Many Ways To Enjoy Buenos Aires In Argentina

So Many Ways To Enjoy Buenos Aires In Argentina

We found many ways to enjoy Buenos Aires in Argentina.  On our first visit to Buenos Aires on our cruise around South America we had only a quick visit to this vibrant city.  When we planned our cruise to Antarctica, we added a longer stay in Buenos Aires as one of our South America stops.  

After our stay in Santiago in Chile, we booked two lovely luxury stays at the Park Tower Hotel in Buenos Aires.  We had a quick one night stop before we headed off to Iguazu Falls for 3 days.  And then we returned for a longer stay after our amazing outdoor adventure.  Booking at the same hotel let us leave all the extra bags of gear we packed for our Antarctica trip.  

We found much to see when we wandered around our hotel.  A guided tour around Buenos Aires took us to many of the main tourist sites in the city.  One night we enjoyed an amazing dinner and an engaging Rojo Tango Show at the Faena Hotel.  On a day trip to the Tigre and the Parana Delta we got a very different look at the area around Buenos Aires.  

We were glad we enjoyed a wide variety of experiences and saw some great sights on our visits to Buenos Aires.

Get Pampered On A Luxury Stay

When we arrived at the Park Tower Hotel we were immediately engulfed in old world luxury.  We were immediately welcomed as elite guests and shown to our upgraded one bedroom suite.  The tasty chocolate treat made us wonder who checked out our treat preferences!  Our butler Eva showed us around as we chatted about Buenos Aires.

Eva was excited that we wanted to explore her city and she wanted to help us.  So showed us a much larger and luxurious suite. Many people made comments about the older design of this hotel.  But we found both rooms were so elegant and tastefully decorated.  

We soon found out that it was not the room that Eva wanted to show us (since it was not available for our stay).  She took us out to the massive patio for an amazing panoramic view over this part of Buenos Aires.  We got our first view of sights we visited close to the hotel.

When we returned to the Park Tower Hotel for a longer stay after our visit to Iguazu Falls, we got a nice room but not the upgraded suite.  But the wonderful Eva tracked us down and made sure we had everything we needed. She was so excited by our plans to enjoy Buenos Aires on this trip.

Wander Outdoors In The Palermo Area

We headed to the Palermo area of Buenos Aires for some outdoor wandering on our tour around Buenos Aires.  The Floralis Generica statue was definitely worth a stop.  The animated steel flower sculpture petals opened at dawn representing the regeneration for a new day.  The petals closed again at sunset leaving the sculpture with an amber glow.

We wandered into the Paseo El Rosedal (the Rose Garden).  We visited at the end of rose season and saw some colour still in bloom.  But we learned that in season, the park showed off over 18,000 roses (over 1,000 varieties).  On our walk through the park we saw the Andalusian patio, people on the waterway and walked over the White Bridge (or Lovers Bridge).  It was a lovely stop early in the morning before it got too hot.

We passed on visiting the Japanese Garden (Jardín Japonés) located beside the Rose Garden.  We were sorry we missed the largest Japanese garden in the world outside of Japan.  But we had lots to do on this visit to enjoy Buenos Aires in Argentina

Enjoy Buenos Aires In Argentina With A Visit To The Recoleta Area

The Recoleta area was always high on the list of places to visit in Buenos Aires.  When we planned our tour around Buenos Aires we had several stops planned for this historic area. 

The drive around the area showed us beautiful buildings in an area was known for its Paris-style houses, quiet tree-lined streets and embassies that were once large palaces of local wealthy residents. 

We missed the grave of Eva Peron at the Recoleta Cemetery but saw the monument to her as we drove.  Passing by the Colon Theatre we were sorry we were not staying long enough to take in a show.

One of the stops we did not want to miss in the Recoleta area was the Libreria El Ateneo Grand Splendid. This former theatre was now a beautifully restored building that housed a bookshop.  We admired the building as we wandered.  But did not stop at the cafe.

The Amazing Recoleta Cemetery

We made a stop at the Nuestra Senora del Pilar Cathedral.  This simple, whitewashed colonial style church was built in 1732.  The simple outside facade was quite different than the gilded interior we discovered.

From the cathedral, we walked next door to the Recoleta Cemetery in what was once the orchard of the Basílica Nuestra Señora del Pilar church.  Built in 1822 this was the first public cemetery in Buenos Aires.  So much of the history of Buenos Aires and Argentina was found as we wandered the aisles.  The architecture of the tombs was elaborate and varied.  We admired the statuary and art on a slow walk around this massive sight.

We found so much to see when we visited the Recoleta area.  A great way for culture and history to enjoy Buenos Aires in Argentina.

Learn History Around Plaza De Mayo

We found lots to see and do when we headed to Plaza De Mayo on our tour around Buenos Aires.  This was the oldest public square in Buenos Aires and we saw historical reminders of many of the most important events in the city’s history.  

At one end of the square we found the Casa Rosada where the President’s office was. The Pirámide de Mayo stood in front and commemorated Argentina’s revolution of Independence.  On the other end of the plaza we saw the Museo Histórico Nacional del Cabildo y la Revolución de Mayo but did not have time to explore the history in-depth here.  

The Metropolitan Cathedral was easily identified on of the Plaze de Mayo.  The 12 columns on the front represented the twelve apostles of Christ.  The inside of the cathedral was vast and ornamented.  Much to see when we wandered around.

We were surprised when we found guards in front of one of the chapels and then watched the changing of the guard.  This was the mausoleum of San Martín and the Unknown Soldier.   Around the sarcophagus we found three female figures that represented the countries liberated by General San Martín – Argentina, Chile and Peru.

We got an amazing look at some of the history of this city that showed us a different way to enjoy Buenos Aires in Argentina.

Find Colour And Art In La Boca Area

From the historical we went to the colourful part of the city on our our tour around Buenos Aires.  As we approached the La Boca area we knew we were in for some fun sights.

We wandered along the former rail route called El Caminito (“Little Path or Walkway”) and were delighted with the houses painted in a rainbow of colours.  It was very much like the Jellybean house we found when we wandered in St John’s in Newfoundland in Canada.  

In the streets we found colourful art murals that covered the walls.  Paintings and sculptures showed the history of this area.  And at the right time, there was tango dancing in the streets.

We loved the fun and colourful La Boca area.  It was a wonderful way to enjoy Buenos Aires in Argentina.

Take In A Football Game

When we visited Buenos Aires this time it was a was a big year for “football” (or “soccer”) in Argentina.  Lionel Messi led the Argentina team to win the World Cup for football.  And we saw his image posted everywhere we looked.

When we flew into Buenos Aires it was easy to pick out the Monumental Football Stadium from the air.  This was where the Argentina national football team played.  When we visited the La Boca area on our tour around Buenos Aires we saw the smaller, colourful La Bombonera football stadium where the junior team played.  It apparently got its name because the stadium resembled a chocolate (bombon).

Sadly we did not get to see a football match when we visited.  But for sports fans this is a great way to enjoy Buenos Aires in Argentina.

Enjoy Buenos Aires In Argentina And Don’t Miss A Tango Show

We were entranced the first time we saw a tango show on our food tour in Seville.  On this visit to Buenos Aires, we were so glad we planned one night at the Rojo Tango Show at the Faena Hotel.  Our tango evening included a dinner with the show.  And we were amazed at the quality of the food and drink we got.

We had amazing seats for an intimate tango show.  Our close-up view of the talented dancers gave us a historic tour of tango with impressive choreography, dazzling costumes and great music.  

We were not sure that the tango show would be worth it.  But it was so much better than we expected.  And certainly an iconic way to enjoy Buenos Aires in Argentina.

Eat And Drink Your Way Around The City

Buenos Aires was known for good food.  But we were so busy on our visit that we had less opportunities for great sit-down dinners than we planned.  It was good that we at so well when we went to the Rojo Tango Show.  

Our Marriott elite status included free breakfast.  And the breakfast offering at the Park Tower Hotel was excellent.  The Park Tower Hotel was connected to the Sheraton hotel and we found more restaurant options there.  The outdoor pool included a small patio for lunches.  And the Bueno Italian Kitchen had a great selection of pasta dishes to tempt us.

On our tour around Buenos Aires we stopped at a couple of cafes.  La Biela Cafe showed some local character.  The cafe in the Libreria El Ateneo Grand Splendid gave us another cafe option.  But we finally stopped in the beautifully restored La Ideal Cafe.  

At  La Ideal Cafe we got our first real introduction to dulce de leche.  The local Alfajores treat came in different flavours with a great thick layer of dulce de leche in the middle! They were so much better than the pre-packaged ones we tried in other places.  And when we visited the Mercado San Telmo we found several stores that sold a wide variety of flavours for dulce de leche.  We were in caramel heaven! 

When we wandered around the La Boca area we found several different spots for street food.  The delicious smells tempted us as we walked.  And we even found local beers.

We had only a small taste of the foods of Buenos Aires.  But we did go home with a supply of the sweet Alfajores.  Good food and drink was a tasty way to enjoy Buenos Aires in Argentina.

Head Out Of The City

On our first visit to Buenos Aires on our cruise around South America, we did a day trip and visited the Tigre and the Parana Delta.  We enjoyed a cruise along the canals.  We saw some great sights in Tigre and learned about life on the river.

On this visit to Buenos Aires, we headed off for a few days and visited Iguazu Falls.  Many people planned only a day trip to visit these amazing falls.  But we were glad we booked a longer trip.  We had a stunning adventure and saw the falls from both the Argentina and Brazil sides.

We found several other day trips from Buenos Aires.  Some went to the bordering country of Uruguay.  And there was even a ferry to explore Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay.  On our cruise around South America we thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Punta Del Este And Montevideo in Uruguay.  But we would probably want to go back for a longer stay than just visit on a day trip.

Sadly we missed visiting the Mendoza wine region close to Buenos Aires.  We loved to try new wines on our travels and we knew we liked the robust red wines of Argentina.  But that treat was left for a return trip.

There were many great sights on a visit to Buenos Aires whether we explored the city or headed out for a day trip.

We Found Great Ways To Enjoy Buenos Aires Argentina

We found so many great ways to enjoy Buenos Aires in Argentina.  Our amazing luxury hotel was the perfect spot to relax.  Or use as a base to explore the city.

We visited many of the top tourist sites on our guided tour around Buenos Aires.  An amazing dinner and an engaging Rojo Tango Show at the Faena Hotel far exceeded our expectations. Our day trip to the Tigre and the Parana Delta took us out of the city for a lazy day on the water.  And for excitement, a 3 day escape to the Iguazu Falls could not be missed.

We were glad we enjoyed a wide variety of experiences and saw some great sights on our visits to Buenos Aires. We were so glad we planned this stay on our return visit to South America.

Did you find some great ways to enjoy Buenos Aires in Argentina?  Was there a top experience you think we missed?

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