We will be in BA at the end of May. Our return flight is scheduled for Sunday, May 25 at 8:20 pm.
We are considering using the day to go to Feria de Mataderos at around 10:30 am after it opens and then getting back to our hotel (Marriott) by 4pm, leaving for Ezeiza the latest at 4:30 pm w. a remise.

I'd appreciate some advice from locals.

1) May 25 is a holiday. Are the flea markets open on a holiday?
2) If so, is the above plan for the day reasonable?

Thanks in advance for any advice re. above.

We were just talking to a friend about going to the Feria de Mataderos some Sunday.
He said it starts around noon, I googled and it seems to start around 11 - noon.. also while you can shop and sample the foods, I believe the Gauchos and dancing starts later in the afternoon..
This is a very helpful blog where you can get all sorts of info..I am giving you the page with the Feria info..
Hope it helps

http://movingtoargentina.typepad.com...de_matade.html

I cannot answer the question of whether Mataderos is open on 25 mayo...I think so, but I am not certain of this...

Otherwise, your plan sounds reasonable. It will take at least half-an-hour to get to Mataderos. If you leave at 11 you should arrive at 11:30. You would not need to return until 3:30. This will leave plenty of time to shop, eat lunch, watch the dancing and Gauchos before heading back. I usually get there either just after lunch or just before lunch and the dancing is normally underway before I arrive...the horseback riding starts sometime after lunch....

Suzanna:

First, I see no reason why the Feria de Mataderos should not be open on May 25.

http://www.feriademataderos.com.ar/www/historia.htm

This is my suggestion:

Hire a reliable remise from 10 AM to 5 PM.

Put all your luggage in the car. Go first to the Feria de San Telmo.

http://www.feriadesantelmo.com/menu.htm

When you are done with that, go to the Feria de Mataderos WHICH IS ON THE WAY TO THE AIRPORT.

Have a great time in our town.

Thanks to all of you for the very quick, helpful and interesting suggestions.

I am intrigued by Avrooster's advise, it would have never occured to me to hire a remise for the day. It sounds like an option which would allow me to have my cake and eat it too. I would have loved to see both markets and the 25th will be my only Sunday in town, but I do not want to miss my plane.

Avrooster, would you have a sense for how much it could cost to hire a remise from 10-5pm? Also can I trust that I will not have to worry about my luggage in any shape and form if I leave it with the remise driver? At the airport they always ask you if you left your packed luggage with anyone, etc. Have you heard anyone else doing this? I would love to do it as suggested. Do you know of any very reliable remise companies?

Thanks again,

Suzanna

Well, Suzanna, that was exactly the idea: "an option which would allow me to have my cake and eat it too."

"Reliable" is the key word here. The Marriott can certainly provide such transportation, but it could be comparatively expensive (I don't know how much). Ask them about it.

Once you are in town, perhaps you can find a trustworthy remise company that is cheaper than what the Marriott offers.

BTW, it is a matter of taste, but I much prefer San Telmo (very touristy) over Mataderos (a little more authentic) and San Telmo is comparatively NEAR the Marriott, which means you would not need the remise for the day.

Whatever you decide to do, you'll have a great time in our town.

Thanks again avrooster. I will try to figure out how to plan this out. Obviously when I head for the airport I will have with me everything that I would otherwise leave in the safe (passport, tickets, etc.) and not take with me to a street fair.

At what time does the San Telmo market open in May? How much time does it take to get (with a cab) from the Marriott to the San Telmo market?

Maybe others can chime in based on their experience and comments. While I love the idea, I would not want to surprise myself with a huge problem before my departure. Would I be overly "adventuresome" following Avrooster's enticing suggestion? We will evaluate.

If you decide to go just to San Telmo, spending there from 11.30 or noon until 4 PM would be fine.

Take an early (12.30) lunch, before it gets too crowded.

Do some research for restaurants. There is a nice French place, several places for steak, etc.

There will be no traffic on a Sunday. A cab should get you there in ten minutes.

This is the Feria de Mataderos website:

http://www.feriademataderos.com.ar/www/historia.htm

See here a recent comment about the Marriott and San Telmo from yours truly:

Hotels,Buenos Aires?Sheraton, Marriottt?

Thanks for your help avrooster.

&quot;<i> I will try to figure out how to plan this out. Obviously when I head for the airport I will have with me everything that I would otherwise leave in the safe (passport, tickets, etc.) and not take with me to a street fair. </i>

You have to carry your passport and tickets with you. You cannot leave them in a hired car .. if you were to leave your things at the hotel, you could leave them in the hotel safe..but as reliable as a remiss might be, I would not risk leaving passports and tickets anywhere but a safe or in my purse.

Personally, this looks a little frantic for a last day in town..
You need 4-5 hours at the airport..
I don't think the Feria de Mataderos really gets going until later in the afternoon..it is just one street and I among others have been advised not to leave that main area..it is not in a great neighborhood.

And there are people who have said they did not like it that much.

I rarely hear anyone saying that they did not like San Telmo on a Sunday and wishing they had more time there.. You can get there as early as you wish, have coffee and medialunas, wander the streets, you will love the area, forget about the actual Feria! ( which I always skip now-too crowded, too touristy) But for a touirst..it is fun..you can have lunch later in the day and this will tide you over til the flight..

Our friends who fly here from NY do this all the time, they have a late lunch somewhere on flying day, then they sleep on the plane And who is sorry they were too full of good BA food to miss the Airplane meal? lol.

Another thing..the Mataderos is a bit of a ride out to the outskirts of town..San Telmo is much closer .

I see you have been asking elsewhere Suzanna, which is, of course, your privilege.

Allow me to tell you that, unless you are shopping for something you expect to find there, it does not make sense to go to San Telmo on any day, except Sunday.

And if it rains on May 25, skip the fairs, go to one or two of our museums located near the Recoleta area, or to a mall, if you don't enjoy museums, have a nice lunch and head for the airport with plenty of time.

Have a great time in our town.

<i>Allow me to tell you that, unless you are shopping for something you expect to find there, it does not make sense to go to San Telmo on any day, except Sunday.</i>

I don't understand this statement..except for the Flea Market and huge crowds, San Telmo is the same every day .. We have had lunch at outdoor cafes and watched Tango dancers during the week, the stores are all open .. Mondays some stores close - otherwise, everything is open every day.

It is the same place/neighborhood, every day of the week, except for the flea market..and there is a huge Mercado right in the middle of the area that is open every day.

If I had my heart set on seeing the Mataderos and hated to miss San Telmo, this is a way of doing both.

It seems that my innocent question generated a lot of good discussion. I love to hear many opinions; obviously people have different interests, view points, likes and dislikes, etc.

While it sounded like a potential great approach, I will not try to see both places on the day of my departure. I would not like to wake up with unexpected surprises and too much excitement... I would feel very uncomfortable leaving all my luggages with a remise driver; I would not know how to find one that is unquestionnably reliable .... Also walking around around with my most important papers, money, (if any is left after all the shopping ) in places which are very crowded would take away some of the fun. We love to dance (not the Argentinian tango which we never learned - shame on us); if I went to Mataderos on a nice day I could see ourselves dancing with everyone else; but not with my large travel purse.... So I will have to make a big decision when time comes. Some of the links that are in this post were very useful. It is amazing how generous this community is with their time and advice. Thanks again to all of you and I will come back for more.

I guess we'll still be here. LOL!!!