Buenos Aires

Essential Information
Population: 2,776,138
Language: Spanish
Currency: Argentine peso (Arg $)
Visas and immigration: Visas are
not necessary for British nationals.
Taxes: US$28 to be paid on all
international flights exiting the
country.
Time: GMT -3
Climate: December to March can
be quite hot and humid, May to
August can be windy, cold and
rainy.
Country Code: +54
Health issues:
Vaccinations: Tetanus, Hepatitis A,
Typhoid.
Water: Bottled water advisable
Plug type: European Continentaltype plugs in old buildings,
Australian 3-pin flat-type in new.

Finding your way

around

Arriving from the

airport
The best way to town from the
international airport, Ezeiza, is the
efficient bus service. Leaving every
30 minutes, charging US$11.50 for
the 90-minute journey.
Alternatively, take a reliable
Radio Taxi where 45 minutes costs
around US$36. You can also take a
remise taxi these have a fixed fare,
and can be booked from a desk
at the airport, and charge US$35.
There is a local public transport
bus, which takes between 1 and
two hours and costs US$0.50, but it
isnt advisable late at night or early
in the morning.

Dont forget to pack: A Big

memory card for your camera and
small packets of tissues.

The city of Buenos Aires is

situated just inland from the docks
on the south bank of the Ro de
la Plata. The formal city centre is
around Plaza de Mayo. Streets are
organized on a regular grid pattern,
with blocks numbered in groups of
one hundred.
The best way to get around the
city is the Subte (metro) which is
fast, clean and safe (though late
at night its best to take a taxi).
Trains run Monday to Saturday
0500-2250 and Sunday 0800-2200.
Alternatively there is a good
network of buses colectivos
covering a very wide radius and
are frequent, efficient and very
fast. The basic fare is US$0.30.
Taxis are painted yellow and black,
and carry Taxi flags. The meter
starts when the flag goes down. A
charge is sometimes made for each
piece of hand baggage (ask first).

First night
Head for Puerto Madero, where
there is a large selection of good
mid-range places to eat and
drink. Stroll around the area and
appreciate the stylishly renovated
19th-century docks, old sailing
ships and painted cranes.
Tango in Buenos Aires
Tango is the countrys most famous musical
form. It evolved in the ports of Buenos Aires in
the late 19th century. Try a class and then see
the experts at a show such as El Viejo Almcen.

Top 5 sights and attractions

Recoleta Cemetery

Tue-Fri 1230-2030, Sat and Sun

0930-2030
Recoleta is famous for its
cemetery, which is like a miniature
city with its narrow streets
weaving between imposing
family mausoleums built in every
imaginable architectural style,
with a vast congregation of stone
angels on their roofs.
The cemetery is the resting place
of Eva Pern, along with other
notable Argentines. Nearby, the
former Jesuit church of El Pilar is
a beautiful example of colonial
architecture dating from 1732. To
negotiate this enormous labyrinth,
a guided tour is recommended.

Palermo Viejo

Palermo Viejo is often known

as Palermo Soho, due to its
similarities with SoHo in New
York, and represents the most
atmospheric and oldest part of
Palermo.

4
2

Palermo is a very seductive place,

with its cobbled streets lined with
trees and tall bohemian houses. A
fashionable place to live, there are
plenty of trendy shops and chic
bars.

Even if you loathe shopping,

Palermo Viejo will appeal since
the whole area is wide open
and relaxed, and it retains the
quiet atmosphere of a residential
district.
Eva Pern was the second wife of President
Juan Pern. She served as the First Lady of
Argentina and was an active campaigner for
female suffrage. She has become a part of
popular culture, immortalised in the musical
Evita. She is buried in La Recoleta Cemetery.

2 San Telmo
San Telmo is one of the few
areas where buildings have
survived from the mid-19th
century, crumbling and largely
unchanged. It is the citys
most atmospheric barrio and a
delightful place to stroll around
and explore the artists studios
and small museums hidden in its
narrow streets.

4 Caf Tortoni
This famous Buenos Aires caf has
been the elegant haunt of artists
and writers for over 150 years. It
remains atmospheric, with marble
columns, stained-glass ceilings, old
leather chairs and photographs of
its famous clientele on the walls.
Worth a visit for the interesting pea
evenings of poetry and music, and
jazz and tango.

Milongas

Milongas are extremely popular

among younger Porteos, since
Tango underwent a revival a few
years ago. You can take a class
and get a good feel for the music,
before the dancing starts a couple
of hours later. Classes are given all
over the city, cost is usually US$4
and even complete beginners are
welcome.

Where next?
Argentine wines are excellent and
drinkable throughout the price
range. Red grape varieties of Merlot,
Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and
the white Torrontes are particularly
recommended; try brands Lurton,
Norton, Bianchi, Trapiche or Etchart
in any restaurant.

Take an overnight bus (16 hours),

or a more expensive, but much
shorter, flight to Iguaz falls.
Alternatively take a trip to Tigre,
one of the citys most popular
weekend destinations, which
is situated on the edge of the
magnificent river delta.