Aires, stretches for almost 1,300
kilometres (807 mi) along the border
with Brazil and Uruguay. Located south
of the Rio de la Plata River on the Atlantic
Coast, the name Buenos Aires means
“good air”, for a very good reason.
Buenos Aires is a city where you may
want to linger for a few days, or even a few
weeks or months. Many travellers have
come here and stayed for years. Once the
city, locally known as BA, is in your blood,
it is hard to remove yourself from its loving
arms. No wonder some people describe
the city as ‘seductive’.
As the capital of Argentina, and also
one of the largest cities of South America,
the people of BA are known as the “Porteños”
or “people of the port”. Considered
to be the “pearl city” of South America, it
is one of the least expensive cities in the
world.
Few cities will tug on your heart strings more
than Buenos Aires — the city of tango, food,
wine, and barrios with great personalities.
The recent decline in the value of the
Argentinian Peso has made it even more
affordable, though get in quick before a
spike in inflation erodes its affordability.
Many travellers visit BA for tango
dancing in the streets, the parrilla
(BBQ) restaurants, parks such as the
Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur and
the Bosques de Palermo, and the open-air
markets. However, BA is best understood
and appreciated by knowing, and enjoying
its 48 distinctive neighbourhoods
known locally as barrios, each with its own
personality and special characteristics. The
most popular barrios include:
• Palermo, BA’s most populated barrio,
has a young vibe that attracts expats,
foreign visitors and an evergrowing
number of porteños (local
residents). Here you will find boundless
cafés and restaurants, bars and
nightclubs, parks, botanical gardens,
a zoo, museums and galleries, shops,
and artisan markets. Its tree-lined cobblestone
streets are a favourite haunt
for backpackers, hipsters, designers
and digital nomads. During your visit,
you will no doubt end up spending
time in Palermo.
Street performers at work, Buenos Aires.
Tango dancing in the streets of Buenos Aires.
• Recoleta is an upscale area with welldressed
locals meandering along
exclusive avenues and dining in chic
cafés and trendy bars. It has countless
plazas, parks, museums, the national
library, and is home to the Recoleta
cemetery, a must-visit for graveyard
enthusiasts. Here you will find the
family tomb of Eva Mara Duarte de
Perón (aka ‘Evita’), Argentina’s First
Lady from 1946 to 1952. The graveyard
covers an area of about 55,000 m 2
(592,000 sq feet) and is a mini-village
of tombs, some lavish while others
crumble.
• Puerto Madero is the old port
district transformed into a trendy area
with hotels and restaurants. Historically,
this busy old port was the heart
of the city, though it only functioned
as a port for about 15 years from 1897.
The increasingly large cargo ships
quickly rendered the port obsolete
and so a new port was opened in
1911. The ships and warehouses have
now made space for an upmarket area
with high-end night haunts, a rotating
footbridge, a floating-ship museum,
and the 864-acre Reserva Ecológica
Costanera Sur, popular with birdwatchers.
Feature • Argentina | 19