Buenos Aires: Activities

• cycling

  The capital has some pleasant green spaces to spin your wheels. Bike paths run along some roads in Parque 3 de Febrero, where bicycle rental is available in good weather. Look for them on Av de la Infanta Isabel near Av Libertador. Four-wheeled pedal carts can also be rented here. Weekends are especially nice as the lake ring road is closed to motor vehicles. For more serious cycling, head to Palermo's Nuevo Circuito KDT velodrome where Sprint Haupt rents bicycles.

  The Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur, on the eastern side of Puerto Madero along the coast, is green and tranquil and has some flat dirt roads that are great for biking. Cheap rentals are available during daylight hours on summer weekends, just outside the entrance.

• dancing

  Tango classes are available just about everywhere, from youth hostels to dance academies to cultural centers to milongas (dance halls); even some cafes offer them. With so many foreigners flooding into Buenos Aires to learn, many instructors now teach in English. Private teachers are ubiquitous and there are loads of good ones. Check free tango publications such as el tangauta and BA Tango , which are full of offerings. Milongas and group classes are very affordable.

  For general information, contact the Academia Nacional del Tango (tel: 4345 6967; www.anacdel tango.org.ar; Av de Mayo 833), above Café Tortoni, which also offers classes. Also check the bilingual www.tangodata.com.ar for general information; there are countless other tango websites.

• soccer

  Fútbol (soccer) is a national obsession, and witnessing this passion at a live game is part of the Buenos Aires experience. Tickets for entradas populares (bleachers) and plateas (fixed seats) are relatively cheap, but they can skyrocket if a team is doing well. Popular games, such as the súper clásico between River and Boca, command higher rates. As a traveler and tourist, you should buy a seat in the platea ; while the popular section is a real experience, it can get rowdy with ceaseless standing, singing, drinking, jumping, pot smoking, and even occasional fighting. It's also where the barra brava (the Argentine equivalent of hooligans) sits.

  Tickets are available at stadiums, or try www.ticketek.com.ar, which sells tickets to certain games.

• team sports

  Given Argentina's connection with horses, polo is a high-profile sport - if not exactly for the masses. Residual gaucho tradition makes it rougher and more competitive than in Europe.

  Polo matches take place in Buenos Aires from September to mid-November, culminating in the annual Campeonato Argentino Abierto (Argentine Open Polo Championship), which is held in Palermo. For current information, contact the Asociación Argentina de Polo (tel: 5411 4777; www.aapolo.com; Hipólito Yrigoyen 636), which keeps a schedule of polo-related activities throughout the country.

  Just across from the Hipódromo Argentino, the Campo Argentino de Polo (cnr Av del Libertador & Dorrego) is the site of the most important events, but the northern suburb of Pilar has the highest density of polo clubs.

• racing

  For a little betting excitement visit Palermo's Hipódromo Argentino (tel: 4778 2800; www.palermo.com.ar; cnr Av del Libertador & Dorrego). The grand building, designed by French architect Fauré Dujarric, dates from 1908 and holds up to 100,000 spectators. The track is usually open Mondays and weekends, but race times vary so call ahead for exact times. The most important races take place in November (here) and December (at San Isidro's famous grass racetrack).

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