Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BUENOS AIRES IN…
Two Days
Start with a stroll in
San Telmo
and duck into some antiques stores. Walk north to
centro
, perhaps veering east to
Puerto Madero
- a great spot for a break.
Keep heading northward into
Retiro
and
Recoleta
, stopping off at the
Museo
Nacional de Bellas Artes
(
Click here
)
to admire some impressionism. Be sure to
elite. For dinner and nightlife,
Palermo Viejo
is hard to beat.
On day two, take in the
Congreso
neighborhood or head to
La Boca
. Shop in
Palermo Viejo
and at night catch a
tango show
or a performance at the
Teatro
Colón
(
Click here
)
.
Four Days
On your third day consider taking a day trip to
Tigre
, or
Colonia
in Uruguay. On
the fourth day you can take a
tour
or a
tango lesson
, check out
Palermo's parks
or head to the
Mataderos fair
(if it's a weekend). Be sure to find yourself a good
steak restaurant for your last meal.
San Telmo
Full of charm and personality, San Telmo is one of BA's most attractive and historically
rich barrios. Narrow cobbled streets and low-story colonial housing retain an old-time
feel, though the tourist dollar continues to bring about changes.
Historically, San Telmo is famous for the violent street fighting that took place when
British troops, at war with Spain, invaded the city in 1806. British forces advanced up
narrow Defensa, but an impromptu militia drove the British back to their ships. The vic-
tory gave
porteños
confidence in their ability to stand apart from Spain, even though the
city's independence had to wait another three years.
After this, San Telmo became a fashionable, classy neighborhood. In the late 19th cen-
tury, however, a yellow-fever epidemic hit, driving the rich north into present-day Re-
coleta. Many older mansions were subdivided and became
conventillos
(tenements) to
house poor families. Years ago these
conventillos
attracted artists and bohemians looking
for cheap rent, but these days they're more likely to be filled with fancy shops, cheap
hostels or rich expats.
