Most of the best hotels are found in Recoleta, a
very scenic, Parisian-style district of the city.
In this elegant neighborhood you will find some of
the best shopping centers, boutiques, leather stores,
art galleries, cafés, restaurants and parks of Buenos
Aires.
Recoleta has the feel and the charm of old Europe.
Its surroundings concentrate the latest in fashion,
culture and night life. It has museums, promenades,
gardens, fairs and activities for all tastes, and
it is one of the most beautiful districts of BA.
The location is perfect: within walking distance
to the great shopping and dining options and near
several neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires.
The main attractions of this neighbourhood are:
• The Recoleta Cemetery has been compared to the
Pére Lachaise in Paris, being one of the fundamental
architectonic pieces of Buenos
Aires city. The Recoleta
cemetery is an example of great and different architectonical
styles; many leaders of the Argentinean history are
buried there ( Evita is one of them ), between exquisite
statues, streets and works of art that seem to struggle
between them for unique marvel and beauty.
• Alvear Avenue: this upscale thoroughfare extends
for seven blocks, from the Plazoleta Carlos Pellegrini
to Alvear Plaza. The avenue is famous not only for
the most exclusive representatives of haute couture,
but also for its numerous demi-palaces and extensive
presence of the French renaissance architecture so
much in vogue in uptown Buenos
Aires at the turn
of the 20th century.
• Craft Market in Recoleta: In addition
to genuine artisans and craftspeople, the fair has
attracted street vendors and merchants of a wide
variety of merchandise. Visitors to the fair may
find all kinds of handicraft items, many of them
of high quality: leather goods, book restoration,
sandals and espadrilles, carved mates, ethnic jewelry,
incense, essential oils, satchels, candles, indigenous
musical instruments, photography, and much more.
Palermo
This
is the largest neighborhood of Buenos
Aires, mainly
filled with peaceful and green parks. It is divided
into three sections: Barrio Parque, Palermo Soho and
Palermo Hollywood. Parts of Palermo, such as Palermo
Hollywood and Palermo Soho, are also fast becoming
the hippest parts of BA, with fashionable bars, nightclubs,
restaurants, boutique hotels and small designer label
shops springing up almost by the minute.
Subway access is not the best in this area. Being
trendy, it's also where the newest and most fashionable
boutique hotels are located. For the young and
chic, this area can be a great place to stay.
Palermo is generally well served by Line D (Green
Line) of the subway system, which conveniently takes
you into the city center or a little further north
to Belgrano. Palermo is great for both families and
young couples alike, and is a very popular place
for students and visitors renting furnished apartments.
The main attractions of this neighbourhood are:
• Malba Museum: This stunning museum is a tribute
to Latin American artists. It opened in 2001 and
the modern spacious feel was designed by three Argentinean
architects Gastón Atelman, Martín Fourcade and Alfredo
Tapia. The mission of the MALBA museum is to stimulate
interest in Latin American art. To achieve this goal
the museum has established a growing film library
and shows films at various times.
• Among the parks you will find the ‘Rosedal’ (Rose
Garden), Botanic Gardens, Japanese Gardens and the
Buenos Aires City Zoo.
• Evita Museum: Across thirteen permanent exhibition
rooms and one temporary display room, the museum
reviews the history of Eva Duarte from her childhood,
going through her youth as an actress, and then her
life as the First Lady, next to Juan Perón, her struggle
for female civil rights, the social work she developed
in the foundation until her resignation and death.
Puerto
Madero is a recently redeveloped port area where you’ll
find the expensive luxury condos in Buenos
Aires, high-end
hotels, and a row of fancy restaurants. This location
might be a benefit for people on business trips since
Puerto Madero is very close to the financial district.
The area is not near the main attractions in the city,
so you'll need to use taxis as your mode of transportation.
“Alem” on the B Line is the only metro stop close to
the neighborhood, but in general there is not good
subway access.
The hotels are near the restaurants of Puerto Madero's
historic dock district. One plus is that the Ecological
Reserve is nearby. It’s a nice place for a quiet Sunday
stroll. One of the best hotels in South America, the
Faena hotel, is located in Puerto
Madero.
The main attractions of this neighbourhood are:
• Casino Buenos Aires: It's a floating casino, on an
old Mississipi River boat. The casino contains more
than 700 latest generation slot machines, over 140
gaming tables, 100 gaming tables roulett, Black Jack,
Poker, point and bank and Craps.
• Fortabat Art Collection: The museum was initiated
by María Amalia Lacroze de Fortabat, the longtime Chairperson
and chief stockholder of Loma Negra, the largest cement
manufacturer in Argentina. The Collection includes
several important pieces of Argentine and foreign artists
such as Andy Warhol, Rodin, Chagall, Klem, Brueguel
and Turner.
• Ecological Reserve: Being adjacent to the city, a
visit to the Ecological Reserve is an escape from the
hustle and bustle of the metropolis. A number of trails
leading to the river are perfect for bird watching,
strolling and cycling.
Downtown Buenos Aires
The Microcentro is an ideal place to stay if you want
to be close to Buenos Aires's business center, theatres
and cinemas. Most of the subway lines that converge
in this region.
Downtown Buenos Aires will also give you easy access
to the majority of local travel agencies that seem
to gather in this area, which can be convenient for
making a last-minute change of plans or for adding
a day trip outside the city to your itinerary. If you
arrive in Buenos Aires without any reservations, come
to this area; the density of hotels means you probably
won't have to walk around for long before finding something.
The main attractions of this neighbourhood are:
• Colon Opera House: This is one of the best Opera
houses in the world. It has been closed for renovation
and it was reopened on May 25th, 2010. Performances
are magnificent and private visits can be arranged
to visit the auditorium as well as the different rooms
and workshops.
• Florida Street: It features a variety of shops and
shopping malls selling leather goods, jewellery, books
and souvenirs
• Tortoni Café: Founded in 1858, it is the oldest coffee
shop in the whole country. With a very rich history,
it is visited at all times by intellectuals, politicians
and artists.
It is a well-preserved
area of Buenos Aires and it is regarded as the oldest
neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. Cafes, tango bars and
antique shops line the cobblestone streets, which are
often filled with artists and dancers. Most hotels
here are B&Bs, or boutique hotels. This is a Bohemian
district where many students, artists and young people
live.
There are excellent traditional restaurants and many
milongas ( tango gatherings ) where locals meet to
dance tango every night.
The area is accessed by stations for subway C running
along Avenida 9 de Julio, and these can be a slightly
long walk away from some of San Telmo's accommodations.
The main attractions of this neighbourhood are:
• San Telmo Market: The antique market on Dorrego Square
is the place to be on a Sunday afternoon. From jewellery
and dresses, to army helmets and tango records, you
could spend hours sorting through the plethora of ancient
goods.
• Defensa Street: The most important antique stores
of Buenos Aires are found on this street. It is also
well-known for it low houses paving stones streets,
lamps and beautiful courtyards with wells and flowers,
with it lovely pubs and delicious restaurants and the
colourful Antique Sunday Fair.
• El Zanjón de Granados: A series of old tunnels, sewers
and cisterns from 1730 were built above a river tributary
and provided the base for some of BA’s oldest settlements,
which later became a family mansion and then tenement
housing and a market. Meticulously reconstructed brick
by brick, and very attractively lit, this ‘museum’
also contains several courtyards and even a watchtower.
