Usina del Arte

Buenos Aires

　　This former power station has been transformed into a spectacular concert venue in an effort to regenerate a somewhat sketchy area of La Boca. It’s a gorgeous red-brick building complete with scenic clock tower, and the two concert halls have top-notch acoustics. Nearly all the art exhibitions, concerts and dance...

Feria Plaza Belgrano

Buenos Aires

　　Belgrano’s artisan market is a great spot on a sunny weekend. Browse the stalls for handmade jewelry, mate (tea-like beverage) gourds, clothes and leather goods, mostly sold by the artisans who made them. ...

Fundación Proa

Buenos Aires

　　Only the most cutting-edge national and international artists are invited to show at this contemporary art center, with its high ceilings, white walls and large display halls. The innovative installations utilize a wide variety of media and themes, while the rooftop terrace cafe is the most stylish place in La...

Alvear Roof Bar

Buenos Aires

　　This rooftop bar at the swanky Alvear Palace is a chic venue for a sunset cocktail or late-night drinks. ...

Vinotango

Buenos Aires

　　Recommended wine shop in San Telmo. ...

Don Julio

Buenos Aires

　　Classy service and a great wine list add an upscale bent to this traditional – and very popular – corner steakhouse. The bife de chorizo (sirloin steak) is the main attraction here, but the baked goat cheese provolone, bondiola de cerdo (pork shoulder) and gourmet salads are a treat as...

La Cabrera

Buenos Aires

　　Hugely popular for grilling up some of the city's best steaks – so soft they can be cut with a spoon. Yes, it's touristy and pricey compared to the local standard; come at 6:30pm for happy hour, when food and drinks are 30% off, but note that you'll have to...

Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur

Buenos Aires

　　The beautifully marshy land of this sprawling waterfront nature reserve is a popular site for weekend picnics, walks and bike rides (rental kiosks line the Costanera promenade). Bring binoculars if you’re a birder – over 300 bird species can be spotted. At the eastern shoreline of the reserve, you can...

Feria de San Telmo

Buenos Aires

　　On Sundays, San Telmo’s main drag is closed to traffic and the street is a sea of both locals and tourists browsing craft stalls, waiting at vendors’ carts for freshly squeezed orange juice, poking through the antique glass ornaments on display on Plaza Dorrego, and watching street performances by tango...

Lo de Joaquín Alberdi

Buenos Aires

　　Nationally produced wines for every taste and budget line the racks and cellar of this attractive wine shop; ask the friendly owner for his recommendations. Every day of the week, there's a tasting featuring several wines and cheeses: check the website for details and to make a reservation. Some events...

Parque de la Memoria

Buenos Aires

　　On the edge of the river on the Costanera Norte is this landscaped park and gallery that serves as a memorial to the victims of the military dictatorships of 1969 to 1983. There is a monument dedicated to the disappeared and assassinated, with enough plaques for 30,000 names (9000 of...

Café Bar Roma

Buenos Aires

　　Join the locals for a merienda (afternoon snack) at this wonderfully atmospheric bar with exposed brick walls. It's been a neighborhood favorite since 1905 and the tango singer Carlos Gardel once performed here. Order a café con leche (coffee with milk) and medialunas (croissants) and pay at a cash register...

Mercado de San Telmo

Buenos Aires

　　Occupying an entire city block, this striking marketplace was built in 1897 by Juan Antonio Buschiazzo, the Italian-born Argentine architect who designed Cementerio de la Recoleta. The wrought-iron interior (note the beautiful original ceiling) makes it one of the city's most atmospheric markets. Locals shop for meat and produce here;...

Sky Bar

Buenos Aires

　　On the 13th floor of hip Hotel Pulitzer, this after-work spot draws a mix of locals and travelers at sunset for cold drinks, chilled-out Bossanova and pretty views over the city. ...

Salón Canning

Buenos Aires

　　Some of BA’s finest dancers (no wallflowers here) grace this traditional venue with its great dance floor. Well-known tango company Parakultural stages good events on Monday, Tuesday and Friday, involving orchestras, singers and dance performances; check the website for class times and the milonga musical lineup. Expect big crowds and...

La Bombonera Stadium

Buenos Aires

　　Seeing Boca Juniors play at La Bombonera is one of the world's top spectator sports experiences, especially if you manage to catch the 'superclasico' match against rival team River Plate. Tickets are hard to come by – it's best to go via a travel agent. You can see the stadium...

La Catedral

Buenos Aires

　　This rustic warehouse turned bohemian tango club and cultural center is a unique venue in the city. Join a tango class – walk-ins are welcome, and it's a great place for beginners as everyone's encouraged to feel comfortable – then stick around for a glass of wine and the milonga,...

Feria Artesanal Plaza Francia

Buenos Aires

　　Recoleta’s popular artisan fair has dozens of booths and a range of creative, homemade goods from leather wallets and silver jewelry to mate gourds and hand-woven scarves. It’s at its biggest on weekends, though there are usually a few stalls open during the week. Despite its name, the market is...

Milonga La Glorieta

Buenos Aires

　　It’s hard to imagine a more romantic setting for an outdoor milonga than the park bandstand at the Barrancas de Belgrano, where on summer evenings dancers of all ages and levels come to tango. There’s usually a free lesson beforehand from 6pm to 7pm. Sundays are the best day to...

Casa Coupage

Buenos Aires

　　Wine enthusiasts love this sophisticated closed-door eatery run by sommelier Santiago Mymicopulo. The gorgeously presented gourmet cuisine, presented in seven courses at private or communal tables, is accompanied by seven wine pairings from Argentina's different wine-growing regions. Expect to try some of Argentina’s tastiest Torrontés, malbec and pinot noir. Reservations...

Como en Casa

Buenos Aires

　　This upscale cafe-restaurant has an elegant atmosphere and attracts Recoleta’s wealthiest. Its best feature is the shady patio, complete with large fountain and surrounded by grand buildings, great on a warm day. For lunch there are sandwiches, salads, vegetable tarts and gourmet pizzas. Plenty of luscious cakes and desserts, too....

Aldo’s Restoran & Vinoteca

Buenos Aires

　　This restaurant and wine shop is an upscale eatery serving a short, gourmet menu of steaks, seafood and pasta dishes, plus small plates and charcuterie, in a warmly lit space where the walls are lined with bottles of wine. Ask your server to recommend one of the nearly 600 bottles...

Museo Benito Quinquela Martín

Buenos Aires

　　Once the home and studio of painter Benito Quinquela Martín (1890–1977), this fine-arts museum exhibits his works and those of other Argentine artists. Quinquela Martín used silhouettes of laboring men, smokestacks and water reflections as recurring themes, and painted with broad, rough brushstrokes and dark colors. Don't miss the colorful...

Cementerio de la Recoleta

Buenos Aires

　　This cemetery is perhaps BA's top attraction. You can wander for hours in this incredible city of the dead, where the ‘streets’ are lined with impressive statues and marble mausoleums. Peek into the crypts and check out the dusty coffins and try to decipher the history of its inhabitants. Past...

Plaza de Mayo

Buenos Aires

　　Surrounded by the Casa Rosada, the Cabildo and the city’s main cathedral, Plaza de Mayo is the place where Argentines gather in vehement protest or jubilant celebration. At the center is the Pirámide de Mayo, a white obelisk built to mark the first anniversary of independence from Spain. 　　If you...

Parque 3 de Febrero

Buenos Aires

　　This sweeping park abounds with small lakes and pretty gazebos. Stands rent bikes and in-line skates, and joggers and power walkers circle the ponds – if you don't have the energy to join them, lie back under a tree and people-watch or bing a picnic. There's a monument to literary...

Casa Rosada

Buenos Aires

　　The Casa Rosada was named for its distinctive color. It was from the balcony here, at the presidential palace, that Eva Perón famously addressed the throngs of impassioned supporters packed into Plaza de Mayo. (Note that the building houses offices; the presidential residence is in the northern suburb of Olivos.)...

Centro Cultural Kirchner

Buenos Aires

　　It was former president Néstor Kirchner who, in 2005, first proposed turning the abandoned former central post office into a cultural center. He died in 2010 before the project was completed, but this breathtaking cultural center was named in his honor. Within the vast beaux-arts structure – which stands eight...

Teatro Colón

Buenos Aires

　　Occupying an entire city block, this impressive seven-story theater is one of BA’s most prominent landmarks. It’s the city’s main performing arts venue, and with astounding acoustics, it's a world-class forum for opera, ballet and classical music. The Colón can seat 2500 spectators and provides standing room for another 500....

Palacio Barolo

Buenos Aires

　　One of Buenos Aires' most beautiful monuments, this 22-story building has a unique design inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy. Its structure is divided into hell, purgatory and heaven; its height (100m) is a reference to each canto (song); and the number of floors (22) mirrors the number of verses per...