Lose Yourself in the Paris of South America - Buenos Aries
- sdhammond2
- Mar 25
- 11 min read
Updated: Apr 9
Buenos Aries provides an incredible array of food, culture and historical and architectural sites making this a must see destination.
Buenos Aires, the vibrant capital of Argentina, is a city that captivates with its European charm and Latin American soul. From the elegant streets of Recoleta, home to grand architecture and the famous cemetery, to the colorful houses and tango-filled alleys of La Boca, every corner tells a story. Palermo bursts with trendy cafés, lush parks, and buzzing nightlife, while San Telmo exudes old-world charm with its cobblestone streets and antique markets. The city’s warmth extends beyond its lively culture—its people are welcoming, and the food is unforgettable, from sizzling steaks to delicious empanadas. Buenos Aires is an experience like no other!
Imagine our excitement when we knew the best option was to fly to Buenos Aries first on our way to join an expedition beginning in Ushuaia. At first, when you leave the airport, driving seems to be chaotic. Since we went in what would be their late summer, it was hot and humid as expected. Driving to our hotel, the scenery reminded me a bit like Miami where we lived for a good period of time. Fascinating to see the vistas of open lands, farm lands with interspersed neighborhoods. Cars seem to randomly veer off and park in the middle the highway where a greenway or boulevard exists only to break out a small soccer practice or game. We arrived in the Recoleta area and finished in Maduro enjoying La Boca, Palmero and city center in between taking in the peaceful, yet energetic lifestyle of the residents of Buenos Aries. We even had a chance to hop a ferry across for a full day at Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay. Our itinerary which was five days broken up into two parts given our expedition from Ushuaia.
Recoleta
Arriving mid day, our day was a bit cut up. Note, most hotels will not have your room ready until 3PM despite your best efforts. Our hote, Hotel Emperador. Beautiful hotel lobby, bar and dining room. Reception desk, was typical with friendly staff but not necessarily top of the service game. Rooms were comfortable, and nice but not remarkable. Given we could get to the room, we decided to first exchange money. The hotel suggested a "Gambia", money changer a few roads over. Of course we go lost for abit. Note: Rates are reasonable at the Gambia to exchange to Pesos. I'd question them exchanging for US Dollar though.
We decided to explore the area around the hotel a bit then grab a quick bite. Pizza is everywhere as is Italian and you can grab empanadas anywhere about every 100 feet. We chose to go down the road and close to the hotel to a place called La Torre de Retiro. The place was bustling and given mid week, appeared to be a regular work day crowd. Grabbed a table and ordered from a super friendly and very busy waiter. About 4 Empanadas (fresh, sizable and wonderful), and two (local) beers put us under $20US. Leaving here, we checked in, and moved back on to scout the area. The parks and cemetery are close walking distance. Check out the park (Gomera de Recoleta) near the entrance of Recoleta cemetery. Apparently, very dog friendly and with a lot of old fig trees.
We did not want to go into the cemetery late afternoon and rush it since it closed at 6PM so we decided to walk to the Bookstore (El Ateneo Grande Splendid) named by National
Geographic as the "world's most beautiful bookstore" in 2019. It is free to enter and worth the 30 min walk around. It's an old converted theatre so you'll see beautiful ceiling painting and a nice cafe up front where the stage is if you want a Cafe con Leche and wish to spend more time there.
From the Bookstore, we decided to walk back to the hotel stopping but take in Argentina's largest university The Faculty of Law which also had a park surrounding it an incredible sculpture of a giant, mechanical flower: Floralist Generica. Thsi sculpture was inaugurated in 2002 and has photoelectric cells and hydraulics that enable it to open and close depending upon the light. They were not working at the time we visited. It's 20 meters in height so it is quite impressive. Also, there is a lot of activity around it at night when it is lit up and airplanes from the nearby airport crossing over.
We made our way back, freshened up and went back out to grab dinner at a famous Argentine white pizza restaurant near the Obelisk (city center) called Guerrin. Directly in theatre district. There ar emany options, but we went with the world acclaimed Fugazzata pizza and beer. It's a large, thick crust think with white cheese and onions pizza. Excellent and filling. The place was packed both with people seated and with locals getting carry out. Walking back to your hotel helps work off those calories. For us, it also meant getting
pictures at the Obelisk which at sunset is packed with people. Getting a great shot here is near impossible.
Note: if you do walk back in the evening, be watchful. Crime rate is a concern here, but it seemed like police were present on nearly every block. We did not feel threatened, but note anyway.
The next day was focused on grabbing a late breakfast locally, changing more money, visiting the Recoleta Cemetery and some night time photography at the Floralis Generica. Walking the Recoleta area, you can see there is quite a bit of wealth. When you get to the cemetery and inside, which will cost you about $20-25 per person, you see even more wealth with incredible monuments. The monuments are for prominent families costing half a million US dollars or more and hold multiple family members including the Peron family
(Evita Peron). Many are being renuevated and even leased out to other families. Walking this will take you a couple of hours and worth the visit.
Leaving the cemetery at closing hour (6PM) we grabbed pizza near by and on the way to the Floralis Generica to get some sunset pictures.
As expected, there was quite a crowd who also wanted to see the sunset against this iconic sculpture, watch airplanes go by and see the sculpture light up. I am a sucker for blue hour as I am for sunset. So here are both for you to judge. Note: the sunset was a bit disappointing as the sun sets behind some tall buildings so the 'reverse sunset would have been better. My take on the Floralis Generica.
Palermo
The next day was off to Ushuaia with a return giving us another 3 days of which one was used to visit Uruguay. On return, our taxi (an Taxi's are very reasonable here), took 3 hours to get to our boutique hotel in Palermo which should have taken an hour. Traffic is unpredictable here. Our hotel, the 1828 Smart Hotel, was charming for under $200 / night which included breakfast. While there were a lot of restaurants and fashionable clubs for nightlife, we were not positioned for this since most of our clothes were for an expedition. Given it was late, we grabbed something to eat at Lo de Bette at the hotel manager's recommendation. This turned out to be one of my favorites as it felt local with many people meeting each other for casual food and conversation. Very inexpensive.
What was charming about the area was the small, grid like network of streets, and nightlife on them. We found ourselves walking around the area and toward the Jardín Botánico Carlos Thays, a small botanical garden. Returning and having the chance to enjoy some wine at the hotel, we had the main attraction for dinner La Cabrera Norte - again, a short walk from the hotel. Wow what a selection. I was advised to only order one steak for two of us as it came with extras. The NY Strip was more than enough and so were the side dishes along with a bottle of Malbec and topped with a massive dessert ringed with 3 large scoops of Dulce de Leche. They sure love Dulce de leche here in BA. All in all it was great. The restaurant did have a very commercial feel to it, nit bad, but somewhat like going to Buca Di Bepo. It will not be cheap either. Expect to spend $200 US dollars or more with wine. Regardless reviews and recommendations lead us here over the overly popular, touristy and expensive Don Julio.
Madero
Our next day was to transit to the last, and my favorite hotel: The Faena. Wow! The most incredible hotel I've ever stayed at. The staff was meticulous,. attentive, helpful and polished. I've stayed at a lot of 5 star hotels in my life an incredible boutiques, This hotel felt like the Alfonso XIII in Sevilla. Grand but not pretentious, opulent but not gaudy, formal yet not stuffy at all. It actually felt relaxed and like home. It is also very close to the Maduro
River and the Puente de la MeJur bridge (famous bridge great for photography). This location is very close to hundreds of great restaurants along the river, close to the ferry and also La Boca. This hotel was an option on our American Express World's Luxury hotel list and was how we chose to use up a lot of our points. We received a wonderful upgrade on the room as well which essentially was like a small apartment with two bathrooms, dining area, sitting area, etc. The pool is pretty fantastic too although we did not use it. It looked like a Hollywood who's who scene - similar to the pool at the Roosevelt Hotel located in Hollywood.
Our first day and evening were spent walking around the area and taking some day time pictures The area was booming with new construction and felt similar to Brickell in Miami: clean, newer, affluent, financial district. In the evening, I set out to plant my tripod (which I brought for this specifically as it had some nice long exposure opportunities). As with the Floralis Generica, I took sunset and Blue hour photos from different angles of the Puente de la Mujer. Check out the angles around the river if you go to photography as there are many hidden pockets. Finished shooting photos, my wife an I walked across the river to a wonderful and reasonable Italian Restaurant: La Parolaccia. Excellent food, ambiance and service. The interior was more modern than Italian and a bit like a Houston's Steak House in the US. Not exactly, but modern, wood, clean, wide window views.
La Boca
Our last day (third as we went to Uruguay day two) was rainy. we took our time with breakfast and lunch. As it turned out, we were seated next to Sting who was there conducting business or planning an event. Two times. I am sure he felt were were stalking him. We were all captive due to the rain. The rain broke later in the afternoon so we grabbed a Taxi to La Boca. This a bit too far to walk and thru less than desirable areas. The hotel manager suggested we do not bring camera gear. Theft is a big concern. We spent a few hours shooting iPhone pictures more of the facades of many painted buildings and people than anything else. Do not forget to take a walk to see the stadium for the La Boca Juniors! Soccer (Futbol) is everywhere here and is a religion.
There are a lot of street marts and a lot of hawkers here selling you everything including getting a picture taken with THE World Cup trophy (there are literally a hundred of these 'original trophies and hawkers). Finished for the day and just in time as thunderstorm came as we entered the taxi. Taxi ride will cost you about $10 US dollars.
Time to pack for our late night flight out of EZE.
Tips & Insights
Things start later in the day. Breakfast becomes a 10-11 am cafe, many parks open after 10 am. Restaurants will be making ready for the late lunch time and dinner time guests
Getting Around: It's a walkable city. Cabs are safe and inexpensive. There is a subway, but it was not our choice to use this mode of transportation like other cities as the subway seemed less convenient where we were
Gratuities: round up for Taxis or not at all and 10% for restaurants. No need for other tips here
Cash or Credit? We heard from many that cash was preferable and a savings. That was not our experience. We used AMEX, VISA and cash split evenly. Our go to is always AMEX to keep every expense together, but like all other countries, many places do not accept AMEX. Many did accept AMEX unlike in France and other countries that frown on use of AMEX.
Explore the Nooks & Crannies Side streets provide great local shops to explore and specifically if you like wine. I never felt threatened or concerned during the daytime. Be cautious at night and don;t bring your expensive camera gear
Navigating: Navigate by zones. Like I have outlined, pick key areas and hotels central in those zones close to what you wish to see.
What to Eat: all of the food we had is excellent. Clearly, you will not and should not miss eating your share of Empanadas, Pizza and Dulce de Leche. Don't miss out on the Fugazzata, Gelato and the incredible Argentine beef.
What to Wear: Like any big city, manner of dress can vary but generally very casual from shorts, to jeans. Just about anything casual is fine, but don't be conspicuous showing your midriff wearing loud clothes, etc. The local teenagers might appear that way, but you should not.
Culture?: Futbol rules and in addition to Argentina national team and Boca Juniors futbol, Tango is everywhere. While I did not take in a show specifically, you'll find many Street performer duos on the bridges, in parks, and streets. Take it in.
Must Do & See: I've covered them all in this blog but missed out on the wineries and Tango. Also note that it is worth the ferry ride, $45 per person each way to Uruguay for the day visit in Colonia del Sacramento.
Our experience
Buenos Aries is not just a stopover city on your way to Ushuaia like we did. It should be a destination. There are many different areas and facets to Buenos Aries much like New York or Chicago. Each has its own micro-culture, look and feel. What is a constant: Italian. And, good Italian but with an Argentine flair.
We spend 5 days ( 4 full days) here and there were many other things we could have done such as visit the wineries nearby as well as San Telmo which we did get to. Night life appeared to vibrant although that was not for us. We did not get around to Casa Rosada (Pink House - Seat of Executive Power), Piramide de Mayo ( monument to the revolution in 1811), Metropolitan Cathedral and many other landmarks so there is a lot more to cover depending upon the experience you want. We wanted a round sampling of the regions food and culture and photography where possible. On this note, street photography is great, but landscape photography is limited.
In regard to the culture, I felt 'familiar' and friendly. If you come from any English-speaking country, you will feel right at home. Many speak some level of English, and those who do not speak English will work with you. With Google Translate, this is easy to overcome now.
Prices seem to be about 10% ish less than the U.S. for comparison. Depending on where you are at within the city, it can be more. Overall, this seems to be a fair assessment. You can pretty much estimate what you might spend on anything and per day in US dollars and trim by 10%. Of course this can change as Javier Milei's government is having a solid impact on their economy.
Have you been to Buenos Aries yourself? Send me a note.
Join me on this journey, and let's explore the world through the lens of my camera together.
Please visit: FineArt America - Steve Hammond
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