Buenos Aires, Argentina
A grand European capital that landed on the wrong continent and never quite balanced the books
Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina and home to roughly three million people in the city proper, with another twelve million or so in the sprawl around it. It has the boulevards, opera house and café culture of Paris, the football of Naples and an economy nobody has managed to steady in eighty years.
Pedro de Mendoza's expedition planted a settlement on the Río de la Plata in 1536 and was starved out of it within five years; Juan de Garay's refounding in 1580 is the one that stuck, and the one the city dates itself from. For two centuries it was a backwater that lived on contraband, until Spain made it capital of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata in 1776. The city repelled two British invasions in 1806 and 1807, threw out the viceroy in May 1810, and became the federal capital in 1880. The half-century that followed was its golden age: beef and grain exports made Argentina one of the richest countries on earth, and millions of Italians and Spaniards arrived to build the Paris of South America. Perón, coups, the 1976–83 dictatorship, the 2001 collapse and chronic inflation have been the story since.
The Autonomous City is 48 barrios inside the ring road, Avenida General Paz, and the Riachuelo, with about three million people; the conurbano beyond holds another twelve million or so. The centre is Plaza de Mayo and the Casa Rosada, the Microcentro's banks and the Avenida 9 de Julio, which claims to be the widest street in the world, with the Obelisco in the middle of it. South are San Telmo's cobbles and antiques and La Boca's painted tin houses and football ground; on the old docks, Puerto Madero is the glass-towered new district. North along the river run the money and the good addresses — Retiro, Recoleta with its cemetery and cafés, Palermo's parks, restaurants and design shops, then Belgrano and Núñez. In the middle, Almagro, Caballito, Villa Crespo and Chacarita are where the city's ordinary life, and increasingly its bars, actually are.
It is a city that reads, argues and stays up late. Dinner is at ten, the boliches open at two, and the milongas — where tango is danced rather than performed — run all night in Almagro and Villa Crespo. The Teatro Colón is one of the great opera houses; El Ateneo bookshop occupies a former theatre; MALBA and the Bellas Artes hold the art; the bares notables serve café con leche and medialunas under century-old ceilings. Food means the asado, the parrilla, Neapolitan-descended pizza by the slice, empanadas, dulce de leche and Malbec, with a more adventurous scene in Palermo and Chacarita. Football is the religion: Boca Juniors at La Bombonera and River Plate at the Monumental, and the Superclásico between them. The city also has more psychoanalysts per head than anywhere else, and a polo season in Palermo in November.
The hard parts begin with money. Argentina has lived with inflation for decades, prices change monthly, and the peso's exchange rate has been a national obsession; the current austerity programme has tamed it somewhat while making life harder for many porteños, and visitors should check the rate and the rules the week they arrive. Petty crime is real — phone snatching by motochorros, distraction thefts on the Subte, and a caution about wandering La Boca beyond the Caminito. Protests close the Avenida de Mayo regularly; transport strikes are routine; summer is hot and humid and winter grey. The Subte is small for a city this size. What it offers is a grand, literate, affectionate European city at South American prices for those holding dollars, with the warmest street life on the continent and a café on every corner where nobody will hurry you.
Where People Live
Microcentro & Plaza de Mayo
The Casa Rosada, the cathedral and the Cabildo on the square where the country's history is shouted, then the banks, Calle Florida's arcades and the Obelisco on the 9 de Julio. Busy by day, empty by night.
San Telmo
The colonial quarter of cobbles, antique shops and old bars, with the Sunday street fair on Defensa and the covered market's food stalls. Tango tourism and genuine bohemia coexist.
La Boca
The old Genoese port with the painted houses of the Caminito and La Bombonera, Boca Juniors' ground. Visit by day, stay on the tourist streets, and go to a match if you possibly can.
Puerto Madero
The redeveloped docks — glass towers, the Puente de la Mujer, expensive steakhouses in the old warehouses and the Costanera Sur nature reserve behind them, the city's best walk.
Recoleta
The city's grandest quarter: the cemetery where Evita lies, the Bellas Artes museum, the Alvear's marble and the cafés of Avenida Quintana. Old money, French architecture and a weekend craft fair.
Palermo
The biggest barrio, split into Soho's boutiques and restaurants, Hollywood's bars and studios, Chico's embassies and the parks and the Rosedal. Where visitors stay and porteños go out.
Belgrano & Núñez
Leafy northern residential barrios with a small Chinatown, Barrancas park and, in Núñez, River Plate's Monumental stadium. The comfortable middle class lives here.
Villa Crespo, Almagro & Chacarita
The middle of the city — outlet shops on Aguirre, the milongas of Almagro, the Abasto market building, and Chacarita's cemetery and the new bars and restaurants that have grown up around it.
Restaurants & places to go
Airports
Ezeiza International Airport (EZE) 28 km to the centre
Buenos Aires (Ezeiza), B, AR — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 28 airlines (Aerolineas Argentinas, Sky Express, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, LAN Airlines…) · direct flights to 40 destinations incl. Sao Paulo, Rio De Janeiro, Santiago, Montevideo, Asuncion… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 28 airlines, 40 direct destinations
- Aerolineas Argentinas AR (737, 340, Embraer 190, 330) · 24 routes: Asuncion, Barcelona, Bogota, Brasilia, Cancun, Caracas, Cordoba, El Calafate, Iguazu Falls, Lima, Madrid, Mendoza*, Miami, Montevideo*, New York, Rio De Janeiro, Rome, Rosario*, San Carlos De Bariloche, Santa Cruz, Santiago*, Sao Paulo*, Trelew, Ushuaia
- Sky Express G3 (737-800, 737-700) · 6 routes: Curitiba, Florianopolis, Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, Rio De Janeiro, Sao Paulo
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines KL (777-200, 777, 737) · 5 routes: Amsterdam, El Calafate*, Montevideo*, Paris*, Santiago
- LAN Airlines LA (A320, A319, 767-300, 330, 787) · 5 routes: Guayaquil*, Lima, Rio De Janeiro*, Santiago, Sao Paulo*
- LAN Argentina 4M (777, 767-300) · 4 routes: Dallas-Fort Worth*, Miami, New York*, Punta Cana
- American Airlines AA (777) · 3 routes: Dallas-Fort Worth, Miami, New York
- TAM Brazilian Airlines JJ (A320, 330) · 3 routes: Asuncion, Rio De Janeiro, Sao Paulo
- TAM Mercosur PZ (A320) · 3 routes: Asuncion, Rio De Janeiro, Sao Paulo
- Air France AF (777-200) · 2 routes: Montevideo, Paris
- Avianca - Aerovias Nacionales de Colombia AV (330, A321) · 2 routes: Bogota, Lima
- AeroMéxico AM (762, 767-300, 777) · 1 route: Mexico City
- Air Canada AC (767-300) · 1 route: Santiago
- Air Europa UX (A330-200) · 1 route: Madrid
- Alitalia AZ (777-200) · 1 route: Rome
- Astrakhan Airlines OB (737-300) · 1 route: Santa Cruz
- BQB Lineas Aereas 5Q (ATR 72) · 1 route: Montevideo
- British Airways BA (777) · 1 route: London
- Conviasa V0 (330) · 1 route: Caracas
- Copa Airlines CM (737-800) · 1 route: Panama City
- Cubana de Aviación CU (IL9) · 1 route: Cunagua
- Delta Air Lines DL (76W) · 1 route: Atlanta
- Emirates EK (777-300ER) · 1 route: Rio De Janeiro
- Iberia Airlines IB (342, 345, A340-600) · 1 route: Madrid
- Lufthansa Cargo LH (747-400) · 1 route: Frankfurt
- Qatar Airways QR (777-200LR) · 1 route: Sao Paulo
- Sky Airline H2 (A319) · 1 route: Santiago
- Turkish Airlines TK (A340-300) · 1 route: Sao Paulo
- United Airlines UA (767-300) · 1 route: Houston
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (AEP) 5.8 km to the centre
Buenos Aires, C, AR — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 7 airlines (Aerolineas Argentinas, LAN Airlines, TRIP Linhas A, BQB Lineas Aereas…) · direct flights to 43 destinations incl. Salta, Sao Paulo, Bahia Blanca, Comodoro Rivadavia, Cordoba… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 7 airlines, 43 direct destinations
- Aerolineas Argentinas AR (737, Embraer 190) · 42 routes: Asuncion, Bahia Blanca, Catamarca*, Comodoro Rivadavia, Cordoba, Curitiba*, El Calafate, Esquel*, Florianopolis, Formosa*, Iguazu Falls, Jujuy, La Rioja*, Mar Del Plata, Mendoza, Montevideo, Neuquen, Parana*, Porto Alegre, Posadas, Punta del Este*, Resistencia, Rio De Janeiro, Rio Gallegos, Rio Grande, Rio Hondo*, Rosario*, Salta, San Carlos De Bariloche, San Juan, San Luis*, San Martin Des Andes*, San Rafael*, Santa Fe*, Santa Rosa*, Santiago, Santiago Del Estero, Sao Paulo, Trelew, Tucuman … +2 more
- LAN Airlines LA (A320) · 13 routes: Bahia Blanca*, Comodoro Rivadavia*, Cordoba*, Iguazu Falls, Mendoza, Neuquen*, Rio Gallegos*, Salta, San Carlos De Bariloche, San Juan, Santiago, Tucuman, Ushuaia*
- TRIP Linhas A 8R (Saab 340) · 4 routes: Mar Del Plata, Parana, Rosario, Santa Fe
- BQB Lineas Aereas 5Q (ATR 72) · 2 routes: Montevideo, Punta del Este
- Omni Air International OY (M82) · 2 routes: Puerto Madryn, Salta
- Sky Express G3 (737-800) · 1 route: Sao Paulo
- TAM Brazilian Airlines JJ (A320) · 1 route: Sao Paulo
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
El Palomar Airport (EPA) 21 km to the centre
El Palomar, B, AR — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day.
San Fernando Airport 25 km to the centre
San Fernando, B, AR — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day.
Quilmes Airport 17 km to the centre
Quilmes, B, AR
Ezpeleta Airport 23 km to the centre
Ezpeleta, B, AR
Getting there by ferry
Buquebus
Ferry terminal · 1.5 km from the centre · Buquebus
Sturla
Ferry terminal · 1.6 km from the centre
Terminal de Cruceros Quinquela Martín
Ferry terminal · 2.6 km from the centre
Colonia Express
Ferry terminal · 3.1 km from the centre · Colonia Express
Muelle Publico de San Isidro
Ferry terminal · 19 km from the centre · Sturla
Botero del Riachuelo
Ferry route
Puente Transbordador Nicolás Avellaneda
Ferry route · Vialidad Nacional
Hidrovértigo
Ferry route
Buquebus: Buenos Aires - Colonia del Sacramento
Ferry route · Buquebus
Buenos Aires - Colonia
Ferry route · Buquebus
Colonia Express: Buenos Aires - Colonia del Sacramento
Ferry route · Colonia Express
Buquebus: Buenos Aires - Montevideo
Ferry route · Buquebus
Buenos Aires - Montevideo
Ferry route · Buquebus
Local transit
Subte
Metro, bus · Six subte lines and the colectivo bus network. · Fares: SUBE card
Colectivos Buenos Aires
Bus · Buenos Aires · Schedules & GTFS data (official feed)
Trains & rail
Ferroexpreso Pampeano
Rail operator
Ferrovías S.A.C.
Rail operator
Metrovías
Rail operator
Trenes Argentinos Cargas
Rail operator
Trenes Argentinos Operaciones
Rail operator
Coaches & shuttles
Andesmar
Intercity coach
Private aviation
On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.
Air Charter Service
Broker · Any aircraft via operators worldwide · Global charter broker with 30+ offices; private jets, group charters and cargo.
ExecuJet
FBO, charter, management · Managed fleet · FBO network and management across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
Flexjet
Fractional, jet card · Embraer Praetor, Bombardier Challenger & Global, Gulfstream · Fractional ownership and jet cards in North America and Europe.
Global Jet
Charter, management · Large-cabin & VIP airliners · Geneva-based operator known for large-cabin and VIP airliner charters.
Jet Aviation
Charter, management, FBO, MRO · Managed fleet worldwide · General Dynamics company: charter, completions and FBOs in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the US.
Tours & experiences
Buenos Aires Tango & Steak Night
Cultural · 5 hours · from AR$85000/pp
Buenos Aires Food Tours
Food & Wine
Living Here
Getting about
- The Subte has six lines (A to E and H) and closes around 11pm; the colectivo buses run all night and go everywhere. A SUBE card, sold at kiosks and stations, pays for both and for the suburban trains out of Retiro, Constitución and Once.
- The city is flat and the grid is easy; the Ecobici bike scheme is free for short rides and the bike lanes are decent, though drivers are not.
- Ezeiza (EZE) is about 35 kilometres south-west and 45 minutes to an hour by taxi or the Tienda León shuttle; Aeroparque (AEP), on the river in Palermo, handles domestic flights, Uruguay and much of the region. Ferries to Montevideo and Colonia leave from Puerto Madero.
- Radio taxis are cheap and plentiful; Cabify, Uber and DiDi all operate. Avoid unmarked cabs at the airport.
Health
- Dial 911 for police, fire and ambulance in the city; 107 reaches the SAME ambulance service directly. Public hospitals — Fernández, Argerich, Ramos Mejía — treat anyone, including foreigners, at no charge, though waits are long.
- The private hospitals — Hospital Italiano, Hospital Alemán, Británico — are excellent and where insured residents and visitors go. Farmacity pharmacies are on every other corner and pharmacists will advise.
- Visitors should carry travel insurance; the private system bills, and a good policy makes the difference. Tap water is fine to drink; the summer sun and humidity are the main hazards.
Work & study
- The University of Buenos Aires (UBA) is free, enormous and the best in Latin America by most rankings, with Nobel laureates and a law faculty on the Avenida Figueroa Alcorta; Di Tella, UCA, San Andrés and the UTN engineering school are the private and technical alternatives.
- The economy is services, finance, government, media and the port, with a strong technology sector — Mercado Libre and Globant started here — and an outsized share of the country's professionals. Agriculture's money passes through the city rather than living in it.
- Salaries in pesos lose value fast, so anyone earning in dollars, including remote workers on the digital-nomad visa, is in a privileged position. Argentines' English is good and their patience with foreigners' Spanish is better.
Money & manners
- The Argentine peso. Cards and Mercado Pago QR codes are now accepted almost everywhere and the official and parallel exchange rates have largely converged, but check before you arrive; carry some cash for taxis and small shops. Tip around 10% in restaurants, in cash, and expect a small cubierto charge on the bill.
- Porteños greet with one kiss on the cheek, men included; conversation is loud, opinionated and affectionate, and complaining about the country is a national sport in which visitors should not join. Mate is shared, never refused rudely and never stirred.
- Dinner starts at 9 or 10pm and nightlife at 2am. Summer (December to February) is hot and humid, winter (June to August) mild and damp, and spring is when the jacarandas flower and the city looks its best.
- Keep phones out of sight on the street and on the Subte, do not leave bags on café chairs, and treat demonstrations as street theatre to walk around rather than through.