The “Paris of South America”: A Quick Guide to the Must-See Sights of Buenos Aires

While EZE is the main airport for international flights, AEP is much more convenient for domestic connections to Ushuaia or Iguazu Falls. AEP is significantly closer to the city centre on the Rio de la Plata coastline. This reduces your travel time from the airport to the city. Whenever possible, we try to always use this airport for our clients. (Although with Aerolineas Argentinas, Argentines’ national airline’s, propensity for schedule changes, this isn’t always easy.) 

Once you are settled, explore the main sights. Start in the Recoleta neighbourhood. Here you will find the Recoleta Cemetery. It is an extraordinary experience with elaborate mausoleums, including the final resting place of Argentina’s first lady, Evita (Eva Perón).

You must visit La Boca. This port district is known for its brightly painted houses and the street, El Caminito. It is full of colour and often has tango dancers performing. It is best to stay in the main tourist areas and visit during the day.

• Plaza de Mayo: The historical and political centre of the city, next to the Casa Rosada (the presidential palace).
• San Telmo: Known for its Sunday street market (Feria de San Telmo). You can look for antiques and see tango displays.
• Palermo: The largest area, with parks, the Botanical Garden, and shops. Not to be confused with the neighbouring suburb Belgrano which is a grittier area. A number of hotels Situation in Belgrano seems to sometimes accidentally put Palermo down as their address in online booking sites!

Like any city, be aware of your surroundings, especially in busy tourist areas. But in general, Buenos Aires is a safe city And its crime is nothing like Rio de Janeiro’s.  Petty theft, such as pickpocketing, happens, so keep your items secure. 

Use ride-sharing apps or radio taxis instead of hailing them on the street, especially at night.

Getting to and from La Boca is an obvious example of this. There are three or four streets which are clearly aimed at tourists and which are a lot of fun, but the rest of the area is quite frankly quite rough, and you really need a cab to and from; especially at night. 

The currency is the Argentine Peso. The exchange rate is, to say the least dynamic, and many visitors find it helps to learn local money exchange methods to get the best value. The US dollar is very much the preferred currency, and you’ll find many shops prepared to accept US dollar cash over pesos. Just do your sums. Make sure you’re getting a reasonable exchange rate. 

If you’re really brave (well, foolish) you’ll get a much, much better exchange rate from one of the dodgy blokes hanging around in the city centre offering cash exchange at rates that would be, in theory, extremely beneficial . Just to be clear, this is not a formal Expedition Partners recommendation for currency exchange!