Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
132
writing. Hourly
guided tours,
currently suspended, would allo w you to vie w the main
theater, backstage, and costume and undergr ound stage-design wor kshops. These were
run between 11am and 3pm w eekdays, and fr om 9am to noon S aturday. Call
&
11/
4378-7130
for more information and to see if any tours will eventually take place, which
depends on the pr ogress, if any, of the r enovation. The ticket office does r emain open;
but per formances that would or dinarily take place her e ar e scatter ed in other v enues
throughout the city. The website may provide more information in the future, but is itself
not curr ently up-to-date. F or those who lo ve B uenos Air es, and lo ve opera, what has
happened to Teatro Colón is a tragedy wor thy of a production itself.
Calle Libertad 621 (or Calle Toscanini 1180 at Tucaman).
&
11/4378-7132,
or 11/4378-7344 for the ticket
office. www.teatrocolon.org.ar. Prior tour admission fee $2.50 (£1.70). Seating for events $2-$45 (£1.35-
£30). Metro: Tribunales.
SPECTATOR SPORTS & OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
GOLF
Argentina has more than 200 golf courses. Closest to downtown are
Cancha de
Golf de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires,
Av. Torquist 1426 and Olleros (
&
11/4772-7261
),
10 minutes fr om downtown with gr eat scenery and a 71-par course; and
Jockey Club
Argentino,
A v. M árquez 1700 (
&
11/4743-1001
), in S an I sidro, which offers two
courses (71 and 72 par) designed b y Allister McKenzie.
HORSE RACING
Throughout much of the 20th century, Argentina was famous for its
thoroughbreds. I t continues to send priz e horses to competitions ar ound the world,
although you can watch some of the best right her e in Buenos Aires. Races take place at
two tracks:
Hipódromo de S an I sidro,
A v. M árquez 504 (
&
11/4743-4010
), and
Hipódromo Argentino de P alermo,
Av. del Liber tador 4205 (
&
11/4778-2839
), in
Palermo. Check the
Buenos Aires Herald
for race information.
POLO
Argentina has won more international polo tournaments than any other coun-
try, and the
Argentine Open Championship,
held late November through early Decem-
ber, is the world's most important polo event. Argentina has two seasons for polo: March
through May and September through December, held at the
Campo Argentino de Polo,
Avenida del Liber tador and Avenida Dorrego (
&
11/4576-5600
). Tickets can be pur-
chased at the gate. Contact the
Asociación Argentina de Polo,
Hipólito Yrigoyen 636
(
&
11/4331-4646
or 11/4342-8321), for information on polo schools and ev ents.
La
Martina Polo Ranch
(
&
11/4576-7997
), located 60km (37 miles) fr om Buenos Aires
near the to wn of Vicente Casares, houses mor e than 80 polo horses, as w ell as a guest-
house with a swimming pool and tennis cour ts.
SOCCER
One cannot discuss
fútbol
in Argentina without paying homage to D iego
Armando Maradona, Argentina's most revered player and one of the sport's great (if fallen)
players. Any sense of national unity dissolves when Argentines watch their favorite clubs—
River Plate, Boca Juniors, Racing Club, Independiente, and San Lorenzo—battle on Sun-
day. Passion for soccer could not run hotter, and you can catch a game at the
Estadio Boca
Juniors,
Brandsen 805 (
&
11/4362-2260
), in San Telmo, followed by raucous street par-
ties. Ticket prices start at $3 (£2) and can be pur chased in advance or at the gate.
5
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SHOPPING
Porteños consider their city one of the fashion capitals of the world. Although the
wealthiest Argentines still fly to Miami for their wardrobes, Buenos Aires boasts many of
