Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
4
Suggested Itineraries
in Argentina
1
BUENOS AIRES IN 5 DAYS
by Michael Luongo
No length of time ev er seems like enough in a city as wonder ful as B uenos Aires. This
itinerary takes y ou thr ough 5 days in the capital—ideally a Wednesday to a S unday.
The r oute guides y ou thr ough the best featur es of v arious neighborhoods—fr om the
MicroCentro and P alermo Viejo to R ecoleta and S an Telmo. You'll eat sev eral gr eat
meals, go shopping, and take in some br eathtakingly beautiful sites. I' ve scheduled in
plenty of do wntime, too, in case y ou want to tango all night long and take it easy the
following day (Buenos Aires, like New York, is a city that doesn't sleep).
Day
1
: Relaxing & Settling In
More than likely , y ou've arriv ed early in
the morning after an all-night flight.
p. 42), or priv ate tour guides
Marta
Pasquali
(
&
11-15/4421-2486
) or
Mon-
ica V arela
(
&
11-15/4407-0268
). As
they lead y ou through the historic center
of B uenos Air es, passing the
Plaza de
Mayo
(p. 125) and the turn-of-the-20th-
century marvel
Avenida de Mayo
to
Con-
greso,
they 'll explain ho w ar chitecture,
history, and the lost glor y of a po werful
Argentina is reflected in the streets of Bue-
nos Air es. Ride the
A line sub way
's
(p. 68) wooden trains do wn to station
Avenida de Mayo. Have a coffee and
medi-
alunas
at
Café Tortoni
(p . 100),
one of the city 's most historic and scenic
cafes, and tr y to catch the conv ersation of
Buenos Air es locals discussing the latest
Before y ou head out for the day
, make
reservations at
Cabaña las Lilas
(p. 103) for dinner tonight. After ward,
head to Calle F lorida, checking out the
shops at
Galerías Pacífico
(p . 133), and
have a snack at
Il Gran Caffe
(p. 101).
Wander down to
Plaza de Mayo
(p. 125)
and take a look at historic sites such as the
Cabildo
(p. 126), Buenos Aires's original
city hall, the
Metropolitan Cathedral
(p. 126), and the
Casa R osada
(p. 126), with E vita's famous balcony. Head
back to the hotel for a much-needed nap
before heading out to Cabaña las Lilas for
dinner. Certainly you've admired the view of
Puerto Madero
(p. 127) from your table, so
have a wander dockside.
Day
2
: Historical Buenos Aires
I highly r ecommend exploring the historic
center of B uenos Aires with a pr ofessional
guide, such as
Borello T ravel & T ours
(
&
800/405-3072
or 212/686-4911; p. 41),
Say H ueque Tours
(
&
11/5199-2517;
issues. A t 3:30pm, head back to P laza de
Mayo for the
Madres of Plaza de Mayo,
a
weekly protest held b y the mothers of the
30,000 young people who disappeared dur-
ing the militar y regime between 1976 and
1982. H ead back and take a nap at the
hotel. I n the ev ening, hav e dinner in the
glorious gilded dining hall of
Club Espa-
ñol
(p. 102).
