As with any major capital, Buenos Aires is many cities rolled into one, yet at the same time it has a unique character all its own, and each step you take can lead you to some puzzling or unusual find.
Starting from the river, or more precisely from the port, the first building that attracts your attention is the pink Casa Rosada, which is the Presidential Palace, seat of the Executive Power, and home of numerous official departments.
Opposite this the Plaza de Mayo. This is the real political heart of the country, the spot where. Argentinians have gathered to vent their feelings and air their controversies for almost two hundred years now. It is virtually the city’s birthplace, and is also a good starting point for visitors.
The Plaza de Mayo is surrounded by a number of important buildings: the Cabildo (Town Hall), with its Historical Museum, its Sala Capitular where the patriots who began the independence movement met in 1810, and a fine colonial courtyard. Diagonally opposite the Casa Rosada is the Banco Nación building, a beautiful neo-classical construction which was originally home to the Colón Theatre, and the setting is completed by Buenos Aires Cathedral, containing the remains of José de San Martín.
Southwards from the Plaza de Mayo is the San Telmo district, The oldest part of the city and a favourite with tourist because here are to be found the antique shops and also a number of excellent restaurants and tango bars. It is one of the few places where you can get an idea of what the original settlement of Buenos Aires was like.
Around the middle of this century, a different type of inhabitant began to move into San Telmo. Artists, intellectuals and bohemians discovered the magic of the fine old houses and set up their homes or their studios in them. As time passed, antique dealers and artists came along too, realizing the immense historical value of this small isolated area that was struggling to survive in the middle of the concrete jungle rising up all around. San Telmo has been declared part of the historical heritage of the city of Buenos Aires, and there are laws to protect its buildings and ensure that no rebuilding work alters the general appearance of the area. Of course, these rules are not always strictly followed, and a number of brash buildings have sprung up, looking real “eyesores” alongside the centuries old walls.
As you wander along its streets you can come across the most extravagant people imaginable: from strolling puppeteers, painters, musicians of tango dancer, to ladies decked out in nineteenth century elegance offering their wares from disorderly stalls in the small square of San Pedro Telmo, the heart of the area.
This is an unforgettable walk, especially if it is Sunday. For is “The Day” in San Telmo, when walking through its streets is like joining in one big party which nobody knows who started, but which everyone is invited to.
Southwards, San Telmo runs into two other legendary district, La Boca and Barracas. The boundary between the there is Lezama Park. And this is somewhere you must visit too, not only to admire the magnificent, centuries-old trees, but because it is one of the most beautiful green zones in Buenos Aires. It stands on one of the two river bluffs still to be found in the city, and it has even been said that it was the site on which the city was originally founded.
In the fine old mansion that was once at the heart of the Lezama family’s estate, today is to be found the National Historical Museum. There is also an amphitheatre where during the summer months artistic performances are given, and every part of the park has its own distinctive beauty, with splendid trees with enormous roots, and fine statues.
La Boca is the colourful district. Inhabited since the latter part of the nineteenth century by Genoese immigrants, it still retains, the typical tin or wooden buildings painted in strident and vivid colours that they constructed. One of the most attractive places here is La vuelta de Rocha, were Almirante Brown Avenue follows a bend of the Riachuelo, and fine old Barges can be seen tied up like a piece of history that is reluctant to disappear. Very near here is the famous Caminito Street, an alleyway full of memories of the tango, and which at weekends becomes a real open-air arts centre.
But La Boca is also the lines of Italian eating houses in Necochea Street, or the Pedro de Mendoza school-museum that recall’s one of Argentina’s most popular painters, Benito Quinquela Martín, who immortalized the district on his canvases. And what is more, La Boca is, most importantly of all, football! On Sunday afternoon La Bombonera, the popular name for the local stadium, vibrates to the chants of the crowds who fill the whole area with football.
The west side of Patricios Avenue divides La Boca from Barracas, which got its name because it was the place where the big merchandise stores (barracas) were located those same buildings that today have become so fashionable. They have been used, for example, by one of Argentina’s best film directors, Fernando Solanas, as the setting for his film Sur. It is a tango area par excellence, with a couple of spots specially reserved for those with nostalgic tendencies. Always keeping the Plaza de Mayo as your reference point, if you walk northwards you come to the narrow pathways that surround the buildings of the major banks. This is the financial sector, or more simply, The City; where the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange is to be found, and where all is bustle and excitement. The City has one luxurious central feature, the Manhattan-style glass skyscrapers of the Catalinas Norte complex. Set against the river, the view from any one of these buildings is truly spectacular.
Only a few blocks separate Catalinas Norte the Plaza San Martín, with its magnificent array of fine trees, including jacarandas, palms, tipas and lindens. The square is surrounded by splendid building like the Kavanagh and the Plaza Hotel, which date from the early years of this country. The most important businesses here are shopping centres and art galleries. The Florida pedestrian area comes to and end at the square. Just as bustling as The City, this street is where the best clothes-especially leather goods are to be found.
It the southern part of the city shows the Buenos Aires of yesteryear, the north gives the image of a modern, cosmopolitan capital, always open to change, and welcoming to tourists. It is where the elegant cafes and restaurants are to be found, the big gardens, the refined French or Italian airs of its stylish and tasteful old houses –many of them now occupied by embassies-, women who look as if they have just escaped from the cover of some fashion magazine, and the art galleries.
In the north, for example, is La Recoleta, one of the most exclusive areas of the city, and where some of its best hotels are to be found. Not to be missed is the bandicraft market in Plaza Francia, nor should you fail to pay a visit to the National Museum of Fine Arts, the Palais de Glace, or the Buenos Aires Cultural Centre.
There are thee major roads to see in this part of the city: Alvear and Quintana Avenues, which both start from the Plaza Francia, and Arroyo Street. The obviously-French style of the building in these thee roads sums up the opulence of late nineteenth century Buenos Aires, together with the most sophisticated restaurants and pubs. However, it has not always been like this, and although the name itself sounds somewhat paradoxical today, the origins of this area lie with the Recollet Franciscan monks who settled there and built Nuestra Señora del Pilar Church, surrounded by a big vegetable garden. Subsequently, some of this land was taken over by the cemetery, which is still there today. It is the oldest in Buenos Aires, and the value of its artistic works together with some of the famous names buried there have meant that it has become part of the city’s heritage.
Further north are yet more stylish areas, including Palermo Chico and Belgrano. Santa Fe Avenue is the great commercial artery of the north, with all types of businesses and shops strung out along it, but especially notable for clothing and home furnishings at prices to suit all pockets.
In the centre west of the Plaza de Mayo, the avenue of the same name starts, and this runs as far as the Plaza del Congreso. Its route was the idea of Torcuato de Alvear, and the design was by the famous Argentinian architect Juan Buschiazzo. Part of the former Town Hall building had to be demolished to make way for it. The result is just over ten blocks that form one of the most successful architectural ensembles anywhere in Buenos Aires. Italian-inspired buildings live side by side with others covering the whole range of French styles, from Louis XVI right though to Art Nouveau. From the beginning of the century it became known as the most elegant avenue in the city.
The old Café Tortoni, meeting point for intellectuals in the early years of the century and one of the oldest cafes in the city, is still there today. A fine example of Art Nouveau style, it has retained the oak and marble tables where once Alfonsina Storni, Federico García Lorca, Baldomero Fernández Moreno and Arthur Rubinstein sat together, to name but a few of its illustrious customers.
The view of Congress Square is dominated by a big group of sculptures, the Monumento a los dos Congresos. The lights playing on the water coming from the fountains, together with the music, make a pleasant sight on summer nights. In front is the National Congress building, in imitation Greek-Roman style, with its front completely covered in grey granite. Two ramps on either side of a wide flight of steps are a prominent feature of the frontage, and it is all topped off with a large dome, 85 m high.
WHERE TO STAY
Tourist sites are well scattered in Buenos Aires, although most hotel facilities are to be found in an area spreading northwards from centre.
Numerous thee- and four-star hotels are concentrated in the centre along 9 de July Avenue and in nearby streets, and also in the area near the Colón Theatre in Corrientes, Callao, and Córdoba Avenues.
There are a number of apartment-hotels around the city area, as well as ordinary hotels. The Catalinas Norte complex contains one of the city’s five-star hotels. But without doubt it is in Recoleta and its immediate surroundings that the most extensive range of hotel facilities is to be found. Here some of the most luxurious hotels in all Buenos Aires have opened in recent years, to add to those that already existed. And everything leads one to suppose that future investments in this field will be concentrated in this part of the city, which offers a full range of facilities for executives and for the holding of conventions and other types of event. A number of these hotels are also developing Health Club facilities.
In the south, which is the historic part of the city and the most attractive, there is no accommodation for tourists, but good restaurants abound, and also places to enjoy live music; these include a number of “cathedrals” to the tango.
WHAT TO VISIT
Buenos Aires is a city where there is always lots to see and to, and if you are going to appreciate anything at all, then a stay of at least five days is advisable. If anyone were to try and cover even a third of the cultural activities advertised each day in the newspapers, then the day would need to have more than twenty four hours. From churches to museums, you are spoilt for choice, as the possibilities seem never-ending. The number of art galleries is almost infinite, along with libraries, cinemas, theatres, historical monuments, parks, football clubs, a zoo, the botanical gardens, and a planetarium and not forgetting a number of shopping centres that are worth a look even if only for their very individual appearance. Here we merely give details of the most important attractions.
Churches
The oldest and most interesting are:
*The Cathedral, crossing from the Town Hall, and facing onto the Plaza de Mayo. A dome 46 m high, and five naves. In its mausoleum lie the remains of several heroes of the independence struggle, among them San Martín, Las Heras, and Tomás Guido.
*Santo Domingo (1773), in Belgrano and Defensa (this is practically where the San Telmo district begins). Carved wooden retables. Its mausoleum contains the remains of Manuel Belgrano, creator of the Argentinian flag. The Camarín de la Virgen del Rosario houses flags that belonged to English invaders, and the church itself was a creole bastion during the defense of the city in the invasions of 1806 and 1807.
*San Ignacio de Loyola (1734), Alsina and Bolivar Streets (San Telmo). This as two towers, one of which contains an ancient clock that used to be in he town hall, where it indicated official time during the last century. It is one of the oldest buildings in the city, and under it pass a number of mysterious tunnels that were built in the 18th century and which crisscross much of the historical part of the city.
*San Francisco (1754), Defensa and Alsina street (SanTelmo). Its main feature is an enormous altar tapestry (8 m by 12).
*San Pedro Telmo (1734), Humberto I 340 (a stone’s throw from the square of the same name). Built by French and Italian Jesuits, baroque style.
*Russian Ortodox Catedral, Brasil 315 (opposite Lezama Park). Has beautiful majolica work and an equally-fine dome.
*Nuestra Señora de la Merced (1769), Reconquista 207 (in the Herat of the City). A fine baroque altar is worthy of note.
*Santísimo Sacramento, San Martín 1050. A carved pulpit and magnificent majolica work are its main features.
*Nuestra Señora del Pilar (right in the Herat of Recoleta). Built by Dominican friars, it is one of the only examples of colonial architecture remaining in Buenos Aires.
Starting from the river, or more precisely from the port, the first building that attracts your attention is the pink Casa Rosada, which is the Presidential Palace, seat of the Executive Power, and home of numerous official departments.
Opposite this the Plaza de Mayo. This is the real political heart of the country, the spot where. Argentinians have gathered to vent their feelings and air their controversies for almost two hundred years now. It is virtually the city’s birthplace, and is also a good starting point for visitors.
The Plaza de Mayo is surrounded by a number of important buildings: the Cabildo (Town Hall), with its Historical Museum, its Sala Capitular where the patriots who began the independence movement met in 1810, and a fine colonial courtyard. Diagonally opposite the Casa Rosada is the Banco Nación building, a beautiful neo-classical construction which was originally home to the Colón Theatre, and the setting is completed by Buenos Aires Cathedral, containing the remains of José de San Martín.
Southwards from the Plaza de Mayo is the San Telmo district, The oldest part of the city and a favourite with tourist because here are to be found the antique shops and also a number of excellent restaurants and tango bars. It is one of the few places where you can get an idea of what the original settlement of Buenos Aires was like.
Around the middle of this century, a different type of inhabitant began to move into San Telmo. Artists, intellectuals and bohemians discovered the magic of the fine old houses and set up their homes or their studios in them. As time passed, antique dealers and artists came along too, realizing the immense historical value of this small isolated area that was struggling to survive in the middle of the concrete jungle rising up all around. San Telmo has been declared part of the historical heritage of the city of Buenos Aires, and there are laws to protect its buildings and ensure that no rebuilding work alters the general appearance of the area. Of course, these rules are not always strictly followed, and a number of brash buildings have sprung up, looking real “eyesores” alongside the centuries old walls.
As you wander along its streets you can come across the most extravagant people imaginable: from strolling puppeteers, painters, musicians of tango dancer, to ladies decked out in nineteenth century elegance offering their wares from disorderly stalls in the small square of San Pedro Telmo, the heart of the area.
This is an unforgettable walk, especially if it is Sunday. For is “The Day” in San Telmo, when walking through its streets is like joining in one big party which nobody knows who started, but which everyone is invited to.
Southwards, San Telmo runs into two other legendary district, La Boca and Barracas. The boundary between the there is Lezama Park. And this is somewhere you must visit too, not only to admire the magnificent, centuries-old trees, but because it is one of the most beautiful green zones in Buenos Aires. It stands on one of the two river bluffs still to be found in the city, and it has even been said that it was the site on which the city was originally founded.
In the fine old mansion that was once at the heart of the Lezama family’s estate, today is to be found the National Historical Museum. There is also an amphitheatre where during the summer months artistic performances are given, and every part of the park has its own distinctive beauty, with splendid trees with enormous roots, and fine statues.
La Boca is the colourful district. Inhabited since the latter part of the nineteenth century by Genoese immigrants, it still retains, the typical tin or wooden buildings painted in strident and vivid colours that they constructed. One of the most attractive places here is La vuelta de Rocha, were Almirante Brown Avenue follows a bend of the Riachuelo, and fine old Barges can be seen tied up like a piece of history that is reluctant to disappear. Very near here is the famous Caminito Street, an alleyway full of memories of the tango, and which at weekends becomes a real open-air arts centre.
But La Boca is also the lines of Italian eating houses in Necochea Street, or the Pedro de Mendoza school-museum that recall’s one of Argentina’s most popular painters, Benito Quinquela Martín, who immortalized the district on his canvases. And what is more, La Boca is, most importantly of all, football! On Sunday afternoon La Bombonera, the popular name for the local stadium, vibrates to the chants of the crowds who fill the whole area with football.
The west side of Patricios Avenue divides La Boca from Barracas, which got its name because it was the place where the big merchandise stores (barracas) were located those same buildings that today have become so fashionable. They have been used, for example, by one of Argentina’s best film directors, Fernando Solanas, as the setting for his film Sur. It is a tango area par excellence, with a couple of spots specially reserved for those with nostalgic tendencies. Always keeping the Plaza de Mayo as your reference point, if you walk northwards you come to the narrow pathways that surround the buildings of the major banks. This is the financial sector, or more simply, The City; where the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange is to be found, and where all is bustle and excitement. The City has one luxurious central feature, the Manhattan-style glass skyscrapers of the Catalinas Norte complex. Set against the river, the view from any one of these buildings is truly spectacular.
Only a few blocks separate Catalinas Norte the Plaza San Martín, with its magnificent array of fine trees, including jacarandas, palms, tipas and lindens. The square is surrounded by splendid building like the Kavanagh and the Plaza Hotel, which date from the early years of this country. The most important businesses here are shopping centres and art galleries. The Florida pedestrian area comes to and end at the square. Just as bustling as The City, this street is where the best clothes-especially leather goods are to be found.
It the southern part of the city shows the Buenos Aires of yesteryear, the north gives the image of a modern, cosmopolitan capital, always open to change, and welcoming to tourists. It is where the elegant cafes and restaurants are to be found, the big gardens, the refined French or Italian airs of its stylish and tasteful old houses –many of them now occupied by embassies-, women who look as if they have just escaped from the cover of some fashion magazine, and the art galleries.
In the north, for example, is La Recoleta, one of the most exclusive areas of the city, and where some of its best hotels are to be found. Not to be missed is the bandicraft market in Plaza Francia, nor should you fail to pay a visit to the National Museum of Fine Arts, the Palais de Glace, or the Buenos Aires Cultural Centre.
There are thee major roads to see in this part of the city: Alvear and Quintana Avenues, which both start from the Plaza Francia, and Arroyo Street. The obviously-French style of the building in these thee roads sums up the opulence of late nineteenth century Buenos Aires, together with the most sophisticated restaurants and pubs. However, it has not always been like this, and although the name itself sounds somewhat paradoxical today, the origins of this area lie with the Recollet Franciscan monks who settled there and built Nuestra Señora del Pilar Church, surrounded by a big vegetable garden. Subsequently, some of this land was taken over by the cemetery, which is still there today. It is the oldest in Buenos Aires, and the value of its artistic works together with some of the famous names buried there have meant that it has become part of the city’s heritage.
Further north are yet more stylish areas, including Palermo Chico and Belgrano. Santa Fe Avenue is the great commercial artery of the north, with all types of businesses and shops strung out along it, but especially notable for clothing and home furnishings at prices to suit all pockets.
In the centre west of the Plaza de Mayo, the avenue of the same name starts, and this runs as far as the Plaza del Congreso. Its route was the idea of Torcuato de Alvear, and the design was by the famous Argentinian architect Juan Buschiazzo. Part of the former Town Hall building had to be demolished to make way for it. The result is just over ten blocks that form one of the most successful architectural ensembles anywhere in Buenos Aires. Italian-inspired buildings live side by side with others covering the whole range of French styles, from Louis XVI right though to Art Nouveau. From the beginning of the century it became known as the most elegant avenue in the city.
The old Café Tortoni, meeting point for intellectuals in the early years of the century and one of the oldest cafes in the city, is still there today. A fine example of Art Nouveau style, it has retained the oak and marble tables where once Alfonsina Storni, Federico García Lorca, Baldomero Fernández Moreno and Arthur Rubinstein sat together, to name but a few of its illustrious customers.
The view of Congress Square is dominated by a big group of sculptures, the Monumento a los dos Congresos. The lights playing on the water coming from the fountains, together with the music, make a pleasant sight on summer nights. In front is the National Congress building, in imitation Greek-Roman style, with its front completely covered in grey granite. Two ramps on either side of a wide flight of steps are a prominent feature of the frontage, and it is all topped off with a large dome, 85 m high.
WHERE TO STAY
Tourist sites are well scattered in Buenos Aires, although most hotel facilities are to be found in an area spreading northwards from centre.
Numerous thee- and four-star hotels are concentrated in the centre along 9 de July Avenue and in nearby streets, and also in the area near the Colón Theatre in Corrientes, Callao, and Córdoba Avenues.
There are a number of apartment-hotels around the city area, as well as ordinary hotels. The Catalinas Norte complex contains one of the city’s five-star hotels. But without doubt it is in Recoleta and its immediate surroundings that the most extensive range of hotel facilities is to be found. Here some of the most luxurious hotels in all Buenos Aires have opened in recent years, to add to those that already existed. And everything leads one to suppose that future investments in this field will be concentrated in this part of the city, which offers a full range of facilities for executives and for the holding of conventions and other types of event. A number of these hotels are also developing Health Club facilities.
In the south, which is the historic part of the city and the most attractive, there is no accommodation for tourists, but good restaurants abound, and also places to enjoy live music; these include a number of “cathedrals” to the tango.
WHAT TO VISIT
Buenos Aires is a city where there is always lots to see and to, and if you are going to appreciate anything at all, then a stay of at least five days is advisable. If anyone were to try and cover even a third of the cultural activities advertised each day in the newspapers, then the day would need to have more than twenty four hours. From churches to museums, you are spoilt for choice, as the possibilities seem never-ending. The number of art galleries is almost infinite, along with libraries, cinemas, theatres, historical monuments, parks, football clubs, a zoo, the botanical gardens, and a planetarium and not forgetting a number of shopping centres that are worth a look even if only for their very individual appearance. Here we merely give details of the most important attractions.
Churches
The oldest and most interesting are:
*The Cathedral, crossing from the Town Hall, and facing onto the Plaza de Mayo. A dome 46 m high, and five naves. In its mausoleum lie the remains of several heroes of the independence struggle, among them San Martín, Las Heras, and Tomás Guido.
*Santo Domingo (1773), in Belgrano and Defensa (this is practically where the San Telmo district begins). Carved wooden retables. Its mausoleum contains the remains of Manuel Belgrano, creator of the Argentinian flag. The Camarín de la Virgen del Rosario houses flags that belonged to English invaders, and the church itself was a creole bastion during the defense of the city in the invasions of 1806 and 1807.
*San Ignacio de Loyola (1734), Alsina and Bolivar Streets (San Telmo). This as two towers, one of which contains an ancient clock that used to be in he town hall, where it indicated official time during the last century. It is one of the oldest buildings in the city, and under it pass a number of mysterious tunnels that were built in the 18th century and which crisscross much of the historical part of the city.
*San Francisco (1754), Defensa and Alsina street (SanTelmo). Its main feature is an enormous altar tapestry (8 m by 12).
*San Pedro Telmo (1734), Humberto I 340 (a stone’s throw from the square of the same name). Built by French and Italian Jesuits, baroque style.
*Russian Ortodox Catedral, Brasil 315 (opposite Lezama Park). Has beautiful majolica work and an equally-fine dome.
*Nuestra Señora de la Merced (1769), Reconquista 207 (in the Herat of the City). A fine baroque altar is worthy of note.
*Santísimo Sacramento, San Martín 1050. A carved pulpit and magnificent majolica work are its main features.
*Nuestra Señora del Pilar (right in the Herat of Recoleta). Built by Dominican friars, it is one of the only examples of colonial architecture remaining in Buenos Aires.
Museums
*The Cabildo (Town Hall) Historical Museum (in the Cabildo Building. Bolivar 65) has display of artifacts dating back to the second founding of Buenos Aires and continuing though to the suppression of the Cabildo as an institution in 1821. Open Afternoons, Tuesday to Sunday. Opening times differ in summer and winter.
*City Museum (Defensa 187, San Telmo), Interesting museum showing how the daily life of the city has evolved through its everyday domestic object. Open Monday to Saturday, closed in January.
*Historical Museum of the House of Deputies of the Nation (Rivadavia 1860, first floor). Recalls elected deputies who passed through the House by means of an exhibition of some of their personal possessions and a portrait gallery containing pictures of all the Presidents of the Republic. Open afternoons, Monday to Friday. Closed in January and February.
*Museum of Historic Costumes (Chile 832, San Telmo). Collections of civil and military garments from the colonial era to the early years of 20th century. Open afternoons, Monday to Friday.
*National Historical Museum (inside Lezama Park, San Telmo). Argentinian historical documents down 1943, and miscellaneous articles and objects. Open Sundays, and afternoon Tuesday to Friday.
*Municipal Museum of Modern Art (San Juan 350, San Telmo). Important centre for contemporary art. The building dates from 1918 and was once a tobacco factory storeroom. The original frontage remains intact. Open afternoons, Monday to Sunday.
*Pedro de Mendoza School Museum (Pedro de Mendoza 1835, la Boca). This cultural centre was the idea of Benito Quinquela Martín, the school opened in 1936, the museum two years later. Currently it has on display a large collection of works by contemporary Argentinian figurative artist, and it also houses much of Quinquela’s work. It is a fine old three storey house that looks out ever the Riachuelo, a mere stone’s throw away from Caminito Street. On the terraces are works by Argentinian sculptors, and the rooms that were Quinquela’s studio also contain many of the artist’s personal effect.
*Argentinian Puppet Museum (Pedro de Mendoza 1821, La Boca), Not only does this museum contain puppets, but also items relating to puppet theatres. Open Wednesday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
*Isaac Frnándedez Blanco museum of Spanish-American Art (Suipacha 1422). The artistic heritage of this museum suffered seriously from the effects of a bomb that exploded in the Israeli Embassy in March 1992. However, it is home to an important collection of Spanish-American silverware, paintings, and furniture from the 19th centuries. Opening times are limited for the moment, and it only welcomes visitors between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., Tuesdays to Sundays.
*National Museum of Fine Arts (Avenida del Libertador 1473, Recoleta). Important collection of works by exponents of the plastic art worldwide, and a complete exhibition of Argentinian art from its origins to avant-gardism. It has been resident since 1933 in the famous architect Alejandro Bustillo. Surrounded by beautiful gardens containing sculptures by the French artist Emile Bourdelle, it is one of the most interesting spots in the Argentinian capital. Open Tuesdays to Sundays.
*“Hands-On” Science Museum (inside the Buenos Aires Cultural Centre, in recoleta). A highly original idea, this museum offers you the chance to immerse yourself actively in the world of knowledge –Optics, physics, ecology, mechanics, magnetism and electricity. Initially aimed at children, a couple of years ago it opened its doors to `children´ of all ages. Open all day Monday to Friday, and weekend afternoons. Closes for summer break.
Most of these museums charge an entrance fee, although this is never more than U$S5. Not detailed in these page are many other museums catering for various interests. However, we cannot fail to briefly mention the importance of the heritage of, or the fine buildings occupied by: the Enrique Larretta, Museum of Spanish Motifs; the museum of Argentinian Motifs; the José Hernández and Casa de Ricardo Rojas Museum; the National Museum of Decorative Arts and The national Museum of Oriental Art; the La Boca Wax Museum; the Antonio Ballvé Penitentiary; housed in one of the Jesuits Casa de Ejercicios Espirituales and the Museum of Indian and Creole instruments.
Cinemas, Theatres, Cultural Centres and Art Galleries
Buenos Aires has always been famous for its active cultural life, and its no lees busy night life. This is why it has been called `the city that never sleeps´. And although this is perhaps a slight exaggeration today, it is not entirely without foundation.
Restaurants, bar, discotheques, pubs and above all, cafes, stay open well into the early hour, and at weekends do not close at all. And it should also not be forgotten that although Buenos Aires is by no means exempt from the problems that confront any major metropolis, it is still a safe city where your can get about without danger, something that makes its night life an even more attractive proposition.
If there is one street which has contributed more than any other towards this nickname of `the city that never sleeps´, it is Corrientes Avenue. Here are to be found most of the capital’s important theatres, and although in recent years some have closed their doors, there are still a good many where national and international theatre groups perform a wide range of contemporary and classical works.
Also in this street is the General San Martín Municipal Centre, an enormous complex designed along advanced architectural lines and which contains several small rooms set aside for different types of theatrical performance, including one which only present works by little-known Argentinian artists.
The next block from the San Martín Cultural Centre contains another complex offering good shows. This is known as La Plaza, and it deserver a special mention of its own for, with entrances in Corrientes Avenue and in Sarmiento and Montevideo Streets, it stand on a large piece of land that once contained a number of popular eating places where everyone from intellectuals and artists down of La Plaza successfully brings together big open spaces and shops and restaurants, making it an important focal point in the life of the capital, despite the fact that it is one of its newest centres. It has a beautiful open-air amphitheatre where concerts of classical and modern musical are given, as well as special shows for children.
This street also has a number of cinemas, although Lavalle is the true “street of the cinemas”. From Florida to Carlos Pellegrini, cinemas and pizza houses follow on one after the other. And the crowds of people that can be seen here on a Saturday night is truly amazing –a feature of Buenos Aires that is almost beyond description There are plenty of cinemas too in Santa Fe and Callao Avenues, and also in Recoleta.
The famed nightlife of Corrientes Avenue dates back to the thirties, when it was still narrow and the favourite haunt of tango artist. It was in the forties that the street was widened and the theatres and cinemas began to spring up. And in the seventies Corrientes, still full of life and renovated, was the setting for the great cultural demonstrations of the middle classes. Then subsequently, for both natives and strangers alike, it became simply the “street of the bookshops”. Dozens of bookshops displayed the great literary works at prices to suit all pockets, in versions produced by the major Argentinian publishing houses. And alongside the ordinary bookshops there sprung up others specializing in old books, where the unfindable could be found.
In the nineties, Corrientes has a very different appearance. Many of these bookshops –where you could read all night if you wanted, or get involved in a complex and never-ending debate with the bookseller who happened to be on duty at the time- have disappeared. But book-lovers are in luck, for many of the shops are still there, and although today they are not open all night, it is frequently after midnight when they close.
Where the cinemas of Lavalle come to an end is where Tribunales-starts. And there, on the square with the same name, stands the magnificent Colón Theatre, one of the greatest lyrical setting in the world, and which every year host the most important international stars. With impeccable acoustics, the building retains the Italian-style lines that typified the country’s most important public buildings at the turn of the century, it has seven floors, and its enormous Gold Room can seat 2,500 spectators –an there is room for a further 1,000 standing. The building is set off by a beautiful dome, the inside of which has been decorated by Raúl Soldi. Attached to the theatre is its own museum, which holds records of all the major performances and shows that have been staged there.
A few blocks away, the Cervantes National Theatre –home of the National Theatre Museum- is an impressive building in Spanish neo-plateresque style. It was a donation by the Spanish actress María Guerrero, and was opened by her and her husband in 1921. The outside is a reproduction of the Alcalá de Henares university.
The art galleries are concentrated in the street around Florida, especially between the intersection with Córdoba Avenue and the Plaza San Martín. Important exhibitions are held of classical and these do full justice to Argentina’s reputation as a major centre for the plastic arts. There are also art galleries in San Telmo and Belgrano.
Shopping Trips
One of the traditional shopping areas is Florida, between the Avenida de Mayo and its end in the Plaza San Martín; the best buy is clothing, formen, women and children. It is in Florida that the famous Harrod’s stores are to be found, which are among the oldest and most prestigious in Buenos Aires, and which offer a complete range of products, including foodstuffs and fine wines.
The famous Galerías Pacífico is also in Florida, between Viamonte and San Martín street, and Córdoba avenue. Rejuvenated and transformed into an enormous shopping centre, these galleries have a splendid dome painted by famous Argentinian artists, including Soldi. The whole building has been declared a Historic National Monument, and inside are restaurants, internationally-famous fashion houses, and even a “Perfume Comer”; there is also a large central space, under the dome, where concerts are held.
Other shopping trips that should be borne in mind when you are visiting Buenos Aires include Alto Palermo Shopping, Paseo alcorta, Patio Bullrich and Puerto Madero. The first of these, in the north at the intersection of Santa Fe and Coronel Díaz. Avenues, is a building of enormous proportions that has completely transformed the appearance of the area where it stands. Concentrated there are businesses of all kinds, and additionally a cinema and a room for projecting documentaries.
Patio Bullrich is a former stable building that dates back to the end of the last century, where the most important members of the local aristocracy used to meet. Completely refurbished and converted into a shopping centre, yet keeping its original architecture and materials, access is from Posadas Street and Libertador Avenue, half way between Retiro Station an Recoleta, in one of the most exclusive parts of the city.
In marked contrast, Paseo Alcorta, in Palermo Chico, is a modern, four-storey building. The ground floor is other floors contain fashion shops. There are also four cinemas.
Warnings
Although the first impression your may get of Buenos Aires, if you do not know it, is of a chaotic city, it is not realty like that at all. Although it might seem difficult to find your way around, the layout is not particularly complicated. Congress Square is kilometre 0, and all distances in the country are measured from there. Thus, for example, from the square to Jorge Newbery airport, where all domestic flights arrive and depart. Is 8 km. And to Ezeiza, 40 km.
Rivadavia Avenue, which starts in the Plaza de Mayo and continues beyond the General Paz ring road that separates the city from Greater Buenos Aires; is the basis of the numbering and naming system, since on it are based the numbers and names of all the streets that cross it. To the left they go up from 0 in a southerly direction, and to the right from 0 in a northerly direction. Rivadavia Avenue runs from east to west, and its numbers go up similarly, as do those of all the parallel streets that start from the river.
There are not too roads running diagonally across the basic grid pattern, especially across the basic grid pattern, especially in the central area, which looks like an enormous draughts boand.
Costanera north and Costanera South Avenues follow the river, with the dividing line between them being, as always, Rivadavia Avenue.
A motorway network links Buenos Aires with its suburban belt to the north and south, and these roads meet in 9 July Avenue, by Contitución Station.
The railway stations are also nerve centres of underground transport. The starting point for all rail communication southwards is Constitución, at the end of 9 July Avenue, and this is linked to Retiro Station by one of the underground lines. Retiro is where rail services in a northerly direction start, and this is located on San Martín Square opposite the Catalinas Norte complex: The area popularly known as `Once´ contains Miserere station, from where trains leave for the west, and this too is served by one of the underground lines. The lengthy Corrientes Avenue comes to an en at Chacarita Station, opposite the cemetery of the same name, and this is an underground terminus as well as being the starling point for trains to the northwest.
Places of Interest in the surrounding area
If you are visiting Buenos Aires for more than thee days, it is a good idea to find the time to make two traditional excursions: one to San Isidro, and the other to the delta of the Paraná River, better known as Tigre. These have been poplar trips since the end of the 18th century. Both are part of the northern. Buenos Aires conurbation, and have excellent communications with the capital. They can be reached by suburban line of “micros” (you catch these in the city centre), by private car or by special minibuses on excursions organized by numerous tourist bureaux.
The quickest of these methods is the train, which takes about 20 minutes to San Isidro and around 40 to Tigre; trains depart from Retiro station every 8 or 10 minutes, with a slightly reduced service on Sundays. By road the journey is longer, and depends to a certain extent on how much traffic there is on the Panamerican Highway –traffic tends to be heavy at most times, but especially so on Sunday afternoons when people are returning home from their country houses and the various clubs in the area.
San Isidro was officially founded in 1784, but settlement really goes back to the time of the definitive foundation of Buenos Aires. Lying on the right bank of the River Plate only 21 km from the Federal Capital, initially it grew up as an agricultural area specially renowned for the production of flowers; slowly, however, the large farms began to give way to residential development, and the area became a summer holiday spot for Buenos Aires families at the beginning of the 19th century. Around the middle of the present century, first of all industrialization of the district, and then improvements to the road network, brought to an end its image as a peaceful summer resort, and a gradually merged with the large conurbation as an active commercial and industrial centre.
However, it has never ceased to be an interesting place to visit, as it has a fine port, which is today the exclusive reserve of those devoted to sport and leisure activities. And in its historic centre, traces can still be found of the time when it was a summer resort. There is a square that was built on what was once the river bank and which today leads into an attractive avenue running alongside the old railway station. Other attractions include and impressive cathedral steeped in history, and a number of fine old houses.
If you continue a little further, you come to the important residential area of Lomas de san Isidro, where many Argentinian celebrities have their homes,. Here impressive mansions can be discovered lying hidden deep in wonderful parks or else resting on the tops of small hills.
All day Sunday there is a handicraft fair in the square, and this is, of course, the best day to visit San Isidro. There are excellent cafes an restaurants nearby, and here in this small area you will fortunately not find any of the tall buildings that spoil Maipú Avenue, the main thoroughfare of this northern sector.
The most important and internationally-famous rugby clubs in all Argentina are based in San Isidro, as are the best polo clubs –polo is a sport in which Argentina it world leader. Even if you are not horse enthusiast you should not fail to visit the magnificent San Isidro Race Track, almost eight blocks of age old woodland and gently-undulating land crossed by numerous small stream.
The district is historically rich both in deeds and famous people. It is worth going along to the San Isidro Guides Association, as in the company of a guide you can discover more about the place and enjoy your trip all the more; guided tours are available on Sundays, and this is really the best way to get a general panorama of the area.
Before it finally joins the River Plate, the Paraná loses itself in a maze of small rivers and stream that are dotted with island covered with astonishing vegetation –this is the Paraná Delta. Since those far-off days in 1806 when Santiago de Liniers began the struggle to re-conquer Buenos Aires, which at the time was besieged by the British navy, this area has been eternally bound up with intriguing pieces of history and legends.
The island had supplied the port with firewood and fruit since the Colonial era. And it was precisely as a fruit growing area that this part of the country developed, but this activity slowly declined as the country underwent a major economic transformation, and today it is almost non-existent. But so that this past is not forgotten, There is still the Fruit Market, and although there is little there today to justify the name, it is nevertheless one of the most attractive places imaginable. There you will find every-thing from horrible flowerpots stuffed with artificial flowers to real plants, wicker and cane furniture, exquisite basketwork, honey, chesses and sausages, and pretty pottery and copper handicrafts. You can find everything at this market, which owes the fruit from the islands was unloaded from the ships and sold.
Back on dry land there is still more to see: the derelict building of the former Tigre Hotel, and delightful mansions, some of them uninhabited, silent witnesses to a past era that was indeed splendid. And you can also choose one of a number of trips through the delta itself. Today there are few island that are completely uninhabited, and which retain their original vegetation. What you will mostly see on all of them are magnificent gardens, weekend houses and clubs.
The traditional buildings are wooden chalets painted either white or in very vivid colours, with a notable English influence. Generally speaking, launches and catamarans follow the most-frequented routes, but despite the signs of “civilization”, the scenery is still breathtaking. There are channels where the vegetation has become so entangled and entwined that it forms a sort of green roof stretching from one island to the next. And there is one plant which, although not native to the area, abounds in the island: azalea, whose lilac, white, purple or pink lines burst out of the dense greenery of the trees and creepers, beautiful rosebushes can also be found on a number of island.
Usually, excursions though the delta last either half a day, or a full day with a stop for lunch at some pretty restaurant or other. But there are also short trips lasting no more than a couple of hours. All these start from Tigre Quay, but if you want you can make reservations previously at a travel agency.
Although this is a good trip at any time of year, it is especially beautiful in springtime or in autumn, when the range of colours in the landscape is staggering. If you have time, you should stop off on Tigre Quay or in one of the old shops or bars around there to chat with some boatman or old inhabitant. The tragic stories of love, suspense, and adventure that you will hear are worth putting in a novel, and are as seductive as the island scenery itself.
