Women-Friendly Travel in Buenos Aires
The Buenos Aires women-friendly travel guide places explicit women-friendly and family confidence signals first, while keeping uncertain details visible for review.
Buenos Aires
Cabildo Patio Feria
Cabildo Patio Feria is a lovely festival to go to while sightseeing in the Plaza de Mayo area. It is held on Thursday and Friday from 11:00am to 6:00pm in the small garden patio behind the Cabildo, or old city hall. You'll find lots of locally made crafts here, especially pottery, stained glass, and jewelry. It’s also a nice place to relax and people-watch.
Buenos Aires
Bio
If you are holidaying on a budget and making your own food, be sure to visit Bio, an organic restaurant and food store. It's a great place if you are vegetarian or vegan to find some delicious snacks. All the constituent ingredients are known to have been grown or produced in Argentina. The store stocks organic chips, teas, cheeses, and even organic wine, but remember that they only accept cash.
Buenos Aires
A pair of Tango shoes
A pair of Tango shoes can be a good souvenir, definitely for yourself or even a friend if you know their shoe size. Av. Suipacha has clusters of Tango shoe shops. Make sure not to be too much of a tourist and find out some prices before you go. Excellent handmade leather shoes can be bought in these shops, mostly for men, but some women’s shoes are also available. If you have time (about 2 weeks) you can ask them to make you a pair which you can have a hand in designing.
Buenos Aires
The Mate
The most common non-alcoholic drink in Buenos Aires is Mate, and buying a friend a mate cup or other accessory would be an excellent souvenir. The cups are made from various materials, but most commonly from a dried vegetal core. Some are heavily decorated with gold or silver ornaments. They can be found in any touristy shop or market, primarily the La Boca markets which are held every day.
Buenos Aires
Zival's Tango Store
Offers a wide variety of CDs, books and DVDs and lots of things you wouldn’t expect to find. Old musical instruments, sheet music and furniture can be bought here as well. It’s a veritable treasure trove.
Buenos Aires
San Telmo
San Telmo is the place to go for weird and wonderful bric-a-brac and antiques. There are weekend Flea Markets that you can peruse at your leisure. The Plaza Dorrego also hosts one of the best antique fairs in the world every Saturday and Sunday. Just walking around San Telmo can also help you spot an interesting and unique item.
Buenos Aires
Nora Iniesta
Nora Iniesta is an Argentinian artist famous for her loyalty to authentic Argentinian icons, the Gauchos, Tango dancers etc. Her artistry space is a calm collection of her work and good for a look through if you are interested in art. Some of her work is sold at Museo Evita.
Buenos Aires
C-Disueria
This music shop caters for fans of every genre. There is some good Tango music available as well as CDs and tapes of old and new English and Spanish albums. Good to wander through if you are in the tribunales area.
Buenos Aires
What to do with Children in Tow
Although it may not seem that way at first, Buenos Aires is an extremely safe and child friendly city. There are many child-friendly eateries and lots of parks to explore. Porteños adore children; you are bound to get into some interesting conversations with the locals that never would have happened if not for your little ones. Keeping the kids busy for hours will not be difficult in Buenos Aires. A few suggestions for what you can do when travelling with the family:
Buenos Aires
The famous Recoleta Cemetery
The famous Recoleta Cemetery is well worth a visit as it is the resting place of many Argentinian celebrities. It is open daily from 8am-6pm and you may even be able to catch one of the guided tours. Telephone: 4804 7040 Website: www.cementeriorecoleta.com.ar
Buenos Aires
Recoleta
It is the unofficial ‘centre’ of the city as it holds the Plaza de Mayo, the main square in Buenos Aires. This barrio also has some beautiful French style buildings and is one of the most expensive areas to live. The square is surrounded by the key commercial and shopping areas in Buenos Aires and contains a beautiful park with fountains and statues. The Casa Rosada, the Presidential palace is on one side of it, where many a revolution has begun. There is an attached museum that offers free guided tours and an interesting journey through Buenos Aires’ political history Telephone: 4344 3844 Website: http://www.museo.gov.ar/default.asp Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday 10am-6pm, Sundays 2pm-6pm
Buenos Aires
The Cabildo
The Cabildo, situated opposite the Casa Rosada is the only surviving government building from colonial times so is worth the exploration, especially if you have an interest in architecture.
Buenos Aires
The Reserva Ecológica Costanera
The Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur nearby, is a picturesque garden, and an excellent alternative, particularly for nature lovers.
Buenos Aires
Puerto Madero
Similar in feel to the London docklands, Puerto Madero has a ghostly beauty to it. The antique port of Buenos Aires has been renewed however and now represents the latest architectural and entertainment trends of the city. The old red-brick warehouses now contain galleries, bars and restaurants (ranging from high end eateries to Franchises such as Hooters and TGIF). Old docking cranes and ships sit silently on either side of the dock, and the beautiful bridge 'Puente de la Mujer' (Bridge of the Woman) stands tall across the water. The newly opened Puerto Madero tramway now services the area and there are many high risers being built in the surrounds, which is a testament to the refurbishments happening.
Buenos Aires
The San Telmo district
The San Telmo district is a must-visit as it preserves the old Spanish style architecture and streets. The roads tend to be paved with cobblestones, lending a quaint and romantic feel to the area. You seem to be within a little slice of historic Europe. It is however, a very touristy area and don’t be surprised of you are offered ‘authentic’ Argentinian items for sale at sky high prices. There are markets held on the Plaza Dorrego every Sunday, be sure to catch them if you’re in the area, they have a great community feel.
Buenos Aires
The Buenos Aires Museum of Modern Art
The Buenos Aires Museum of Modern Art is worth a visit while you are here. It boasts a large collection of art and is situated on the main street of San Telmo: 350 San Juan Avenue. Entry is free.
Buenos Aires
Planetario de Galileo Galilei
Planetario de Galileo Galilei is a beautiful building that could give you an exciting evening’s outing. There are plays and educational shows that take place there as well as the opportunity to gaze into the inky blackness above through an obscenely large telescope. Shows are normally around ARS10, general admittance is free. The Planetarium is open between 10:00am and 4:00pm Weekdays.
Buenos Aires
The Buenos Aires Zoo
The Buenos Aires Zoo is also located in Palermo and is a good place to visit. Entry is ARS22 and it is open 10:00am to 6:00pm daily.
Buenos Aires
The Plaza Italia
The Plaza Italia is the focal point of the suburb, surrounded by the zoo and the botanic gardens, and holding the monument to Giuseppe Garibaldi As it is the largest barrio in Buenos Aires, there are several sub sections such as Palermo-Viejo, Palermo-Chico, Palermo-SoHo and Palermo-Hollywood.
Buenos Aires
Microcentro
Microcentro is the name used for the central Barrio, downtown, an ideal location for visitors to be near to the main historical spots of the Argentinean capital. The widest street in the world, the monstrous 16-lane Avenida 9 de Julio is part of this neighbourhood. This is also the central financial district so during work hours on weekdays, the place is fairly chaotic. The Obelisco, the main monument in central Buenos Aires is a good vantage point for calmly surveying the melee.
Buenos Aires
Calles Florida
is a must-visit. It is located downtown and is one of the famous pedestrian streets in the city. There are many shops to suit all budgets and this is a good place to practice your Spanish as people are used to tourists. The downside of this though, is that there are plenty of porteños trying to scam you, so be on the lookout for prices that seem exorbitant and “authentic” Argentinian produce. Calles Lavalle is the slightly cheaper counterpart where you can find ARS5 meals of massive steaks and smoky milonga Tango places.
Buenos Aires
The Retiro barrio
The Retiro barrio nearby hosts the main train station in the city. As you would expect, the place is packed with commuters and travelers any time you go there. There is also a great lifestyle scene here, with high class restaurants, boutique shopping, and clubs. It is home to a wide variety of immigrants. The whole area and its business is quite dizzying, especially for a first time visitor or if you have never lived in a big city so remember to take breaks and give yourself regular sit-downs. Thankfully, there are plenty of cafes and restaurants that are little drops of calm in the bustle of the town.
Buenos Aires
The Plaza San Martín
The Plaza San Martín in Retiro is good nature break from the city and many