Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SHOPPING IN BUENOS AIRES
Buenos Aires has more upscale malls and
smart fashion boutiques than any other city
in Latin America. The many great bargains on
offer here make the capital a shopper's
delight. Leather bags and jackets, silverware,
and antiques are the classic purchases for
visitors, while handicrafts from across
Argentina are available at specialist stores
and markets, such as the popular Feria Plaza
Francia and Feria de San Pedro Telmo. Even
non-fashionistas should take a stroll round
Palermo Viejo to see the amazing range of
homespun designs and fabrics on show.
Buenos Aires is home to thousands of small
retailers, ranging from textile outlets in the
bustling neighborhoods to stylish delis and
wine stores selling boutique products and
offering a personalized shopping experience.
Crafts and Gifts
Although the best traditional
handicrafts are found in
Argentina's interior provinces,
where they are locally made, it
is definitely worth exploring the
craft shops in Buenos Aires.
Most souvenir shops cluster
around the downtown area, on
and off the famous shopping
street, Calle Florida.
Kelly's
stocks a wide range of pottery,
weavings,
mate
gourds, and all
manner of ornaments featuring
the Argentinian national colors.
Tierra Adentro
is a smart store
for high-end collectibles and
native musical instruments.
There are beautiful ponchos
for sale at
Arte Étnico
Argentino
, in Palermo Viejo. For
quirky gifts, visit
Calma Chicha
.
As well as cowhide cushions,
rugs, and leather bags, the shop
also specializes in traditional
Argentinian crafts with a
modern twist. Tango-themed
souvenirs are very popular.
An array of items at Feria de San Pedro Telmo, San Telmo barrio
Tango memorabilia is stocked
at
Zival's
, an emporium on the
corner of Callao and Corrientes.
There is a well-established
industry in kitsch artwork and,
increasingly, tango fashion. For a
range of interesting collectibles,
includ ing won derful old posters,
T-shirts, and ancient musical
scores, visit the
Club de Tango
.
For visitors wishing to
purchase original jewelry, there
are ornate contemporary silver
creations at
María Medici
and
more ethnic necklaces and
earrings at
Plata Nativa
.
Galería Rubbers
and
Daniel
Abate
, which concentrate on
emerging Argentinian painters
and sculptors. Located in
Palermo is
Elsi del Rio
, another
gallery with an eye for
promising young artists.
Calle Defensa in San Telmo
has a string of antique stores,
stocking anything from early
20th-century gramophones
to 18th-century statues and
original wooden trunks used
by early European immigrants.
Mercado de Pulgas
is a dusty
flea market in Palermo Viejo
that sells clocks, glass soda
bottles, ceramic vases,
paintings, and even old cars
and wooden beds.
Gil
Antigüedades
stocks lovely
silver-plated
mate
gourds and
Victorian clothing, while
HB
Antigüedades
, located in an
old mansion, displays an array of
interesting items that some
shoppers may find gaudy.
Art and Antiques
There are more than 20 small
commercial galleries in the
downtown area of Buenos
Aires. These include well-
established showcases such
as the
Ruth Benzacar
gallery
and
Fundación Federico
Klemm
, and those such as
Leather jackets, bags, and ponchos at a
gaucho shop
