24 Hours in Buenos Aires Footprint Travel Guides 1

Population: 2,776,138

Language: Spanish

Currency: Argentine peso (Arg $)

Visas and immigration: Visas are not necessary for British nationals.

Taxes: US$28 to be paid on all international flights exiting the country.

Time: GMT -3

Climate: December to March can be quite hot and humid, May to August can be windy, cold and rainy.

Country Code: +54

Health issues: Vaccinations: Tetanus, Hepatitis A, Typhoid.Water: Bottled water advisable

Plug type: European Continental-type plugs in old buildings, Australian 3-pin flat-type in new.

Don’t forget to pack: A Big memory card for your camera and small packets of tissues.

The best way to town from the

international airport, Ezeiza, is the

efficient bus service. Leaving every

30 minutes, charging US$11.50 for

the 90-minute journey.

Alternatively, take a reliable

Radio Taxi where 45 minutes costs

around US$36. You can also take a

remise taxi – these have a fixed fare,

and can be booked from a desk

at the airport, and charge US$35.

There is a local public transport

bus, which takes between 1½ and

two hours and costs US$0.50, but it

isn’t advisable late at night or early

in the morning.

The city of Buenos Aires is

situated just inland from the docks

on the south bank of the Río de

la Plata. The formal city centre is

around Plaza de Mayo. Streets are

organized on a regular grid pattern,

with blocks numbered in groups of

one hundred.

The best way to get around the

city is the Subte (metro) which is

fast, clean and safe (though late

at night it’s best to take a taxi).

Trains run Monday to Saturday

0500-2250 and Sunday 0800-2200.

Alternatively there is a good

network of buses – colectivos –

covering a very wide radius and

are frequent, efficient and very

fast. The basic fare is US$0.30.

Taxis are painted yellow and black,

and carry ‘Taxi’ flags. The meter

starts when the flag goes down. A

charge is sometimes made for each

piece of hand baggage (ask first).

Head for Puerto Madero, where there is a large selection of good mid-range places to eat and drink. Stroll around the area and appreciate the stylishly renovated 19th-century docks, old sailing ships and painted cranes.

Tango in Buenos Aires

Tango is the country’s most famous musical form. It evolved in the ports of Buenos Aires in the late 19th century. Try a class and then see

the experts at a show such as El Viejo Almácen.

Essential Information

Arriving from the airport

Finding your way around

First night

Buenos Aires

Take an overnight bus (16 hours),

or a more expensive, but much

shorter, flight to Iguazú falls.

Alternatively take a trip to Tigre,

one of the city’s most popular

weekend destinations, which

is situated on the edge of the

magnificent river delta.

Where next?

Palermo Viejo

Palermo Viejo is often known

as Palermo Soho, due to its

similarities with SoHo in New

York, and represents the most

atmospheric and oldest part of

Palermo.

Palermo is a very seductive place,

with its cobbled streets lined with

trees and tall bohemian houses. A

fashionable place to live, there are

plenty of trendy shops and chic

bars.

Even if you loathe shopping,

Palermo Viejo will appeal since

the whole area is wide open

and relaxed, and it retains the

quiet atmosphere of a residential

district.

Milongas

Milongas are extremely popular

among younger Porteños, since

Tango underwent a revival a few

years ago. You can take a class

and get a good feel for the music,

before the dancing starts a couple

of hours later. Classes are given all

over the city, cost is usually US$4

and even complete beginners are

welcome.

Café Tortoni

This famous Buenos Aires café has

been the elegant haunt of artists

and writers for over 150 years. It

remains atmospheric, with marble

columns, stained-glass ceilings, old

leather chairs and photographs of

its famous clientele on the walls.

Worth a visit for the interesting peña

evenings of poetry and music, and

jazz and tango.

San Telmo

San Telmo is one of the few

areas where buildings have

survived from the mid-19th

century, crumbling and largely

unchanged. It is the city’s

most atmospheric barrio and a

delightful place to stroll around

and explore the artists’ studios

and small museums hidden in its

narrow streets.

Top 5 sights and attractions

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Argentine wines are excellent and

drinkable throughout the price

range. Red grape varieties of Merlot,

Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and

the white Torrontes are particularly

recommended; try brands Lurton,

Norton, Bianchi, Trapiche or Etchart

in any restaurant.

Eva Perón was the second wife of President

Juan Perón. She served as the First Lady of

Argentina and was an active campaigner for

female suffrage. She has become a part of

popular culture, immortalised in the musical

Evita. She is buried in La Recoleta Cemetery.

Recoleta Cemetery

Tue-Fri 1230-2030, Sat and Sun

0930-2030

Recoleta is famous for its

cemetery, which is like a miniature

city with its narrow streets

weaving between imposing

family mausoleums built in every

imaginable architectural style,

with a vast congregation of stone

angels on their roofs.

The cemetery is the resting place

of Eva Perón, along with other

notable Argentines. Nearby, the

former Jesuit church of El Pilar is

a beautiful example of colonial

architecture dating from 1732. To

negotiate this enormous labyrinth,

a guided tour is recommended.

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