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Buenos Aires
Good to know
Buenos Aires: Tango, narrow streets and boulevards
A heady blend of South American frenzy and European chic, Buenos Aires is a city full of endless options. Colourful architecture and football-crazed locals in La Boca; swanky bars and ultra hip restaurants in Palermo; world-class shopping in Recoleta; tango danced on every corner in beautiful San Telmo; history at every turn on the vast sweep of Avenida de Mayo.
Whether you want to feast on Latin culture at the peerless MALBA gallery, eat your bodyweight in stunning steaks at a local parilla or shop your way through some of South America’s finest boutiques, Argentina’s endlessly cool capital has got it covered.
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Top 10 sights in Buenos Aires
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Cementerio de la Recoleta
Azcuénaga
Buenos Aires
Argentinien
Tel: (011) 4803 1594
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Buenos Aires
Argentinien
Tel: (011) 4803 1594
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Opening times:
Daily 0700-1730
Towering and unique mausoleums make this necropolis an essential visit. The great and good of Argentina are buried here, including Eva Perón, interred with her Duarte ancestors.
Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires (MALBA)
Avenida Figueroa Alcorta 3415
Buenos Aires
Argentina
Tel: (011) 4808 6500
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Buenos Aires
Argentina
Tel: (011) 4808 6500
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Opening times:
Thurs-Mon 1200-2000
Tues 1200-2100
Arguably Buenos Aires’ greatest cultural asset, MALBA’s collection of 20th-century Latin American art is peerless. Its permanent collection plays home to works by Diego Rivera, Antonio Berni and Jorge De La Vega, while its rolling exhibitions always garner critical praise.
Centro Cultural Borges
Viamonte 500
Buenos Aires
Argentina
Tel: (011) 5555 5450
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Buenos Aires
Argentina
Tel: (011) 5555 5450
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Opening times:
Mon-Sat 1000-2100
Sun 1200-2100
Nestled in the swanky Galerías Pacífico, this cultural centre is named after Buenos Aires’ most famous writer, Jorge Luis Borges. Catch an art exhibition, go to a reading or take in a concert.
Teatro Colón
Cerrito 628
1010 Buenos Aires
Argentina
Tel: (011) 4378 7100
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1010 Buenos Aires
Argentina
Tel: (011) 4378 7100
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Opening times:
Daily 0900-1700 (guided tours)
An architectural marvel and one of the world’s greatest opera houses, Teatro Colón is an essential stop. There are daily guided tours of the opulent auditorium, although you’ll need to be quick to snap up tickets for concerts and performances.
Plaza Dorrego
Plaza Dorrego, San Telmo
Buenos Aires
Argentina
Tel:
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Buenos Aires
Argentina
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The pretty San Telmo Square is a great spot to take in some tango. Take a seat, grab a cerveza, order a steak from one of the parillas lining the streets and be sure to have some small bills handy to tip the hugely impressive dancers. Best time to visit is on sundays when the huge flea Feria del Dorrego market is on.
Plaza de Mayo
Plaza de Mayo, Microcentro
Buenos Aires
Argentina
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Buenos Aires
Argentina
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The home of Argentine protest, Plaza de Mayo buzzes with history. The obelisk at the centre marks the first year of independence from Spain, while every Thursday the ‘mothers of the disappeared’ return to fight injustice in the country.
El Caminito
El Caminito, La Boca
Buenos Aires
Argentina
Tel:
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Buenos Aires
Argentina
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This colourful strip in the working neighbourhood of La Boca is lined with restaurants and dotted with tango dancers and guys dressed up as the area’s favourite son, Diego Maradona. Stroll around to see a different side of Buenos Aires.
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
Avenida del Libertador 1473
Buenos Aires
Argentina
Tel: (011) 5288 9900
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Buenos Aires
Argentina
Tel: (011) 5288 9900
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Opening times:
Tues-Fri 1230-2030
Sat-Sun 0930-2030
Fine art from Argentinian and European artists line the walls of this hulking building, a short walk from the Cemeterio de la Recoleta.
Plaza Serrano
Plaza Serrano, Palermo
Buenos Aires
Argentina
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Buenos Aires
Argentina
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A cute, bar-lined square, Plaza Serrano plays home to a daily market selling trinkets and souvenirs. But this is as much about the people-watching as it is the shopping. Grab a glass of Malbec and watch Buenos Aires pass you by.
La Bombonera
Home of the fiercely supported Boca Juniors, this massive stadium teems on match day. Pick up a ticket through a local agency to see one of Argentina’s best football teams in action.
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Good to know
Country Information
Country overview
Spirited Argentina, with its frantic capital, vast pampas, rolling wine regions and snowy peaks, is a land bursting with adventure. In the north, scorched red mountains and otherworldly rock formations characterise the Salta region, with its blend of Spanish and Gaucho traditions, and where flourishes Argentina’s famous white Torrontés grape.
Down south in Patagonia find an astonishing backdrop of expansive lakes, jagged peaks and mile upon empty mile of space. From its sub-tropical top to its icy tip, it is impossible to sum up Argentina as a whole. It is a mesmerising and impactful jigsaw of extremes, ready to captivate and enthral all those who allow it.
Geography
Argentina is situated in South America, separated from Chile to the west by the long spine of the Andes. Its landscape is extremely varied, with the top sub-tropical and sun-baked, and its sub-Antarctic bottom tip glistening with icy waters and glaciers. It has 3,100 miles (4,989km) of coastline. Its eastern border is the Atlantic Ocean, with Uruguay, Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil to the north and northeast.
Argentina can roughly be divided into four main geographical areas: the spectacular Andes mountain range, the dry North along with the more verdant Mesopotamia, the lush plains of the Pampas and the windswept wastes of Patagonia. Mount Aconcagua soars almost 7,000m (23,000ft), and waterfalls at Iguazú stretch out in a massive semi-circle, thundering 70m (230ft) to the bed of the Paraná River.
Argentina’s lowest point is Laguna del Carbón in Santa Cruz Province, sitting 105m (344ft) below sea level.
In the southwest is the Argentine Lake District with a string of beautiful glacial lakes framed by snow-covered mountains. At Argentina’s southernmost tip, and so the southernmost tip of the whole of South America, is Tierra del Fuego (Spanish for Land of Fire), a stunning archipelago split between Argentina and neighbouring Chile.
General Information
Key facts
Population: 42600000
Population Density (per sq km): 15
Capital: Buenos Aires.
Language
Spanish is the official language. English is widely spoken with some French and German.
Currency
Peso (ARS; symbol AR$) = 100 centavos. Peso notes are in denominations of AR$100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and 2. Coins are in denominations of AR$5, 2 and 1, and in 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1 centavos.
US Dollars are accepted in some hotels and tourist centres. Prices in US Dollars are typically marked with US$ to avoid confusion, but sometimes both peso and dollar prices are both preceded by just $, so check if unsure.
Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz. Plug fittings in older buildings are of the two-pin round type, but most new buildings use the V-shaped twin with earth pin. Travellers should bring a world travel adaptor.
General business opening hours
Mon-Fri 0900-1200 and 1400-1900, although many workers start late and finish late.
Country overview
Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2018 – December 2019 period.
2018
Año Nuevo (New Year’s Day): 1 January 2018
Día de la Memoria (Day of Remembrance for Truth and Justice): 24 March 2018
Viernes Santo (Good Friday): 30 March 2018
Dia de las Malvinas (Day of the Veterans and Fallen of the Malvinas War): 2 April 2018
Día del Trabajo (Labour Day): 1 May 2018
Primer Gobierno Patrio (Anniversary of the 1810 Revolution): 25 May 2018
Día de la Bandera (National Flag Day): 20 June 2018
Día de la Independencia (Independence Day): 9 July 2018
Muerte del General Martín Miguel de Güemes (Anniversary of the Death of General Martín Miguel de Güemes): 17 June 2018
Paso a la Inmortalidad del General José de San Martín (Anniversary of the Death of General José de San Martín): 20 August 2018
Día del Respeto a la Diversidad Cultura (Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity): 15 October 2018
Día de la Soberanía Nacional (Day of National Sovereignty): 19 November 2018
Inmaculada Concepción (Immaculate Conception): 8 December 2018
Navidad (Christmas): 25 December 2018
2019
Año Nuevo (New Year’s Day): 1 January 2019
Día de la Memoria (Day of Remembrance for Truth and Justice): 24 March 2019
Dia de las Malvinas (Day of the Veterans and Fallen of the Malvinas War): 2 April 2019
Viernes Santo (Good Friday): 19 April 2019
Día del Trabajo (Labour Day): 1 May 2019
Primer Gobierno Patrio (Anniversary of the 1810 Revolution): 25 May 2019
Muerte del General Martín Miguel de Güemes (Anniversary of the Death of General Martín Miguel de Güemes): 17 June 2019
Día de la Bandera (National Flag Day): 20 June 2019
Día de la Independencia (Independence Day): 9 July 2019
Paso a la Inmortalidad del General José de San Martín (Anniversary of the Death of General José de San Martín): 17 August 2019
Día del Respeto a la Diversidad Cultura (Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity): 12 October 2019
Día de la Soberanía Nacional (Day of National Sovereignty): 18 November 2019
Inmaculada Concepción (Immaculate Conception): 8 December 2019
Navidad (Christmas): 25 December 2019
All information subject to change.
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Journey to the end of the world
The great journey: Patagonia
Volcanoes, glaciers, endless plains: The name Patagonia evokes freedom, wilderness, adventure – but does this rugged land live up to its name? The answer lies in this tale of wind, shards of ice, never-ending bus rides and Maradona’s soccer strip.
Lufthansa tip
Lufthansa flies daily nonstop from Frankfurt to Buenos Aires, and is the only airline to operate a nonstop service between Germany and Argentina lufthansa.com. Domestic airlines offer a daily choice of onward connections from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia and Punta Arenas. Use the mileage calculator in the Miles & More app now and find out how many award and status miles have been credited to you for your flight. Download now on miles-and-more.com/app.
Day 1: Torres del Paine national park
This is the place that the wind calls home. Rushing in from the icy wastes of Antarctica, it piles up seething waves in the Beagle Channel and charges on over the Andean foothills until there is nothing left to hold it back. It races through the mountains and on to the plains, where it sweeps through the pampas grass, shakes the trees and ruffles the wooly fleeces of the grazing guanacos. Finally, it swoops up into the clouds above the Cuernos del Paine, the horn-like peaks of Torres del Paine National Park, until a moment ago still obscured by what appeared to be a wall of cotton batting. Finding a gap, the wind penetrates the white swathes, nudging, pushing, and within the space of five minutes totally dispersing them. And now? After all the days and kilometers you have traveled through Patagonia, you find yourself sitting quite lost for words, yet again, as you gaze across at the mountaintops. All that’s missing is a dramatic movie-style fanfare to highlight the moment.
Instead, you hear the rustling of tin foil. South America’s chocolate manufacturers wrap their products with great care – an important precaution given the wildly fluctuating temperatures in this part of the world. It can be icy cold when trekkers sit down for a break, and boiling hot when they set off again a short while later. Patagonia is a land of extremes, of totally unpredictable weather, barely fathomable dimensions. Surveying the vast panorama stretching away toward the horizon on all sides, your knees almost buckle beneath you. And now there’s a weird lump in your throat – must be the chocolate.
Day 2: Ushuaia
At the end of the world, you will find a jersey worn by the man who once needed the “hand of God.” It is displayed in a glass case behind the bar of a pub called “Dublin” down by the harbor and was “signed by Maradona himself,” the barkeeper proudly declares. He can say this in Spanish and English, and also in Italian and German. To Maradona! To Diego! Salud! Twenty years ago, only a few passing trekkers would raise their glasses here, but since then business has been booming. Now tourists from Antarctic cruise ships stand three and four deep at the bar, straining for a glimpse of this piece of Argentine soccer memorabilia. Ushuaia’s population, too, has doubled since then to almost 60,000, despite its remote location.
If any town can truly be said to be at the very end of the world, then that town is Ushuaia. On sunny days, Argentina’s most southerly town seems to be Tierra del Fuego’s answer to San Francisco; on bad days, it apparently stands at the gateway to hell’s laundry room. That’s when the ocean rages around the piers in the bay, clouds roll in off the mountains, and everyone heads for shelter, preferably the pub – as soon as it opens.
So Maradona actually came here? Not exactly, says the barkeeper. But he (the barman) did go to see an international match in Buenos Aires once, when Maradona was still coach of the Argentine squad – hence the jersey. So before the last World Cup; before the German team blasted the Argentines off the field 4:0, right? Our host falls silent, but the next round is on the house. Salud!
Day 3: Ushuaia - Puerto Natales
When it comes to getting around in this part of the world, buses are definitely your best option. They will take you just about anywhere: over mountains and across borders, even across the sounds, riding pickaback on local ferries. But at the very least, they will take you over the rough roads that in western Europe would be deemed fit only for farm vehicles.
As a passenger, there are two ways to spend the 27 hours between Ushuaia and Puerto Natales: You can either watch a stream of Spanish videos on the TV screen above the driver’s seat, or gaze out the window. Not that there’s anything much to see, hour after interminable hour. The landscape slides by like a highly elitist experimental movie. No wildlife, no plants, and least of all humans to be seen far and wide. That’s what makes the bus a great place to reflect – on the myths around Patagonia perhaps.
Patagonia’s mythical reputation is inspired not so much by the steppes and mountains, by the raging wind, and the waves that crash against the quay wall, but by all of those other indefinable qualities. By the things you imagined vaguely before starting out that you still can’t really put your finger on now that you’re here, but somehow know for sure that they have something to do with windswept hair and salt spray on your face. With the whinny of horses and the shadow of a condor soaring high overhead. With the glittering blue of a glacier face, the dull thud of hooves on the grassy steppe, and the molten crimson corridor conjured onto a mountain lake by the sun as it hangs low in the sky.
Patagonia has dual nationality. One part lies in Argentina, the other in Chile, and if it weren’t for the lone checkpoint cabin out there in the middle of the pampas, you wouldn’t even notice that your dusty track had crossed from one territory into the other. Everywhere here is desolate. “The plains of Patagonia are boundless,” Charles Darwin wrote in 1836, “they bear the stamp of having lasted, as they are now, for ages.” Maybe this is what we sense here today. Maybe this all-embracing emptiness gives us an inkling of our own mortality – and of how tiny we are, how insignificant in the great scheme of things. Could be.
It could also be that these landscapes attract a very special type of person. Today, my fellow travelers on the bus are a group of athletic Californians who have come down here to break some speed-trekking record or other; a handful of Israelis who have fled their country’s military draft, their faces all but obscured by giant headphones; three English ornithologists; a Dutch couple traveling around the world and two other Germans. Hour after bumpy hour, this motley crew is making its way across the countryside on board a bus. The myths about Patagonia don’t say anything about stiff necks and discs that threaten to slip at every new pothole. Many other dream destinations fail to stand up to scrutiny, and expectations frequently dissolve into disappointment on arrival, or soon after. In Patagonia, it’s different. Here, you immediately get the feeling that the myth lives up to the reality – and that’s something even the longest bus ride in the world can’t change.
Day 4: Glaciar Perito Moreno
“What size? Maybe this long… “ The ranger indicates the size with his thumb and index finger. But it’s not really their size that matters, he says, it’s their speed. The people on the observation platform look bewildered: Why their speed? The ranger lifts his thumb and index finger to his forehead. “When a shard of ice hits your head in slow motion, you get away with a scratch. If it’s moving at 150 kilometers an hour, it becomes lodged in your skull.” He waits a beat. “Then you’re dead.” The people on the platform nod, they get the point (no pun intended.)
But they find it harder to imagine how entire sheets of ice the size of an apartment block can break off a glacier at any moment and hit the water, sending a hundred thousand splinters of ice flying in all directions. Normally, when people think of a glacier, they picture one of those dismal expanses of ice in the Alps, but they are laughable compared with Perito Moreno. This glacier shimmers an unearthly blue and doesn’t just lie there, inert; it sweats and wheezes and groans. When the next ice wall breaks off, the world is plunged, for a moment, into absolute stillness. Then the ice crashes to the water below and seconds later, the sound wave reaches your eardrums. If you are close enough, it will even continue to echo somewhere inside you for a few seconds longer. Perfectly still, you listen for the next rumble.
Witnessed from the observation platform, this spectacle is better than any movie, so there’s absolutely no need to get any closer to the action.
Day 5: Seno Otway
On the final day of the journey, the weather behaves as though the four seasons had got together for a party, boozed for days on end and were still pretty much the worse for wear. At the Seno Otwas penguin colony, at least, you can expect to see hail, snow, and pouring rain all within the space of an hour – and in between, the sun will blaze hot enough to give you your first sun burn. Then suddenly the wind will get up again and the rain will begin to pelt down in big, heavy drops that gradually turn into tiny blades of ice and, luckily, fall very slowly. And maybe just because it looks so good against a sky of violet cloud, a rainbow will arch above the ocean. If only it weren’t so cold, you would sit down among the penguins, drink a brandy with them and join them in gazing at the sky.
Later, at the Pionera Hotel, the receptionist asks if I’ve been to Patagonia, which surprises me because according to my travel guide the Pionera itself is in the heart of Patagonia. This, too, is part of Patagonia’s mystery – no one seems to really know where it is. To some, it’s everything south of Santiago. To others, it starts thousands of kilometers further south. Some include Tierra del Fuego, others don’t. But if you ask the people in Patagonia to define where Patagonia lies, they will tell you that Patagonia is where they live. All it takes is the landscape stretching as far as the horizon. Oh yes, and you must be able to feel your soul breathing and hear your heart beating – amid the wind’s incessant roar.
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Nightlife in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is a town that knows how to party and party late. Things don’t really get going here until midnight, so be sure
to get plenty of rest before hitting the city’s superb roster of bars and clubs.
Milion
Paraná 1048
Buenos Aires
Argentina
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Buenos Aires
Argentina
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Set in a beautiful mansion, Milion’s courtyard is the perfect spot to grab a pre-club cocktail.
Cocoliche
Rivadavia 878
Buenos Aires
Argentina
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Buenos Aires
Argentina
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With a hefty sound system, this is the place to go dancing to techno and house.
Frank’s
Arévalo 1445
Buenos Aires
Argentina
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Buenos Aires
Argentina
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A speakeasy serving sensational cocktails. Grab someone out front to get the password to enter.
Kika
Honduras 5339
Buenos Aires
Argentina
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Buenos Aires
Argentina
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An eclectic array of tunes, from drum’n’bass to hip hop, keep this Palermo Soho joint jumping into the early hours.
Niceto Club
Avenida Coronel Niceto Vega 5510
Buenos Aires
Argentina
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Buenos Aires
Argentina
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Home to some of Buenos Aires’ best DJs and a burlesque show, this is one of the city’s kookier and cooler nightspots.
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Restaurants in Buenos Aires
You’ll probably find the best steak of your life in one of Buenos Aires’ many parillas.
But there’s more to this city than red meat, with it’s excellent cafés and unique restaurants.
Unik
Soler 5132
Buenos Aires
Argentina
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Buenos Aires
Argentina
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Price: Expensive
This architect-owned spot serves sensational haute cuisine. Ideal for a special night out.
Don Julio
Guatemala 4699
1425 Buenos Aires
Argentina
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1425 Buenos Aires
Argentina
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Price: Moderate
Porteños (locals) rate this steak joint as one of the city’s best and with good reason. Succulent cuts and Malbec to die for.
Azema
Angel Justiniano Carranza 1875
Buenos Aires
Argentina
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Buenos Aires
Argentina
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Price: Moderate
French colonial cuisine might seem odd in Buenos Aires, but be sure to try this spot. Vietnamese and Moroccan food that seriously impresses.
Dada
San Martin 941
Buenos Aires
Argentina
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Buenos Aires
Argentina
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Price: Cheap
A cosy neighbourhood bar in Retiro, this place serves up superb ojo de bife (ribeye), with an impressive wine list to match.
Ninina Bakery
Gorriti 4738
Buenos Aires
Argentina
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Buenos Aires
Argentina
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Price: Cheap
Super hip, Ninina channels New York’s best bakeries. As well as lip-smacking cakes, try the kale, mint and apple juice.
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Calendar of events
Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente (BAFICI)
11 – 22 April 2018
Website
Venue: Various venues
Argentina has produced excellent movies for many years. The fact that they are only recently coming to the attention of wider European audiences owes much to the work of festivals such as this one. The Buenos Aires Independent International Film Festival is a young, exciting event that has attracted international recognition for its positive programming, concentrating on quality productions with an emphasis on director-driven films.
Argentine Open Polo Championships
25. April 2018
Website
Venue: Campo Argentino de Polo de Palermo
Visitors to this, the most revered international polo tournament at club level, can enjoy many a great polo game, as well as scores of high-end socialising and first-rate people watching. Expect to see some of the very best players in the game today, as teams from all over the polo-playing world compete in Buenos Aires. The popular polo championship has taken place in Palermo since 1893, and is a major social event as well as a sporting highlight on the Argentine calendar.
Feria Internacional del Libro de Buenos Aires
26 April – 14 May 2018
Website
Venue: La Rural Exhibition Complex
This three-week international book fair is one of the five largest book fairs in the world. The event has been going since 1975 and has grown substantially over recent years. More than 50 countries now participate, and notable literary guests have included Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho and Argentina’s much-celebrated author, the late Jorge Luis Borges.
Arte BA - Contemporary Art Fair
24 – 27 May 2018
Website
Venue: La Rural Exhibition Complex
The Contemporary Art Fair opens the cultural season in the Argentine capital with an exhibition designed to bring high-quality art closer to the widest possible range of people. Around 85,000 visitors attend the exhibition each year. A Selection Committee chooses from galleries at home and abroad to give visitors a unique opportunity to compare and buy art pieces from a range of regional and local sources. The event provides a forum where artists, collectors and buyers can meet, discuss and exchange views, and disseminate their thoughts throughout the region.
La Rural
19 – 30 July 2018
Website
Venue: Predio La Rural, Palermo, Buenos Aires
This lively annual event sees farmers from across Argentina gather for one monumental showcasing of agriculture and livestock. As well as the arena events, there are dozens of stalls selling beautifully made handicrafts from regions throughout the country. It is a lovely event in which to celebrate Gaucho culture, sample a fabulous steak sandwich and pick up some quality souvenirs.
Buenos Aires Tango Festival
9 – 22 August 2018
Website
Venue: Acrosss the city
Dive into the most significant tango festival in the world’s great tango capital. Over nine days Buenos Aires’ usual tango furore reaches new highs, with a bevy of concerts, exhibitions, public dance-offs, classes and general festivities. It really is not to be missed.
Marcha del Orgullo
November 2018
Website
Venue: Plaza Mayo and city centre streets
The annual gay pride parade in Buenos Aires is as vibrant and exuberant as you might expect. This dazzling outdoor celebration takes over the city’s central streets in November, with flamboyant processions, and much dancing and music.
Día de la Tradición
10 November 2018
Venue: San Antonio de Areco
The gaucho town of San Antonio de Areco, an hour or so from Buenos Aires, is the place to be on 10 November to celebrate Argentina’s Día de la Tradición. The small, charming town comes alive with a full-on gaucho festival featuring horse parades, music and, of course, lots and lots of meat.
All information subject to change. Please check the dates on the relevant event organizer’s website.
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Hotels in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires’ varying neighbourhoods mean a decent range of accommodation is available. With prices fluctuating due to the devaluation of the peso, costs are going up though.
Those who want luxury accommodation will find some excellent spots.
Mine Hotel
Gorriti 4770
Buenos Aires
Argentina
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Buenos Aires
Argentina
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Category: Expensive
A sharp, design-led boutique hotel in slick Palermo Hollywood.
Hotel Boutique Racó de Buenos Aires
Yapeyú 271
1202 Buenos Aires
Argentina
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1202 Buenos Aires
Argentina
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Category: Expensive
A 19th-century gem, chock-full of antiques; each room is designed individually.
Vista Sol Design Hotel
Calle Tucuman 451
1049 Buenos Aires
Argentina
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1049 Buenos Aires
Argentina
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Category: Moderate
This well-equipped business hotel has sharp rooms and won’t break your budget either.
Hotel Pulitzer
Maipú 907
Buenos Aires
Argentina
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Buenos Aires
Argentina
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Category: Moderate
Spacious rooms complimented by a swanky rooftop bar and swimming pool.
Le Vitral Baires Hotel Boutique
Ayacucho 277
1025 Buenos Aires
Argentina
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1025 Buenos Aires
Argentina
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Category: Cheap
This family-run spot has cosy rooms, a great breakfast and is perfectly located for all the key sights.
Flight and accommodation
Good to know
Best time to visit
Today: Wednesday, 21.11.2018 12:00 UTC
sunny
temperature
26°C
wind speed
6.875 mph7 days forecast
Thursday
22.11.2018
28°C / 20°C
Friday
23.11.2018
20°C / 15°C
Saturday
24.11.2018
21°C / 13°C
Sunday
25.11.2018
23°C / 13°C
Monday
26.11.2018
24°C / 13°C
Tuesday
27.11.2018
25°C / 14°C
Wednesday
28.11.2018
27°C / 18°C
Climate & best time to visit Argentina
Argentina’s climate ranges from the great heat and extensive rains of the subtropical Chaco in the north, through to the pleasant climate of the central Pampas, and the sub-Antarctic cold of the Patagonian Sea in the south. The main central area is temperate, but can be very hot and humid during summer (December to February) and chilly in winter.
The most pleasant times to visit Buenos Aires are September-November and February- March. The city is best avoided in January, when the heat is at its most intense and many of its residents flee to the coast leaving behind a comparative ghost city. Exploring the wilds of Patagonia is best done in the late spring and summer months – between November and February – whilst the northern regions are at their most hospitable in the spring, autumn and winter. If heading to Argentina for a ski trip, hit the slopes during mid-June to October.
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| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| absolute max | absolute min | Ø absolute min | Ø absolute min | relative humidity | Ø precipitation | days with deposit > 1mm | sunshine duration | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 °C | 5 °C | 29 °C | 19 °C | 64 % | 119 mm | 6 | 9.0 h |
| Feb | 38 °C | 4 °C | 28 °C | 18 °C | 68 % | 118 mm | 7 | 8.5 h |
| Mar | 37 °C | 3 °C | 26 °C | 16 °C | 72 % | 134 mm | 8 | 7.4 h |
| Apr | 36 °C | -2 °C | 22 °C | 13 °C | 76 % | 97 mm | 6 | 6.2 h |
| May | 31 °C | -4 °C | 19 °C | 10 °C | 77 % | 74 mm | 6 | 5.6 h |
| Jun | 28 °C | -5 °C | 15 °C | 7 °C | 79 % | 63 mm | 5 | 4.4 h |
| Jul | 30 °C | -5 °C | 15 °C | 7 °C | 79 % | 66 mm | 5 | 4.6 h |
| Aug | 30 °C | -4 °C | 17 °C | 8 °C | 74 % | 70 mm | 6 | 5.6 h |
| Sep | 34 °C | -2 °C | 19 °C | 10 °C | 70 % | 73 mm | 7 | 6.3 h |
| Oct | 33 °C | -2 °C | 22 °C | 12 °C | 69 % | 119 mm | 8 | 7.0 h |
| Nov | 36 °C | 2 °C | 25 °C | 15 °C | 66 % | 109 mm | 8 | 8.4 h |
| Dec | 39 °C | 3 °C | 28 °C | 18 °C | 63 % | 105 mm | 7 | 8.6 h |
| year | 43 °C | -5 °C | 22 °C | 13 °C | 71 % | 1147 mm | 79 | 6.8 h |
Flight and accommodation
Good to know
Phone calls & Internet
Telephone/Mobile Telephone
Dialing Code: +54
Telephone
Phone centres called locutorios can be found in most towns. Users are given their own phone booth and calls are added up and paid for at the end. Public pay phones are available in shops and restaurants and on some streets. These take 1 peso or 50 and 25 centavos coins. Most public telephones accept international phone cards.
Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements exist with some international mobile phone companies, but phones must be tri-band. Coverage is good in most parts of Argentina, but may be lacking in remote and mountain areas.
Internet
Available in most towns and cities in locutorios (phone centres) and internet cafés. Many estancias and rural areas are cut off from both internet and telephone access. Wi-Fi is increasingly found in upper range hotels.
Flight and accommodation
Enjoy
Shopping in Buenos Aires
Key Areas
Buenos Aires is a shopaholic’s dream. Recoleta is the place to go for big-name international brands, while Palermo Soho’s narrow streets are chock-full of cool boutiques selling unique, one-off pieces. San Telmo and the streets off of Plaza Dorrego are great for souvenirs and superb-quality leather.
Markets
Plaza Dorrego plays home to an excellent antiques market every Sunday, ideal if you’re after a small treasure to mark
your visit. The nearby San Telmo market is alive with food stalls and great spots to pick up old books and tango records. Plaza Serrano is good for cheap knick-knacks.
Shopping Centres
Galerías Pacífico is a must-visit for anyone after high-end clothes. The stunning Abasto mall, once the city’s fruit and veg market, is stuffed with international brands, as is the nearby Alto Palermo.
Flight and accommodation
Good to know
Traveller etiquette
The most common form of greeting between friends is kissing cheeks. It is customary for everyone to kiss cheeks on meeting and departing. Dinner is usually eaten well into the evening – from around 2100 onwards. While Argentina is famous for its wonderful wine, Argentinians as a whole do not have the same propensity for drinking large amounts of alcohol as Europeans, and in bars and even nightclubs many will be drinking soft drinks and few will appear noticeably drunk.
Formal wear is worn for official functions and dinners, particularly in exclusive restaurants.
A smoking ban was introduced in Buenos Aires in 2006, prohibiting smoking in public areas including bars and restaurants – with larger bars allowed to have a designated smoking area. Queuing and waiting for things in public places can seem a little less ordered than in Europe; an example is the Subte in Buenos Aires – people will continue to board the carriage until the platform is empty, where there seems to be space in the carriage or not. It can make for a rather crowded and sweaty journey.
Flight and accommodation
Good to know
Health
Main emergency number: 107
Food & Drink
Tap water is generally considered safe in main cities and towns, especially in Buenos Aires, but otherwise bottled water is recommended. If bottled water is unavailable then boil water for over a minute before drinking.
Other Risks
Dengue fever, carried by mosquitoes, is present but not common. Leishmaniasis, a skin disease spread by sandflies, is a low risk. Both can be avoided with sensible precautionary measures such as using mosquito nets and insect repellent in lowland and jungle areas. From around March to October time, Argentine haemorrhagic fever – a viral disease caused by Junin virus – can be picked up in the pampas. It is transmitted by the corn mouse, by either by breathing in dust contaminated with droppings or by contact with the creature.
Psychoanalysis therapy is incredibly popular in Argentina, especially Buenos Aires; it is said that the Argentine capital has the highest per cent of therapists of any city in the world. Argentina is also known for its affordable cosmetic surgery procedures, and a growing number of people visit for this reason. Standards are erratic, however, and it is incredibly important to make sure you conduct thorough research on medical centres and physicians, and opt for somewhere with an excellent reputation.
Contractual physician of Lufthansa
Dr. May, Alfredo H.Avenido Maipú 1179 – 1 „D“
1638 Vicente López
Prov. Buenos Aires
Argentina
Tel. +54-11-4795-9132
Please note that Lufthansa accepts no responsibility for the treatment nor will it bear the cost of any treatment.
Flight and accommodation
Good to know
Visa & Immigration
IATA Travel Centre
The IATA Travel Centre delivers accurate passport, visa and health requirement information at a glance. It is a trusted, centralized source for the latest international travel requirements. The IATA Travel Centre is the most accurate source available because it is based on a comprehensive database used by virtually every airline, and information is gathered from official sources worldwide, such as immigration and police authorities.