Things to do in Argentina
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Eco Yoga Park
And for something completely different – Eco Yoga Park, located about 1½ hours west of Buenos Aires, near Lújan.
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Spanish in Rosario
The Spanish in Rosario offers enjoyable language programs. It can arrange family stays and volunteer work placements.
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Cementerio de la Recoleta
Wander for hours in this amazing cemetery where ‘streets’ are lined with impressive statues and marble sarcophagi. Crypts hold the remains of the city’s elite: past presidents, military heroes, influential politicians and the rich and famous. Hunt down Evita’s grave, and bring your camera – there are some great photo ops here. Tours in English are available at 11am on Tuesday and Thursday (call to confirm). For a great map and information, order Robert Wright’s PDF map at www.recoletacemetery.com.
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Parque Lezama
Scruffy Parque Lezama was once thought to be the site of Buenos Aires’ founding in 1536, but archeological teams recently refuted the hypothesis. Today’s green park hosts old chess-playing gentlemen, bookworms toting mate (traditional Argentine tea) gourds and teenagers kissing on park benches. Don’t miss the striking Iglesia Ortodoxa Rusa (Russian Orthodox Church) on the north side of the park.
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Kaupé
For an out-of-body seafood experience, head to this candlelit house overlooking the bay. Chef Ernesto Vivian employs the freshest of everything and service is impeccable. The tasting menu (AR$360 with wine and champagne) features two starters, a main dish and dessert, with standouts such as king crab and spinach chowder or black sea bass in blackened butter.
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Cumaná
This bright, upbeat eatery is one of the only places in town serving traditional dishes from far-flung provinces of Argentina. The hearty criollo (Spanish/Indian) cuisine baking in the adobe oven includes locro, a thick corn-based stew made with meat and vegetables. Don’t miss the humita, a creamy cheese and corn mixture wrapped up in corncob leaves.
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El Boliche de Alberto
It’s worth dining at this esteemed parrilla simply to see the astonished look on tourists’ faces when a slab of beef the size of a football lands on the table; it’s the AR$70 bife de chorizo (the AR$60 portion is plenty).
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VOS
Very welcoming language institute located just outside Recoleta.
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Notorious
This intimate jazz venue attracts all ages – devoted locals and curious travelers alike – with nightly gigs of serious jazz and world music. Book ahead and visit the record shop before settling in for a show.
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El Desnivel
Eating at dirt-cheap Desnivel is a rite of passage. The convivial parrilla atmosphere is buoyed by deadpan waiters, a mix of hungry locals and eager tourists, the skill and speed of the overworked guys on the grill, and – of course – the affordable beef, sizzling provoleta (grilled provolone) and fried empanadas.
reviewed
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Campo Bravo
While this chic parrilla (grill restaurant) is a relaxing place to tackle a huge steak or a pasta during the day, at night it's a very different beast indeed. While the staff remain cool, on a busy night you can wait up to an hour for a table - it's the price you pay for hanging with the most stylish crowd in Las Cañitas.
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Gran Bar Danzon
Gran Bar Danzon is the kind of place you drop by with the intention of trying a glass of wine or two with friends – but thanks to the cool urban atmosphere, you’re still there four hours later, sampling sushi and confit of duck and pretending not to stare at the parade of pretty people squeezing past your table.
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Av Las Heras
Av Las Heras is lined with souvenir shops, leather shops, chocolate stores and all sorts of places to pick up cheap Argentine trinkets. Items made of carpincho (spotted tanned hide of the capybara, a large rodent) are uniquely Argentine and sold in many of the stores.
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Café Tortoni
While tourists tend to outnumber locals at this landmark cafe (the oldest in the country), it still has a special place in the hearts of older porteños nostalgic for the good old days. Tango shows are held in a separate salon most nights at 9:30pm and 11pm.
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El Cuartito
Since 1934, this legendary pizzeria has seen local men polishing off slices at the counter and families sharing fresh empanadas (savory-filled pastries) at tables, surrounded by faded images of sportsmen.
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Pura Vida Patagonia
Offers kayaking trips on the Lago Nahuel Huapi, ranging from half-day stints to overnight camp-‘n’-kayak trips, custom-designed to match your skill level.
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Compañía de Guías de Patagonia
Full-day treks with climbing and ice-hiking on Glaciar Vinciguerra (AR$175) and two-day high-mountain treks to Cerro Alvear (AR$520) with glacier camping.
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Cabaña Las Lilas
Porteños are evenly split as to whether this famous eatery is a fantastically overpriced display of hubris or an upmarket example of parrilla perfection. Tellingly, even those who deride this large waterside restaurant won’t hesitate to thumb through the jumbo wine list, especially if the meal’s on someone else’s dime. The fine beef was raised on the restaurant’s own estancia (ranch).
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San Ignacio Miní
These mission ruins are the most complete of those in Argentina and impress for the quantity of carved ornamentation still visible and for the amount of restoration done. No roofs remain, but many of the living quarters and workshops have been reerected.
First founded in 1610 in Brazil, but abandoned after repeated attacks by slavers, San Ignacio was established at its present site in 1696 and functioned until the Jesuits finally gave in to the order of expulsion in 1768. The ruins, rediscovered in 1897 and restored between 1940 and 1948, are a great example of 'Guaraní baroque.' At its peak, the reducción had a Guaraní population of nearly 4000.
At the ruins (take an…
reviewed
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Parque General San Martín
Walking along the lakeshore and snoozing in the shade of the rose garden in this beautiful 420-hectare park is a great way to enjoy one of the city's highlights. Walk along Mitre/Civit out to the park and admire some of Mendoza's finest houses on the way. Pick up a park map at the Centro de Información, just inside the impressive entry gates, shipped over from England and originally forged for the Turkish Sultan Hamid II.
The park was designed by Charles Thays, who designed Parque Sarmiento in Córdoba, in 1897. Its famous Cerro de la Gloria has a monument to San Martín's Ejército de los Andes for their liberation of Argentina, Chile and Perú from the Spaniards. On clear…
reviewed
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Casa Rosada
Standing before this rosy Renaissance-style palace, you can easily imagine Eva Perón pontificating from the lower balcony. This is the Casa Rosada (Pink House), home to Argentina’s presidential offices. Construction began in 1862 on the site of Buenos Aires’ fort, and the building was painted pink shortly after. Visitors marvel at the picturesque coral hue without realizing the gritty fact behind it – at the end of the 19th century, ox blood added color and texture to ordinary whitewash.
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Plaza de Mayo
Founded in 1580 as the city’s first central plaza, Plaza de Mayo is the symbolic and physical center of Argentina’s rocky history. The square’s name commemorates the May Revolution (1810) that began Argentina’s process of independence from Spain. Plaza de Mayo has seen it all – spirited crowds cheering as Evita shouted from the Casa Rosada’s balcony, military bombings in 1955, the march of the Madres as they protest the ‘disappearance’ of their sons.
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Day Trip to Colonia from Buenos Aires
10 hours (Departs Buenos Aires, Argentina)
by Viator
Escape the hustle and bustle of Buenos Aires and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the historic Uruguayan town of Colonia del Sacramento. On this day trip,…Not LP reviewed
from USD$402.99 -
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Siga la Vaca
Only the truly hungry should set foot in this excellent all-you-can-stuff parrilla. Work your way from the appetizer salad bar to the grill, where the meat hangs out. Eat slowly and pace yourself, and you’ll only need to eat once that day. One drink and a dessert are included in the price, which varies depending on the meal and day.
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El Ateneo Grand Splendid
Though part of the El Ateneo chain, this is no ordinary bookstore – the Grand Splendid occupies a fabulous antique cinema and theater where Carlos Gardel, Argentina’s iconic tango legend, crooned on stage to an adoring crowd. Today, bookshelves crowd the mezzanine. Relive the theatrical magic with coffee on the 1920s-style stage.
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