RedStater

It's our first visit to Argentina. Eight days in January in Buenos Aires with my wife, and then I'm off to a seven week solo bicycle tour of the country.

We're booked into the Tango B&B (in Belgrano neighborhood) for the BA week.

I'm getting together a shortlist of to-do's while we're there. The guidebook suggestions are all very well, but I'm seeking a variety of input from an eclectic bunch of people. To those of you with experience in Buenos Aires...what were your top ten experiences and/or daytrip destinations in BA and its environs? What BA-specific events or destinations did you find most memorable? What, in your opinion, did you find most pleasant?

teach2travel

You can click on my name for a trip reprt, but here are 10 things I enjoyed (in no particular order):
1) Opera Pampa dinner and show (way better than a tango show)
2) Cafe Tortoni (touristy yes, but the atmospher is real and it's a love ly walk back towards the Casa Rosada)
3)The fabulous beef and the food in general - I didn't have a bad meal in 2 weeks.
4) Museo Xul Solar - the art of an eccentric and interesting man.
5) Recoleta Cememtary - I went three times to admire the monuments.
6)Feria Mataderos - a street market in a real neighborhood. I loved it and saw only one other tourist.
7) A day trip or a weekend to an estancia and to visit San Antonio de Areco
8) A long walk along Avenida Santa Fe with frequent stops for cafe cortado.
9) The Evita Museum
10) If you speak Spanish - realizing after a day or two that you have figured out the accent and are no longer wondering what on earth people want when they ask for your apejido instead of apellido or asking what cajuh your hotel is on instead of calle.

You will love Buenos Aires. I can't wait to return.
(AV - I know you'll ask so it's tentative for the month of October 2009. I plan to rent an apartment and stay at least a moth -possibly with a little side trip to Easter Island to mark my 40th birthday (a once in a lifetime destination to mark a milestone birthday).

Scarlett

If there is time, after taking that walk along Santa Fe, on another day, you can do the same thing along Libertador, going from Recoleta to Palermo, or the other way around, stopping at the cafes and parks along the way.

ElPelar

Red Stater

Here are some of my best items. I just got back yesterday from 3 weeks in Argentina.

But first, an opinion- the Tango B and B is somewhat funky, despite some of the reviews you may see. I stayed there 2 days and my observations:
- Facility is very busy, has lots of people in and out.
- Facility is somewhat run down.
- Bathroom not clean
- Very high street noise
- Noisy from lots of people in and out
- They require a deposit ahead of time sent by Western Union, which costs additional $20-30 US. For this extra money, you can stay in a much nicer place. If you can afford around $100-$150, there are some great small boutique hotels in town that give a more tranquil experience.
If you tell me your budget, I can make some other recommendations.

Top places:
- Museum of Fine Arts
- Museum of Hispanoamerican Art
- San Telmo and Boca Areas: street tango, antique shops, cafes
- Recoletta Cemetary
- Florida Avenue walking tour
- Eat ice cream at Volta (there is one on Santa Fe)
- Casa Rosada Area
- Saturday/Sunday Markets: in many areas, including Belgrano, San Telmo, Recolleta, etc.
- Eat a fresh hot, baked empanada at a local stand
-Tigre: take one of the trains and stay for a night; check out the canals, the city art museum

susanna

Teach: can you tell me a little more about #6. It is on my to do list for Feb but I haven't read too much about it, thanks.

Great post Redstater, I'm looking for the same kinds of tips.

Scarlett

Oh the Feria de Mataderos is fun!
http://www.buenostours.com/feria-de-mataderos
Grab a taxi in the am, it will cost around (probably a little over) $30 pesos ... shop, listen to the music, watch the gauchos dance, shop and eat .. and see the Gaucho show which is all about the horses.
They are only on Sundays.
So if you have two weekends in BA, you can spend one Saturday in Recoleta at the Hippie Feria, Sunday in San Telmo and the following Sunday in Mataderos.

On Libertador you can walk from one fabulous museum to another, passing through wonderful parks, past Embassies, mansions and nice cafes..
there is the MALBA, the Museum of Decorative Arts and the Belle Artes.. in Recoleta also is the Palais de Glace.. a museum with a changing collection/exhibits that is housed in what was originally an ice rink, with a glass domed ceiling.. just lovely.

The Recoleta Cemetary, Puerto Madero and the Ecological Reserve and in Belgrano is Chinatown, fun for a short visit..and maybe lunch .

Look at this hotel in Recoleta.. just in case you decide to stay somewhere else..
www.artsuites.com.ar

RedStater

Yikes, ElPelar, wish I'd know this before making the booking. The TripAdvisor reviews were uniformly excellent. Ah well...they have a deposit from me, so unless I care to forfeit it, I'm committed.

I'm something of a military history buff. Any interesting museums?

Thanks for all the excellent suggestions so far...keep'em coming, please.

Scarlett

...there is the MALBA, the Museum of Decorative Arts and the Belle Artes.. in Recoleta also is the Palais de Glace.. a museum with a changing collection/exhibits that is housed in what was originally an ice rink, with a glass domed ceiling.. just lovely."...
There is a map called the Mapa de las Artes and it is just Great! It is a guide to all the visual arts venues in BA. It is done by zona (neighborhood) so it is easy to find everything..
My goal is to go to every place in the book..there are 129 pages

teach2travel

My only additions to Scarlet's info on Mataderos are:
- The nearest ATM is a long ways away so make sure to take plenty of cash (fortunately my return taxi driver was willing to take me to an atm so I could pay him).
- Visit the museum. It's not so much that it is a great museum, but more that it has obviously been put together with love and pride by the community.

susanna

Thanks Scarlette, great info on the website. It does say that Jan-Mar there is a scaled down version on Sat nights only, do you or anyone else know anything about this?

ElPelar

Hey, Red-

Well, even though you made a deposit on Tango, you can still move after a few nights and stay somewhere else. If you are on a budget, try B and B Olleros 3000, which is in the same area of town. If you can afford more, try some of the boutique hotels and treat yourself.

For good eats, try Parilla Fuego on Avenida Cabildo in Bellgrano. For ice cream, try Freddo or Volta stores, especially the dulce de leche con brownie and chocolate con amargo flavors!

lostbeforearrival

I found a lot of historical/naval musuems in my researching. I know in Tigre (which seems a great day trip) there are a few nautical museums with history having to do with the independence of Buenos Aires and the wars. Also, in Plaza San Martin there is the Circulo Militar that seems to have a heavy importance due to its purely regal presence. Take a look here - this should be good information
http://www.buenosairesstay.com/tigre...ttractions.htm

http://www.circulomilitar.org/ --Circulo Militar in Plaza San Martin

Also, in San Telmo there is a City Museum concerning history and political pasts.

RedStater

Here's a thought...how about a soccer game? I understand that they're real events in BA.

Avrooster, do you know where I can find a schedule of matches in BA from 1/21 -1/27 2009?

dreiff

Hi RedStater: Unfortunately, the regular soccer season ends this weekend (12/15) although it may be extended a week or so due to a potential tie in the standings. Taking a look at your dates, you may be able to catch a "summer season" match in one of the country's provinces. They normally play short cups in Salta, Mendoza and Mar del Plata during Jan & Feb. I haven't seen an offiical schedule yet but if you understand some spanish, check for news updates here: www.afa.org.ar or www.bocajuniors.com.ar/listado_notas.php. Hope you have a blast.

avrooster

That's right RedStater, there isn't much soccer during our summer.

I suggest you check the websites mentioned by dreiff, but don't expect much.

Have great time in our country.

susanna

I had wanted to attend a soccor game also, will they be playing again by the end of Feb when I am there?

dreiff

Yes Susanna. The kickoff of the regular season normally starts in mid Feb. In 2008 for example, it started on 2/10. Check the AFA site I posted above in early 2009 for the latest.