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Buenos Aires Outdoors

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When the sun is shining, who wants to spend their time poking around inside a dusty old museum or shoved into the back corner of a crowded restaurant? Visitors can easily spend almost a week in Buenos Aires without ever having to set foot inside, except maybe to sleep, but even then, the time under a roof can be kept to a bare minimum. Here is an itinerary for five days of open-air fun and experience in the cultural capital of the south.

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Day 1 - Buenos Aires

Begin the tour in the city’s main square, Plaza de Mayo, the spot where political demonstrations, past and present, gain the most recognition from the government. From here catch a cab right down to Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires’ youngest and chicest neighborhood located along the old port dikes. Have a bite to eat on the patio overlooking the water at El Mirasol, then cross over the architectural marvel of a bridge that spans dike 2, the Puente de la Mujer. On the other side of Puerto Madero is the Reserva Ecológica, the vast riverside nature reserve. Bikes can be rented on the weekends just outside the entrance, but if it’s a weekday, walking the labyrinth of paths is just as pleasant. The riverfront pebble beaches tend to be lined with families picnicking and sunbathing, so join right in if the sun is high in the sky. Next cross over to San Telmo’s European-style Plaza Dorrego. Have a leisurely coffee at Bar Dorrego’s outdoor tables while watching tango dancers take a spin around the square to live music. Add some excitement to the laid-back afternoon by taking part in the fervor of Buenos Aires, soccer. River Plate plays in Nuñez, a residential suburb just to the north of Belgrano. Enjoy the exhilaration of the national sport but watch your pockets and keep an eye on the fans who can be inclined to lose control of their fists when things don’t quite go their way. Turn in for the night at Hostel Ostinatto in San Telmo, a design hostel if there ever was one. Share a drink with the owner on the kitchen balcony overlooking the street, or join other guests up on the rooftop terrace for a dip in the wading pool if the night is warm.

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Puente de la Mujer

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Dock 3
C1107AAP Buenos Aires, Argentina

Mirasol (El)

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Avenida Alicia Moreau de Justo 202
Puerto Madero
1107 Buenos Aires, Argentina

Phone:

54 11 43156277

River Plate Stadium

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7597 Ave Figueroa Alcorta
C1428BCL Buenos Aires, Argentina

Phone:

+54 11 4789 1358

Plaza Dorrego

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Defensa and Humberto Primo
Plaza Dorrego, at the intersection of Defensa and Humberto I
1065 Buenos Aires, Argentina

Bar Dorrego

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Defensa 1908
1143 Buenos Aires, Argentina

Phone:

54 11 4361 0141

Plaza de Mayo

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Avenida de Mayo 800
Plaza de Mayo begins at the eastern terminus of Av. de Mayo and is surrounded by calles Yrigoyen, San Martín, Rivadavia, and Balcarce
1084 Buenos Aires, Argentina

Hostel Ostinatto

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Chile 680
San Telmo
C1098 AAN Buenos Aires, Argentina

Phone:

5411 4362 9639

Day 2 - Buenos Aires

Start your Saturday by walking up to Plaza de los Dos Congresos, located in the eponymous neighborhood, Congreso. Stroll around the weekend market that has a variety of antiques and collectible items, such as used books, costume jewelry, vintage clothing, coins, posters, and vinyl records. From here catch a cab to Retiro’s Mitre train station, where you can catch the Mitre line to connect to the Tren de la Costa, the riverside train line that will run you to Tigre. Tigre is a beautiful delta town located about an hour to the north of Capital Federal, and has a lovely produce and furniture market close to the train station. Poke around a little bit before backtracking to the station and buying your passes into Parque de la Costa, South America’s largest amusement park. Once your stomach has had enough of the twisting and turning roller coasters of Parque de la Costa, settle down for some lunch at Cabana de La Lopeza, an Argentine restaurant with outdoor seating. Catch the Tren de la Costa back in the direction of Buenos Aires a few stops to San Isidro, a picturesque riverfront town with a beautiful Gothic cathedral at its center. San Isidro is home to a wealthy population who enjoy their leisure activities, especially the San Isidro Golf Club, where day guests can hit a few rounds. Before heading back to Buenos Aires proper, take in a race or two at the world-famous (and one of the world’s largest) racetrack, the Hipodromo de San Isidro. Catch the Tren de la Costa back to Capital Federal and head from Retiro over to Plaza Francia, the large green plaza in Recoleta, facing the Centro Cultural Recoleta and the Recoleta Cemetary. Saturdays host a lively market, with jewelry, clothing, and arts vendors crisscrossing the paths and grass in the plaza. When the sun sets and dinner time rolls around, walk over to Milion, a 15-minute stroll from Plaza Francia. Choose from a variety of tasty South American dishes and a long list of creative cocktails and take a seat in the candlelit courtyard behind this beautiful restored mansion. Nighttime events in Buenos Aires begin much later than in North America, so you’ll need to kill a few more hours before venturing out to the club - try the rooftop terrace at Kimia, located on Santa Fe in Palermo. Once 3am rolls around, it’ll be high time to get yourself to Pacha, the soul of the Buenos Aires night scene. The dance floor will become packed as the night goes on, so move out to the patio, overlooking the Rio de la Plata (be sure not to miss the sunrise over the water – it’s spectacular). By the time the clock hits 9am or the DJs pull off their headsets (whichever comes first), you’ll be more than ready to turn in back at Ostinatto.

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Plaza Francia

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Avenida del Libertador, entre Agote y Pueyrredón
1405 Buenos Aires, Argentina

Phone:

+54 (0)11 4372 3612 (Tourist Information)

Milión

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Parana 1048
Barrio Norte
1018 Buenos Aires, Argentina

Phone:

54 11 4815 9925

Plaza de los Dos Congresos

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near Monument of The Thinker
1033 Buenos Aires, Argentina

Parque de la Costa

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Vivanco 1509
1808 Buenos Aires, Argentina

Phone:

+54 11 4002 6000

Cabaña La Lopeza

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Las Casuarinas & Los Eucaliptus
B1648APA Buenos Aires, Argentina

Phone:

54 11 4512 4886

Kimia

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Santa Fe 5001
C1425BHM Buenos Aires, Argentina

Phone:

54 11 4777 2851

Pacha

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Avenida Costanera Norte
(at La Pampa )
1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina

Phone:

54 11 4788 4280

Day 3 - Buenos Aires

After the night you had last night, starting out with a slow Sunday morning will sound like music to your ears. Start with a stroll through the Feria de San Telmo, or the San Pedro Telmo Antiques Fair, which runs from sunrise to sunset Sundays throughout the year. Begin by walking down Defensa from Avenida Belgrano towards Parque Lezama, stopping to poke around through the vendors’ wares and to take in some live tango music and dance. Take a seat on the outdoor poofs at La Divina Comedia, where you can enjoy a fresh salad or a fruity smoothie while watching the passersby. Afterwards, continue on down through the market to Parque Lezama, where the density of vendors tapers off and gives way to lazy sunbathers and old folks playing chess. If your hunger strikes up again, consider lunching on the rooftop terrace of El Balcon, peacefully high above the craziness of the Sunday market in Plaza Dorrego. Make sure to ask for a terrace seat, because upon walking in, it won't be plainly evident that there even IS a terrace. For a change of scene, catch the bus from San Telmo out to the western neighborhood of Mataderos, where the Sunday gaucho festival features live music and dancers, Northern Argentine cuisine, gauchos playing traditional games on horseback, and some of the most finely-crafted leather and silver goods for the most competitive prices. The hour-long bus ride is well worth the trip for this most authentic experience of traditional Argentine culture. Catch the bus back to the city center and take a cab or the subway up to Home Hotel in Palermo for the night. This hotel is a longtime favorite of many visitors to Buenos Aires, proven by consistent returns, year after year. Home has a notable restaurant and bar, which serve at the poolside. Weekend nights feature DJs on the pool deck and parties mixing well-known locals and foreigners lucky enough to get invited.

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Barrio de San Telmo

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Defensa 1200
1065 Buenos Aires, Argentina

Phone:

+54 11 4312 2232 (Tourist Information)

San Pedro Telmo Antiques Fair

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Dorrego Square
Defensa and Humberto, 1
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Parque Lezama

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Calle Defensa and Calle Brasil
1098 Buenos Aires, Argentina

Phone:

+54 11 4313 0187(Tourist Information) /+54 11 4315 4265(Tourist Information)

Feria de Mataderos

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Lisandro de la Torre y Avenida de los Corrales
Barrio de Mataderos
1440 Buenos Aires, Argentina

Phone:

+54 11 4323 9684

Home Hotel

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Honduras 5860
Between Carranza and Ravignani
1425 Buenos Aires, Argentina

Phone:

5411 4778 1008

Day 4 - Buenos Aires

Begin day 4 of your trip at the zoo in Plaza Italia - make sure to get in to see the penguins playing in the aquarium. From there go directly next door to the Botanical Gardens, a lovely sprawl of manicured landscaping that lets you forget about the major thoroughfares that flank both sides of the park. The gardens are noted for the cats that live within the gates; they are tame and relatively clean and love to pose for photos on the edges of the fountains and the stone steps to the greenhouse. Cross from Plaza Italia to Palermo Hollywood, where a table on the garden deck at the minimalist Scandinavian restaurant, Olsen, will be most inviting. Now add some excitement to the relaxing day by taking a cab over to Punta Carrasco, the swimming pool complex located on the river's edge in Costanera Norte. The mid-week entrance fees are nearly half the price of the weekend fees, and the crowds of leathery Argentines will be thinned out, as well. Stop off at the Bosques de Palermo, the gigantic park that divides the neighborhood of Palermo. Stroll through the rose gardens to the paddle boat rentals and take a spin out on one of the lakes if you're feeling up to it. Finish the day off with dinner and drinks at Mott, the superhip Palermo Soho spot with fluffly white sofas and beautiful people lounging on the front deck. Heat lamps provide some warmth so that the deck can stay open year-round, regardless of the winter chill in the air.

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Jardín Zoológico

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Santa Fé y Las Heras
1425 Buenos Aires, Argentina

Phone:

+54 11 4011 9900

Botanical Gardens

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Santa Fe and J.L. Borges
Av. Las Heras, at Plaza Italia, across from the subway entrance
1425 Buenos Aires, Argentina

Phone:

+54 11 48314527

Olsen

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Gorriti 5870
At Carranza
C1414BKJ Buenos Aires, Argentina

Phone:

54 11 4776 7677

Punta Carrasco

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Avenida Costanera Norte Rafael Obligado and Avenida Sarmiento (no number), Capital Federal CP 5003, Buenos Aires
5003 Buenos Aires, Argentina

Phone:

+5411 48071010

Bosques de Palermo

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Avenues Del Libertador, Dorrego y Figueroa Alcorta
Palermo
1425 Buenos Aires, Argentina

Mott

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El Salvador 4685
1425 Buenos Aires, Argentina

Phone:

5411 4833 4306

Day 5 - Buenos Aires

Kick off the last day of your trip with breakfast on a wooden steam train ride around some of the lovely residential areas of Buenos Aires. Afterwards stretch your legs at the Recoleta Cemetary, and good luck finding the tomb of Eva Peron (look for her maiden name, "Duarte", and be persistent in asking directions). Take lunch at Pride Cafe, a gay-friendly corner bistro in San Telmo that offers a great selection of fresh juices (try the mint lemonade or the apple and basil smoothie). The outdoor tables fill up quickly but the kind staff will be more than happy to accomodate guests by setting up more if there is a wait. Parque Centenario, located smack in the geographical center of Buenos Aires, is a large, fenced-in park with tons of grassy space and walking or biking paths. Weekends and some summertime weekdays feature free public activities such as concerts on the open-air stages. Jet on down to La Boca for a stroll down touristy Caminito, the colorful, house-lined street that is depicted in just about every publication on Buenos Aires. Dodge the scam-artist tango dancers here and catch a cab a few blocks up to the Boca Juniors stadium to catch a soccer match (it's so close but this neighborhood is quite dangerous outside of the tourist section. Walking is definitely NOT recommended). Hold on to your wallet during the game! The people get pretty riled up and the security is sub-par, so don't forget to keep an eye on your things. After the game, enjoy your last meal of steak and wine under the stars on the terrace at San Telmo's La Farmacia, a red-walled former pharmacy (hence the name) turned restaurant.

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