Subscribe

©Yasemin Olgunoz Berber/Shutterstock

The Pampas & the Atlantic Coast

There's Buenos Aires, and then there's the province of Buenos Aires. Home to more than a third of the country's population, this is the nation's economic powerhouse: these fertile grasslands financed Argentina’s turn-of-the-century golden age and still produce most of the country's famous beef.

While the region isn't packed with tourist attractions, simple pleasures and traditional gaucho culture are waiting to be discovered. Charming San Antonio de Areco offers a glimpse of Argentina's real-life cowboys in action, while the picturesque hills around Tandil are lovely for hiking and feasting on locally produced picadas (shared appetizer plates). Beach towns on the Atlantic coast provide a breezy escape from the summer heat.

If you have a few days to spare, check into one of the region’s historic estancias (ranches), where you can ride a criollo horse under an expansive sky.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout The Pampas & the Atlantic Coast.

  • See

    Palacio Barolo

    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 song. Dreamt up by the Italian architect Mario Palanti, Palacio Barolo was the tallest skyscraper in South America when it was completed in 1923. You can walk around the gorgeous lobby for free, but it's best to go on a guided tour of the building: you'll get to ride in a vintage 1920s elevator and admire the panoramic views from the rooftop lighthouse. Palacio Barolo Tours offers a wide range of bilingual tours, including thematic tours focusing on architecture, literature, or photography, and nighttime tours that include a wine tasting. See the website for more details or stop at the kiosk on the building's ground level to book a tour. Note that there's also a new cocktail bar and cafe, Salón 1923, on the 16th floor of Palacio Barolo: the indoor-outdoor space is a wonderful venue for a coffee or a glass of wine, especially around sunset. It's also a (free) way to get a glimpse of the wonderful views from the building's upper levels without paying for a tour.

  • See

    Teatro Colón

    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. Get hold of tickets to a performance, if you can, or take one of the frequent 50-minute backstage tours to view the stunning interior, the costume department, and ballerinas' dressing rooms.

  • See

    Centro Cultural Kirchner

    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 stories tall and takes up an entire city block – are multiple art galleries and events spaces. The highlight is the Ballena Azul, a concert hall with world-class acoustics. The original building, which was modeled on New York City’s main post office, took nearly 30 years to complete – it was finished in 1928. Restoration for the cultural center began in 2009 and it opened in May 2015. The architects used glass and stainless steel to maintain and add to the beauty of the original structure. The result is one of the city's grandest buildings, and it’s well worth a visit. It's free to enter and there are usually exhibitions to see that don't require tickets as well as a range of activities, like yoga, dance classes and concerts, that are free but ticketed. There's also great free programming and activity areas for kids. Check the website to see what's on and act quickly if you want to book.

  • See

    Casa Rosada

    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.) Free hour-long guided tours are given on weekends and must be booked online in advance; bring ID. The building occupies the site where colonial riverbank fortifications once stood; today, however, after repeated landfills, the palace stands more than 1km inland. The interesting Museo Casa Rosada is located behind the palace. One theory goes that the Casa Rosada's pink hue represented President Sarmiento's attempts to make peace during his 1868–74 term (by blending the red of the Federalists with the white of the Unitarians), but the more likely explanation is that it was caused by mixing white paint with bovine blood, a common practice in the late 19th century.

  • See

    Parque 3 de Febrero

    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 greats called El Jardín de los Poetas (the Garden of Poets), and the exquisite Rosedal. Palermo’s green spaces, however, haven’t always been for the masses. The area around Parque 3 de Febrero was originally the private retreat of 19th-century dictator Juan Manuel de Rosas and became public parkland only after his fall from power – on February 3, 1852. The man who overthrew him, former ally Justo José de Urquiza, sits on his mount in a mammoth equestrian monument at the corner of Avs Sarmiento and Figueroa Alcorta.

  • See

    Plaza de Mayo

    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 happen to be here on Thursday at 3:30pm, you’ll see the Madres de la Plaza de Mayo gather and circle the pyramid, holding photographs of their missing children. These mothers of the 'disappeared’ (Argentines abducted by the state during the military dictatorship of 1976 to 1983) continue to march as a reminder of the past and for other social justice causes.

  • See

    Cementerio de la Recoleta

    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 presidents, military heroes, influential politicians and the just plain rich and famous have made it past the gates here. Pick up a map at the entrance. Though you can explore the cemetery on your own, it's really worthwhile to take a tour with a knowledgeable guide. Many local tour guides offer the service (including several you can hire near the entrance) – there are also free guided tours in English at 11am on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

  • See

    Museo Benito Quinquela Martín

    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 tiles of his former kitchen and bathroom, his hand-painted piano and the sculptures on the rooftop terraces; the top tier has awesome views of the port. In keeping with the museum’s maritime theme, there’s also an excellent permanent collection of painted wooden bowsprits (proas), which are the carved statues projecting forward at the front of ships.

  • See

    Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires

    Sparkling inside its glass walls, this airy modern-art museum is one of the city's most impressive. It displays the fine Latin American art collection of millionaire and philanthropist Eduardo Costantini, including works by Argentines Xul Solar and Antonio Berni, as well as pieces by Mexican artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. The temporary exhibitions here are usually world-class, so it's worth checking what's currently on offer. An onsite cinema screens art-house films.