Photography courtesy of Destino Argentina
Known as the Paris of South America, Buenos Aires’ lively streets, European-inspired buildings, delicious food, and chic, laidback vibe make it a must-stop South American destination. Made up of 48 barrios or nieghbourhoods, Buenos Aires is a city filled with rich character and loads of history. While it would be hard to cover all the amazing sights in Buenos Aires, we’ve picked our faves for a quick visit.
Recoleta
Recoleta is a French-inspired neighbourhood with chic streets, buildings with little Parisian balconies, shops and cafés. We stopped by the Recoleta Cemetery to spend a few hours in the afternoon. Very similar to Père Lachaise in Paris, the cemetery is filled with tombs with beautiful architectural details along narrow pathways. It’s home to the mausoleum of Argentina’s most famous female, Eva Perón, and other notable Argentines.
Palermo
We fell in love with this exclusive part of Buenos Aries for the shopping and the streets lined with adorable cafés. But there’s a lot to offer in this barrio. The Museo Evita is a great place to learn about Eva Perón’s life and cultural impact on Argentina. And the Parque la Heras is a lush park where the local crowd relaxes mid-afternoon.
Plaza de Mayo
The Plaza de Mayo is the central square in the heart of Buenos Aries. Bustling with locals, performers dancing, artisans selling goods and vendors on foot with bread and sweets, the square is alive with all things that make Buenos Aries such a hip city. It’s where all major events happen in the city, political or otherwise, and the colonial-style Pink House or Casa Rosada is the main government building. It’s the perfect photo op to capture the liveliness of the city and the pretty architecture of the government house.
San Telmo
The oldest section of the city is known as the birthplace of Buenos Aries. If you’re in town on a Sunday, be sure to stop by Plaza Dorrego to catch the antiques fair and possibly make a great second-hand find that will be one of a kind back home.
Puerto Madero
Puerto Madero
From the oldest section of Buenos Aries to the newest — Puerto Madero is home to hip restaurants, new hotels, clubs and cafés all along the waterfront. It’s a modern take on the old city — it still has the charm and Euro-feel of the rest of Buenos Aries, but with a hip, young and distinctly modern essence. You’ll also find the best romantic photo op here at the Puente de La Mujer (Bridge of Woman). Opened in 2001, the bridge has spectacular night views of the city and the slick design is meant to look like a plane taking flight.
Catedral Metropolitana
Buenos Aries has many beautiful churches to admire, and we really suggest just walking the streets and peeking into as many as you can. One of the most popular churches is the Catedral Metropolitana. The facade of the church might be a bit confusing, as it more closely resembles a museum than a church with the lack of tours and a line of pillars at the entrance. But it’s charming baroque-style interior is captivating, with a mausoleum to one of Argentina’s great independence heroes, General San Martin, as the central focus.
