Where to stay?

San Telmo

San Telmo is a perfect place to stay in BA. Down in the center, around Plaza de la Republica, there are wide boulevards, lots of cars, lots of people, and lots of noise. While in San Telmo, there are narrow cobblestone streets, cozy classic cafes and restaurants, a laid-back atmosphere, and tango.

We were lucky to find an Airbnb right by Plaza Dorrego, or Plaza de Tango as our taxi driver called it. And the name didn’t disappoint. On Sundays, there was a large antique market in the square. There was a lot of nice stuff to find, so bring a big suitcase if you’re interested in this. In the afternoon, parts of the square were cleared, and there was a free tango show with professional dancers. Or not entirely free. The hat went around after the show, and people willingly gave away some bills. He, a man in his 50s-60s in a black, wide suit. She, somewhat younger in a black dress.

After the professionals, enthusiastic amateur dancers took over and filled the square. Not that they danced amateurishly. Rarely have I seen such concentration and dedication on a dance floor; Argentine tango is serious business.

On the occasion of the market, Defensa, our street, was closed to traffic, and the market stretched over a kilometer towards the center. Occasionally, there were marching bands. First, a band with children, then an intensely drumming, dancing, and somewhat colorful group, probably from La Boca, south of San Telmo. La Boca has a bad reputation, and it is warned against going there in the evening. But La Boca is also colorful with houses in funny colors, restaurants, and of course, lots of tourists.

The square with its large shady trees is surrounded by small traditional restaurants. Here you can sit inside lofty rooms or at one of the tables they have on the square itself. The atmosphere was so inviting that we chose to have dinner here on Monday as well. And to our surprise, there was a tango show today as well, by a slightly younger couple who, if possible, were even more professional with fantastic footwork.

If you stay here for a few days, you might get tired of dinner with tango shows. Then you can advantageously go over to the parallel street, Bolivar. Bolivar was the great freedom fighter in South America, and all cities in SA have a Bolivar street. In BA’s Bolivar, there are plenty of restaurants and cafes, and in the evenings, it’s very lively.

Or you can stop by the San Telmo Market hall located between Bolivar and Defensa, on the corner of Carlos Calvo. Stop by even if you’re not hungry. The market, known as the best in BA, has a variety of colorful stalls and many different eateries where you can get a quick and tasty meal. Feel free to look up and study the beautiful ceiling and steel structures. The building dates back to 1897 and is a historical monument.
“A quick meal” is significant. It can take quite a while to be served at the restaurants.

If one should say something general about the quality of the restaurants, it’s probably the usual; the more tourists, the worse the food. The restaurants around the square have decent food but nothing special. In return, they have the tango. The best restaurant we found was Bar Seddon on the corner of Defensa and Chile. The food is great, the prices moderate. Especially the salmon can be recommended if you’re tired of meat. Fish, in general, is very hard to come by.

Argentinians love meat, especially beef, or bife as it’s called. But be aware that the term bife covers everything from thinly sliced dry pieces of meat to tall bloody steaks. If you want a proper steak, go for Bife de Chorizo, Lomo, or Ojo de Bife, which is equivalent to ribeye. Jugosa means medium rare, A Punto medium.

Moving north from San Telmo towards the center, cobblestone streets end. Wide avenues take over, and small bars are replaced by fancy shops and restaurants. But there’s still plenty to see for a tourist. Start in the heart of downtown, for example, around Plaza de Mayo and Plaza de la República. Both places are characterized by tall obelisks, the tallest on Republica.

Palermo

Palermo, located just north of the city, is also a popular district to stay in. The streets here are slightly wider than in San Telmo, and the buildings are a mix of low one-story colonial-style houses and newer buildings.

The most popular parts of Palermo are Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood. Here you can find some of the best restaurants in Buenos Aires, trendy cafes, and a bustling nightlife. Especially around Plaza Serrano, there is high activity.

Palermo is much more touristic than San Telmo with lots of souvenir shops etc, and the price level is generally higher. But if you want to hang out with other tourists this is the place.

Sights

Teatro Colón

If you appreciate lavish buildings and/or opera, you should visit Teatro Colón. It is located just north of Republica. The opera house is considered one of the finest in the world and has the worlds best acoustics. It was started in the late nineteenth century. Inside, it is characterized by exquisite marble work, lavish chandeliers, and red velvet. In the main hall, there are 6 levels of balconies. The season lasts from March to December, but if you’re here in January or February, you can still take a tour. A few of the tours are in English, so check the schedule here:

El Ateneo Grand Splendid

If you continue north, you will arrive at the “world’s most beautiful bookstore,” as voted by National Geographic. It’s fun to stop by if you’re interested in such things. The bookstore is housed in an old theater with bookshelves up on the balconies and reading spots in small alcoves. There is also a small cafe where you can get the usual sweet pastries.

La Recoleta Cemetery

This cemetery is actually a tourist attraction where you have to pay $5 to get in. Like cemeteries in Latin America, it is full of elaborate tomb monuments close together with narrow paths in between. You will find, among others, the Duarte family’s grave with the well-known Evita, Eva Perón.

Colonia del Sacramento – Uruguay

Colonia is described as the finest colonial-style city in South America, and it is only an hour’s boat ride from BA. Three different ferry companies operate on the route, and you can easily buy tickets online, for example, here: coloniaexpress.com. Immigration control in and out of the two countries is very streamlined and quickly done. Remember to bring your passport.

The large old town consists exclusively of one- and some two-story houses from 1680 onwards. The atmosphere is very laid back and invites you to stroll around the cobblestone streets, admire the old houses, and then sit down at one of the many outdoor cafés for a little refreshment. We stayed overnight and didn’t regret it. Nice to get away from the city for a while.

Montevideo is also within reach by boat, but the trip is longer and more expensive than to Colonia.

Practical tips

Money and Price Level

Money is a chapter in itself. Argentina has been plagued by high inflation in recent years, and just before we arrived in the country in January 2024, they had a significant devaluation. All prices in this article are as of January 2024. In addition to the local currency Pesos, you can use US Dollars in some places. But it’s best to exchange for Pesos at one of the many cambios. Don’t exchange on the street; the chance of being cheated is definitely present. The most common denomination is 1000 pesos, 1 USD, so you get a huge stack of bills.

Argentinians operate with 3 different exchange rates:
Dolar blue: the rate for brand new 100 dollar bills. Blue comes from the blue security stripe. Lower denominations or worn bills give a worse rate.
MEP: Rate that applies to purchases with credit cards and is about the same as Dolar Blue.

It’s also okay to exchange Euros, preferably crisp 100 Euro bills, or 50 Euros.

Official Pesos rate: It is lower than MEP and Dolar Blue but does not matter for tourists.

Credit Cards

Visa credit cards have their own rate, which you can find here: exchange-rate-calculator. Many places add 10% for credit cards, but not if you use a debit card.

Almost all places accept cards, even the smallest kiosks. But maybe only a third of the taxis. If you’re going to take a taxi, remember to ask about this. So it’s good to have some cash.

Mastercard is generally not accepted.

ATM

There are quite a few ATMs. The problem is that it’s hopeless to use these with foreign cards. You only get a small amount, maybe Pesos equivalent to 15 USD and you have to pay a gigantic fee, 8 USD for this

Western Union

If you need to withdraw money, the trick is to download a Western Union app and then transfer money to yourself. You choose “send money” from the app and the amount you want to send in kroner. Then you specify yourself as the recipient. When the amount is sent, you receive a reference number that you bring to a Western Union branch along with the passport. Show the reference number and the passport to the cashier, and you will receive the amount in Pesos. The rate is approximately the same as Dolar blue.

Price Level and Tips

A restaurant visit is quite affordable. A main course from $6 for simple dishes, up to $12 for a 400 gram steak. Some restaurants have a sly pricing policy, especially typical tourist spots. For example, I bought a fried trout for $12. But then I had to pay $6 for a small bowl of mashed potatoes, and then $4 for vegetables, so that dinner became expensive. But outside of tourist spots, the dishes are usually completo, i.e., including side dishes. A bottle of wine costs from $5 and up.

Tipping is not common in Argentina, except at tourist spots. A couple of times, I experienced the waiter emphasizing that tips were not included and expected to receive an extra 10%.

Transport

BA is a big city. 3 million live in central areas, 15 million in the metropolitan area. The city has 4 metro lines and a very good bus network, some of which run on their own routes, away from rush hour traffic and traffic jams. In most kiosks, you can buy a bus card, SUBE, which you can also top up here. A bus ride costs only 10 cent in inner areas.

There are plenty of taxis, and they are also cheap. For example, a half-hour trip from Aeroparque to San Telmo costs $5-6.

SIM card

An Argentine SIM card may be useful to avoid high data costs. There is WiFi in most places, but it’s also nice to have access to, for example, Google Maps all the time. Claro has the best coverage, and they sell data cards with a lot of gigabytes cheaply. They have stores all over BA where you can buy a SIM turista.

Airports and Immigration

There are two airports in BA. Aeropuerto Internacional Ezeiza is the large international airport where you probably land if you come directly from the USA or Europe. It takes half an hour by taxi to the city center and costs about $15. The airport is only called Ezeiza in everyday language.

If you have had a layover, for example, in Brazil, it’s very likely you’ll arrive at the smaller airport Aeroparque Internacional Jorge Newbery, practically just called Aeroparque. This one is located very close to the center. This is also the airport mostly used for domestic flights and some international flights to neighboring countries.

Upon arrival, you must be able to provide an address where you will stay. It’s good to have a printout showing the booking. You may also be asked for a return ticket, and people are sometimes rejected if they don’t have one.

Read more about Argentina here: category/argentina