Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Left
An item at an antique shop
Center
Leather items on display
Right
Bookstore
Shopping Tips
!
Opening Hours
*
Argentinian Wine
be the starting point for
shoppers, especially the
pedestrian Calle Florida.
There is a bit of every-
thing here, from malls
and department stores to
artisans' shops. Recoleta
has high-end boutiques
with local and inter-
national labels. Trendy
Palermo Viejo has many
boho-chic clothes stores.
Shopping malls are
usually open 10am-10pm
though there may be
an hour's variation. Food
courts and movie thea-
ters within malls stay
open longer. Other stores
open 9am-8pm Monday
to Friday, though week-
end hours vary. Some
close at 1pm on Saturday
or all day Sunday.
@
Taxes and Refunds
Found in shopping
zones and malls,
Vinotecas
(or wine
boutiques) stock wines
from Argentina's wine
growing regions, in-
cluding Mendoza. Ligier
and Terroir offer packag-
ing and delivery services.
d
Ligier: Map Q5; Avda.
Sante Fe 800; 5353-8060;
www.ligier.com.ar • Terroir:
Map L1; Buschiazzo 3040;
4778-3443; www.terroir.
com.ar
%
Leather Goods
Argentinian leather is
of excellent quality and
favorably priced compar-
ed to Europe and the
USA. Stores sell leather
goods, though those on
Calle Florida can be
overpriced. The leather
shops at the intersection
of Murillo and Scalabrini
Ortíz in Palermo offer the
best deals.
Argentina's sales tax
of 21 percent is included
in the advertised price for
goods. Visitors can claim
back the tax on any
purchases with a Global
Refund logo when buying
Argentinian-manufactured
products above AR$70
(US$22). Ask for a receipt
and Global Refund check
when making a purchase.
On leaving Argentina
these are stamped at
Customs, which sends
you to an airport
puesto
de pago
(payment
counters) for a refund.
£
Payment
(
Music
Local mega-chain
Musimundo has many
branches in the city.
Its collection includes
Argentinian rock and folk
music. Zival's
(see p27)
offers tango, jazz, and
classical. Disquería Bird
and Abraxas feature vinyl.
d
Musimundo: Avda. Santa
Fe 1844; www.musimundo.
com; Disquería Bird:
Talcahuano 385; 4382-2539;
Abraxas:Galería 5ta Avda.;
Avda. Santa Fe 1270
)
Books
^
Souvenirs
For gaucho ware,
traditional
maté
parapher-
nalia, and indigenous
woolens, try stores such
as El Boyero, Kelly's
,
and
Mission
(see p38)
. You
can buy inexpensive
handicrafts at the week-
end artisans' fair at Plaza
Francia in Recoleta
(see
p36)
. For tango memora-
bilia, head to the stores
on Avenida Corrientes.
&
Antiques
Cash, preferably the
Argentinian peso, is
accepted in most stores
though many places also
accept US dollars. Credit
cards are usually accep-
ted, except in small
stores. Preferred cards
are Visa and MasterCard,
American Express, and
Diner's Club
(see p108)
.
The glorious Ateneo
Grand Splendid, the
largest bookstore in
South America, stocks
English-language books.
Otherwise, try Gandhi
Galerna
(see p69)
. Find
second-hand English-
language books at Walrus
Books. d
Ateneo Grand
Splendid: Avda. Santa Fe
1860; 4811-6104; www.
elateneo.com; Walrus
Books: Estados Unidos
617,4300-7135: www.walrus
books.com.ar
San Telmo is famous
for its antique stores and
fair, held each Sunday at
Plaza Dorrego
(see p18)
.
Visit the Mercado de las
Pulgas in Palermo Viejo.
d
Mercado de las Pulgas:
Avda. Dorrego y Conde
$
Shopping Zones
It is crowded and
traffic-choked, but
Microcentro should still
110
For Buenos Aires' best shopping malls
See p39.
