Outside of Buenos Aires: Iguazú

Iguazú consists of between 250 and 350 separate waterfalls, depending on the season, that plunge more than 200 feet onto the rocks below. They are located in the Iguazú River where the borders of Argentina and Brazil meet and also very close to the borders of both these countries with Paraguay. The rain forest around the falls consists of huge pine trees that because of the high humidity and hot temperatures take almost 20 years to mature, three times as much as in other parts of the world, producing very dense wood. The Iguazu Falls are rated as one of the modern wonders in the world and depending on definition might well be the biggest water falls in the world, making them an unmissable part of the best tours to Argentina.

The falls and the lands around them are protected by Argentina's Parque Nacional Iguazú (where the falls are referred to by their Spanish name, the Cataratas de Iguazú), which was created in 1934, making it one of the oldest National Parks in the country. Though there is a big Sheraton hotel in the National Park itself, most visitors choose the nearby town of Puerto Iguazú, with its many lodging and food options as their hub for exploring the falls and surrounding jungle.  

The wildlife in the park includes several endangered species such as the jaguar, the ocelot, the harpy eagle and the Yacare Caiman. Swallows nest in the walls behind the falls and are an ubiquitous sight, even making it into the official park logo. There’s also a large diversity of butterfly species to be found. An environmentally-friendly train runs through the jungle for nearly 5 miles between the visitor centre and the most impressive of all the falls in the park, the 270 degree Garganta del Diablo.

Many people take the opportunity to also visit the falls from the Brazilian side, which offers a more panoramic view of the fall as opposed to being right at them and both locations have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1984.

If you want to spend the night outside of the park, the affordable La Sorgente is a very nice little posada in close by Puerto Iguazu and one of the best options in town. Very close to the 3 borders point with Brasil and Paraguay, it also has a perfect little pool with terrace and an excellent restaurant.

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Buenos Aires Travel Guide: Subways

Though Buenos Aires has a sprawling bus network that runs 24 hours a day and tens of thousands of taxis, for most tourists the subway or Subte offers the best combination of affordability and ease of use during their visit to the Argentine capital. Here’s a short overview of the Subte lines you might use during the best tours to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

A line

The oldest line opened in 1913 and connected Plaza de Mayo with Plaza Miserere in Once below Avenida de Mayo and Avenida Rivadavia. Nowadays it goes on all the way to Flores and further expansion towards Liniers is planned in the coming years. It still uses some of the old wooden carriages attracting train enthusiasts from around the world. They will be changed in january and february of 2013, so if you want to get one of the last rides on the original Belgian carriages, hurry up.

B Line

The B Line follows Corrientes Avenue from the edge of Puerto Madero towards Villa Urquiza in the suburbs and is the most widely used subway line passing along the Obelisco but also the large Abasto shopping mall for example. It used carriages that were formerly in operation in the Tokyo subway in Japan.

C line

Opened in 1934 it was the first north-south line to be opened, connecting the A,B,D and E lines, as well as the tow main train stations in the city, running from Retiro towards Constitucion.

D line

Leading from Plaza de Mayo’s Cathedral in downtown towards the upscale neighborhoods of Palermo and Belgrano with their many bars and restaurants plus the Plaza Italia station next to the Buenos Aires Zoo, this is one of the lines most used by tourists visiting the city during the best tours to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

E line

Running almost parallel to the highway on the southern side of the capital, away from most tourist attractions, this line is used almost exclusively by locals getting to and from work in the center.

H line

The newest line and only the second to run north to south, this line is supposed to link the southern urban renovation neighborhood of Parque Patricios all the way to Retiro with a controversial stop being planned directly in front of the Recoleta cemetery, making it a potential hit with foreign visitors from 2014 onwards.

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Outside of Buenos Aires: El Calafate and Los Glaciares

A frontier town of only around 10,000 inhabitants on the windy plains of Patagonia in Santa Cruz Province, El Calafate is nevertheless one of the most important tourist destinations in Argentina, due to its close proximity to the Los Glaciares National Park with its imposing glaciers, including the most famous in the world: Perito Moreno. A visit to El Calafate and Los Glaciares will definitely complete all the best tours to Argentina.

Because of the almost 900,000 visitors who come down to visit the park each year, El Calafate has ample choice in hotels and restaurants and is served by its own El Calafate International Airport, some 12 miles outside of the town itself, helping tourists to easily cover the the 1,800 miles separating it from Buenos Aires.

The Los Glaciares national park, created in 1937, is the second largest in Argentina. Its name refers to the giant ice cap that feeds 47 large glaciers. The ice cap is the largest outside of Antarctica. 30% of the park is permanently covered in ice and it can roughly be divided in two parts, centered around the largest lake in Argentina, Lago Argentino in the southern part and the only slightly smaller Lago Viedma in the north. The northern half has fewer glaciers but includes Mount Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre, two mountains that are very popular with both trekkers and serious climbers.

Most visitors however focus their attention on the many huge glaciers around Lago Argentino and in particular the Perito Moreno glacier. One of the few glaciers in the world that is actually growing, at its base it’s almost 3 miles wide with an average height of 240 feet above the lake. Huge blocks of ice break from the glacier wall all the time and fall into the lake below with spectacular noise, making it an unmissable side trip during the best tours to Argentina. 

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Outside of Buenos Aires: Peninsula Valdes

A peninsula on the Atlantic coast in the north east of Chubut Province, Valdes is one of the most important nature reserves in Argentina and since 1999 a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At about 1,400 square miles and only one small human settlement, it’s coastline has become a safe habitat for thousands of marine mammals and birds. A visit to Peninsula Valdes is an impressive experience and well worth your time during one of the best tours to Argentina.

As the nearest larger town, Puerto Madryn on the mainland is the base for most visitors to the area. It’s reached by hourly buses from the nearest airport in the city of Trelew. Various agencies in Puerto Madryn offer day trips to Peninsula Valdes and the town has a good selection of hotels and restaurants as well as diving schools for those hoping to join the abundant sea life up close. If you want to get to the wildlife on the peninsula early in the day, before the crowds arrive, you should consider staying on Valdes itself in the hamlet of Puerto Piramides.

Whale watching tours are a popular attraction and Southern whales can be found in the Golfo Nuevo and the Golfo San José, protected bodies of water located between the peninsula and the mainland of Argentina. Whales come here between May and December, for mating and giving birth, because the water is quieter and warmer. Killer whales hunt off the coast in the open sea off the peninsula. They are known to beach themselves on shore to catch prey, making for an impressive spectacle if you happen to be there at the right time.

The inner part of the peninsula is inhabited by a wide range of birds. At least 181 bird species, 66 of which migratory, live in the area, including the Antarctic Pigeon. Nearby Punta Tumbo makes for a good combination with Peninsula Valdes on the best tours to Argentina and is home to a colony of many thousands of Magellan Penguins who come here between September and April to incubate their eggs.

The Hosteria del Nomade is an ecological lodge in Puerto Piramides that's a popular place to spend the night and for those looking to stay longer they also rent out some very nice apartments.

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Buenos Aires Travel Guide: Zoo

Dating from 1874, The Buenos Aires Zoo is a historic landmark in the Palermo neighborhood with the animal complexes scattered about beautifully designed gardens. A visit to the Zoo is one of the best things to do in Argentina for both children and adults.

Though originally conceived as a classical zoo with large areas for visitors and cramped spaces for animals and then left to deteriorate for many years by a succession of politically appointed managing directors (including at one time Evita Peron’s brother), the zoo was privatized and has since been converted into a far more modern operation largely succeeding in showing the animals in a more natural habitat.

One of these examples is the Elephant House where the new management managed to incorporate the spectacular original building resembling the ruins of an Indian temple in to a more animal friendly setup. Other modern additions have been a good sized aquarium and a Tropical Forest exhibit.

Apart from the aforementioned sights, the Zoo also has a petting zoo where children can pet and even feed smaller animals such as goats, sheep and ponies and a glass polar bear enclosure which allows the visitor to see them in action underwater as well. With more than 3 million visitors per year, it’s one of the more popular zoos in the world and a main attraction in Buenos Aires.

Should you long to see even more animals or want to see them in a more natural surrounding, Temaikèn Biopark, about 30 minutes north of the city, is the place to go to. With 178 acres Temaikèn specializes in native Argentine wildlife and exotic and threatened species and is the only zoo in Argentina recognized for its work on conservation by the United States based Association of Zoos and Aquariums. It’s popular both with locals and tourists and offers several packages including one taking you there from downtown Buenos Aires by touristic train and afterwards back to the city by boat down the river delta.

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Outside Buenos Aires: Bariloche

San Carlos de Bariloche, usually known as Bariloche, lies in Rio Negro province near the border with Chile. Since the 1930s the city has been a major tourism centre with ski, trekking and mountaineering facilities, as well as innumerable restaurants, cafés and chocolate shops.

Founded by a German immigrant, the city has a distinct Alpine town appearance and especially in winter draws tourists from around South America for its great skiing opportunities. This has lead to it growing to a year round population of around 100,000 inhabitants. Nearby Cerro Catedral is the biggest ski resort in the country with the most facilities including some first class restaurants and bars. 

With 1,500 acres of skiing, Cerro Catedral offers good off-piste and a special park with rails and ramps for free style and snowboard skiing. Slopes rise up to 6,000 feet offering great snow from mid June to the beginning of October. Tourism has created a greater demand for fine dining and restaurants such as renowned chef Mariana Wolf’s Cassis and the hip Kandahar make sure that Bariloche can more than hold its own in this field as well.

Bariloche is also the location of Lake Nahuel Huapi and the National Park of the same name. It’s the oldest national park in Argentina, founded in 1934, surrounding the biggest and deepest (1,400 ft) clear water lake in the country. During the summer, beautiful beaches such as Playa Bonita and Villa Tacul welcome sun-bathers and some brave lake swimmers (the waters are always very cold). 

A popular hiking and boating destination, it’s surrounded by a number of beautiful hotels, most famously Llao Llao, the best and most expensive hotel and resort in all of Patagonia. A little bit closer to Bariloche itself along the lake, Charming Lodge offers a smaller and more intimate place to stay at an equally impressive level.

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Outside of Buenos Aires: Salta City

Though far less visited than Patagonia, Salta might well be our favorite destination in Argentina. Blue skies and year round summer dominate the Argentine region that offers it all. This hidden gem combines centuries old architecture with impressive canyons and inca culture with world class vineyards. Only 2 hours away by plane from Buenos Aires, it’s the ideal location for a unique fly-drive vacation.

Walking through the colonial center of this city founded in 1582 with its cobble stone roads, beautiful churches and monuments wait around every corner including the 9th of July square with its neoclassical Catedral Basilica and the impressive Cabildo, the former colonial town hall and now a historic museum. Also on the square the archaeological museum houses the 500 year old mummies of three Inca children that were perfectly preserved in the eternal snow of the Llullaillaco volcano and are an integral part of the best tour to Salta.

Salta is also rightly famous for its local cuisine which uses more spices than common in other parts of the country. Doña Salta’s restaurant (Cordoba 46) has for decades been the place to go for a traditional meal of fiery empanadas and locro, a hearty stew of meat and beans. La Vieja Estacion (Balcarce 885) is a good place for local music and gaucho dancers with “folklore” shows nightly. For a younger vibe, Macondo, a block away at Balcarce 980, is a good pub with an enthusiastic mix of local students and tourists.

The Hotel del Antiguo Convento (Caseros 113) is, as the name clearly suggests, housed in  an ancient convent and is perfectly located close to all the attractions in the city center. The luxurious El Lagar B&B (20 de Febrero 877) in a converted colonial mansion is an other excellent option for those wanting to spend the night in the town of Salta itself.

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Outside of Buenos Aires: Cordoba City

Located in the hills in the center of Argentina, Cordoba is the second largest city in Argentina and the capital of the province of the same name. With its rich history and beautiful surroundings, it ranks high on the list of places to visit for many visitors to Argentina. Read on for the best sights to visit in Cordoba Capital.

Founded in 1573 the city has a remarkably well preserved city center with many parts still showing the strong Jesuit influence that dominated the city and region from around 1600 until 1767 when they were evicted by the Spanish king. Though at the beginning of the the 20th century the city only had around 90,000 inhabitants, it then started to grow rapidly with new immigrants from mainly Italy and Spain to its current size of around 1,3 million.

The most important sight to visit in the city of Cordoba is without a doubt the Manzana Jesuitica or Jesuit Block, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. It consists of a group of buildings dating back to the 17th century that includes the campus of the oldest university in the country. Nearby Plaza San Martin makes for a very worthwhile visit as well. It is located on the historical founding pace of the city and is the location of Cordoba Cathdral, with foundations dating back to 1580 and officially consecrated in 1706

For culture fans the city offers the Evita Peron Fine Arts Museum housed in a Beaux-Arts mansion dating back to 1912 and including work by Francisco Goya. 

If your tastes run more towards other activities then Cordoba also has the large Patio Olmos high-end shopping mall near the city center in a classic former school building or on weekends you can join the locals at the soccer stadium of Club Atletico Belgrano. Nicknamed “The Pirates”, they are one of only a handful of teams in the highest Argentine division that are not located in Buenos Aires or its surrounding suburbs.

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Buenos Aires Neighborhood Guide: Microcentro

Though technically not a separate neighborhood but consisting of parts of a few of the 48 neighborhoods in the city, the Microcentro is the name commonly used for the downtown section of Buenos Aires that includes the main office, financial, shopping and government facilities as well as some of her more famous monuments. Though probably not the best option for most visitors to actually spend the night, the Microcentro has some not so obvious attractions as well that make a visit at all times of the day and night a worthwhile addition to the perfect vacation to Buenos Aires.

During the day the 9 de Julio Avenue, the widest street in the world and its centerpiece Obelisk, built in 1936 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Buenos Aires form a natural draw as well as the pedestrian shopping street Florida that runs parallel to it a few blocks east and is home to all famous brands. A highlight is Galerias Pacifico, an upscale shopping mall on the corner of Florida and Cordoba streets that has giant frescos by famous Argentine painters on its ceilings.

For lunch Tomo 1 (Carlos Pellegrini 173), mere feet away from the Obelisk, is one of the best restaurants in town with gourmet takes on authentic Porteño cuisine. If you would rather see the city from above A222 (Corrientes 222) on the top floor of the historic Comega building offers spectacular views.

In the afternoon and early evening when the office workers go home, Confiteria Ideal (Suipacha 384) comes to life. This historic cafe has a gorgeous room for tango on the second floor. Go watch locals dance the tango to live music on most weekdays and participate if you got the moves. 

Late at night when the streets of the Microcentro seem deserted, behind closed doors the party continues at Bahrein (Lavalle 345). Housed in a former bank building with one of the bars housed in the giant former vault it attracts huge crowds who come to dance to the beats of big name DJ’s. Walking out of this place in the middle of the deserted microcentro at 7 AM is an unforgettable part of the best trips to Buenos Aires.

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Buenos Aires Neighborhood Guide: Puerto Madero

Buenos Aires’ newest of its 48 neighborhoods, construction of current Puerto Madero was   only started in 1989 on the waterfront location of the former Madero Docklands that had been in decay ever since the New Port of Buenos Aires was constructed in 1926. A combination of renovating and converting former warehouses into high end restaurants and developing new buildings by world renowned architects and designers like Norman Foster and Philippe Starck has made Puerto Madero an unmissable part of the best trips to Buenos Aires.

Puerto Madero currently represents the largest urban renewal project in the city of Buenos Aires. Having undergone an impressive revival in merely a decade, it is one of the most successful recent waterfront renewal projects in the world. Falling under the formal jurisdiction of the Navy the neighborhood offers excellent security and is a popular place to live with both expats and wealthy Argentines.

On the eastern side of Puerto Madero, landfills formed by construction debris from around the city form the basis for what since 1986 has become the Buenos Aires Ecological Reserve, a perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the metropolis. A number of trails leading to the river are perfect for bird watching, strolling and cycling. 

All streets in Puerto Madero are named after famous Argentine women and  Alicia Moreau de Justo, the main street separating Puerto Madero from downtown houses many of the fanciest restaurants in town, among them Cabana Las Lilas, one of the most famous Parillas or grill restaurants in South America with its own livestock ranch outside of Buenos Aires.

For nightlife Puerto Madero has Asia de Cuba ( Pierina Dealessi 750) on offer, a very popular upmarket supper club with dancing afterwards as well as the more house music oriented Acqua (Juana Manso 305) a few blocks away. Both are at crawling distance from the shiny new Hilton Buenos Aires with its giant atrium, should you wish to conclude one of the best trips to Buenos Aires by spending the night in Puerto Madero as well. 

The very expensive warehouse-turned-design-hotel Faena at Martha Salotti 445 is another option. Popular with visiting rock stars and rich visitors from Russia and the MIddle East, it has a great pool, which you can also enjoy as a non-guest by just booking a relatively affordable lunch in the poolside restaurant.

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Buenos Aires Neighborhood Guide: Barrio Chino

Walking around Buenos Aires you will soon notice that many of the smaller supermarkets are Chinese owned and these supermarkets are even called “Chinos” in the local vernacular. With a large Chinese population, it’s therefore no wonder that Buenos Aires has its own Chinatown or Barrio Chino as it is know here. Located in the Belgrano neighborhood around the intersection of Mendoza and Arribeños streets it has a lot to offer to visitors as well and is an important part of the perfect vacation to Buenos Aires.

One of the main reasons to visit the Barrio Chino are the restaurants. Even more than in other cities around the world it’s the place in Buenos Aires to get some spicy food. Argentines normally do not eat spicy food and apart from some restaurants around town specializing in Northern Argentine or Peruvian cuisine, the Barrio Chino has by far the best options for those missing food with a bite to it. Good options for Chinese food are Dragon Porteño and Cantina Chinatown on the same block of Arribeños at 2100 and just one block further you will find the best Thai restaurant in town, Lotus Neo Thai ( Arribeños 2265).

For those who want to do some home cooking, the Barrio Chino also houses some great supermarkets. Not only do they stock specialty products from all over Asia, they also supply a number of favorite expat cravings like real peanut butter and imported beers. They are the favorite shopping spot as well for fresh fish and other sea creatures with most of them filling the rear part of the store with huge tables full of ice showing of the merchandise. Many chefs of famous BA restaurants do their shopping here with Asia Oriental at Mendoza 1650 probably the most popular.

Finally the Barrio Chino has some good other shopping options as well mainly in dime stores selling all kinds of cheap imported trinkets, toys and souvenirs but also some of the best cooking ware stores in Buenos Aires, all combining to make this neighborhood an important part of Buenos Aires.

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Buenos Aires Neighborhood Guide: Palermo Hollywood

Built on the site that once formed the country residence of the 18th century dictator Rosas, Palermo is nowadays the largest neighborhood in Buenos Aires with around 300,000 inhabitants. This sheer size has led to the designation by the public (and real estate agents) of many unofficial subdivisions to indicate what part of the neighborhood they are talking about. Named after the many television and movie producers that have their offices here, Palermo Hollywood has been transformed from a quiet and rundown part of town into the hippest place to stay during the best tours to Argentina.

Located to the north of neighboring Palermo Soho, on the other side of Avenida Juan B. Justo, it first gained fame when legendary director Francis Ford Coppola opened an office there and when other creative companies followed and were joined by young nightlife entrepreneurs being priced out of Palermo Soho, Palermo Hollywood soon became Buenos Aires’ premier hotspot. 

Restaurants and bars line the main streets and on weekends crowd spill onto the streets of many locales. Unico (Fitz Roy 1892) is undoubtedly the most popular bar in the neighborhood with a good mix of locals and tourists and almost round the clock opening hours. Good restaurants are the Scandinavian inspired Olsen (Gorriti 5870), the Vietnamese styled Green Bamboo (Costa Rica 5802) that also has spectacular cocktails and the very hip and very expensive hidden restaurant Tegui (Costa Rica 5852)

There’s also a myriad of late night dancing with clubs ranging from the hip Fetish (Nicaragua 5549) and Voodoo Hotel (Dorrego 1735) to the more mainstream Miami style of INK (Niceto Vega 5635) and even the still going strong mainstays of Niceto Club (Niceto Vega 5510) and Congo (Honduras 5329). Luckily you won’t have to walk far to rest your tired head after yet another event filled night as Palermo Hollywood has also some of the hippest places to stay during in Argentina. Home (Honduras 5860), the aptly named boutique hotel founded by a former record producer and his wife is one of the nicest.

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Buenos Aires Neighborhood Guide: Palermo Soho

Built on the site that once formed the country residence of the 18th century dictator Rosas, Palermo is nowadays the largest neighborhood in Buenos Aires with around 300,000 inhabitants. This sheer size has led to the designation by the public (and real estate agents) of many unofficial subdivisions to indicate what part of the neighborhood they are talking about. Named after the area in Manhattan for its many hip fashion stores, restaurants and galleries, Palermo Soho is one of the hipper parts of Buenos Aires and well worth its reputation as one of the best sights to visit in Buenos Aires.

Though no longer as bohemian as it was a number of years ago, the Palermo Soho area still houses a large number of young designers and a crafts market at the central Plaza Dorrego. 

Planeta Bs As, also directly on the Plaza Dorrego, was founded by a local fashion journalist and houses around 50 young designers offering clothes and accessories, primarily for women, with a few men's items thrown in too. The square also is home to a large number of bars that stay open 24 hours a day and are popular with young porteños. Notable among these are Utopia and Cronico Bar to name just two.

Honduras street leads from Plaza Dorrego to the south east. It has mainly be taken over by big local and foreign clothing brands such as Akiabara, Etiqueta Negra and Rapsodia and is also home to local NIke ID and Adidas Originals stores that at times offer designs especially for the Argentine market, giving you the opportunity to add something more or less unique to your wardrobe

Palermo Soho is one of the culinary centers of Buenos Aires as well with many excellent restaurants to choose from. Gaston Rivera’s La Cabrera (Cabrera 5099) is widely considered to have some of the best steaks in the world.

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Buenos Aires Neighborhood Guide: Recoleta

Famous for its cemetery, Recoleta is also one of the toniest neighborhoods in town. Home to embassies, 5* hotels, gourmet restaurants and luxury stores, it’s well worth a visit.  Read on for the best sights to visit in Recoleta.

The number one attraction in Recoleta is the cemetery. Most visitors come for the tomb of Eva Peron, but a host of famous Argentines and members of the most important families in town have found their final resting place here. Directly outside the burial grounds is the church of Our Lady of Pilar, built in 1732.

On the other side of the cemetery, you come up on the BA Design shopping center where furniture by young Argentine designers is combined with fancy restaurants and terraces overlooking the Plaza and Avenida Libertador. For more shopping there are Luis Vuitton, Cartier, Hermes and a host of other luxury purveyors along Avenida Alvear and a few blocks further along the Patio Bullrich shopping mall. Patio Bullrich started out as an auction house for prize bulls and other valuable livestock and in the 1980’s it’s six floors were converted in to the most exclusive shopping center in the city.

Finally a new shopping center was just opened this year directly across from the cemetery with the original name Recoleta Mall, offering basically the same upscale shops as the various other malls across the city. However, this one also offers Recoleta's first cineplex offering an option for a scarce rainy day.

To get your energy back up, there’s no better stop than the historic La Biela cafe. Named after the piston in an engine, it started out as the hangout for Argentina’s aviation pioneers and in later years became the unofficial club house for some of the most famous race car drivers in Argentina, including 5 time Formula 1 world champion Juan Manuel Fangio. Recoleta also has the best sushi bar in town, Koi at Junin 1281

To sleep in style after all this luxury, both the Alvear Palace (voted best hotel in South America many years running) and Palacio Duhau hotels are more than excellent choices.

For those on a budget there is some good news as well: one of the best pizza restaurants in town, the Buenos Aires institution El Cuartito on Talcahuano street is also part of the neighborhood

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Buenos Aires Neighborhood Guide: La Boca

On the south side of Buenos Aires at the estuary of the Riachuelo river and built by early settlers from Genoa in Italy, La Boca is probably the best known barrio in the city. Famous for its football club Boca Juniors and as the birthplace of the tango, it’s the neighborhood not to miss during your stay in Buenos Aires. Read on for the best sights to visit in La Boca.

La Boca’s cultural and touristic heart beats on the few blocks around Caminito. This small street on the waterfront has managed to preserve some of its original houses with their different bright colors for almost every wall. This tradition dates back to the dockworkers bringing back left over ship paint from the shipyards they worked at to use on their walls, normally not being enough to paint the entire house in one color.

Soccer fans can not leave without walking a few blocks more towards La Bombonera, the stadium of the most popular team in Argentina and Diego Maradona’s former club. Though you can try to visit a match on game days, the stadium and its museum are open on all other days of the week as well for a guided tour on the history of the club.

Almost next door to the stadium, a block away, is Eloísa Cartonera. Eloisa Cartonera is a publishing group that produces books that are handmade from cardboard bought from the cartoneros - cardboard pickers who make a living collecting from the city’s streets. Individually painted by hand, each one is unique and founded during the economic crisis in 2001, they are still going strong and are now at a new location at Aristóbulo del Valle 666

Lezama Park to the north of the Bombonera is believed by historians to be the landing site of Pedro de Mendoza during the first settling of Buenos Aires in 1536. The former Lezama family mansion in the park is now the Argentine National Museum of History and well worth the visit. On Avenida Almirante Brown that runs alongside the park, the Ave Tango cultural center has the Flor de Milonga tango lessons on Tuesday night, followed by an evening of showing your newly learned moves on the dance floor.

Foodies lastly will have to pass by 64 Caffarena street to visit El Obrero restaurant. This bodegon serves authentic Buenos Aires or “Porteño” food in a decor that has basically been unchanged since it first opened in 1954. 

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