Our last stop in South America was in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Having a week to spend before flying to Africa, we wanted to stay in an apartment in a fun and interesting neighborhood. Our criteria was that there were restaurants, cafes, and bars nearby as well as a place to shop for food (such as a market or grocery store). Based on what I had read about different neighborhoods in Buenos Aires, we quickly selected San Telmo and found an apartment right next to the large market.

The architecture of San Telmo is reminiscent of turn-of-the-century French architecture.

Most mornings, we would wake up leisurely and have coffee and breakfast at our apartment. After spending a bit of time ‘at home’, we would go out for the day – either to sightsee and explore or just to wander around our neighborhood. We quickly fell in love with San Telmo and spent a few days without venturing further than a few blocks from our apartment.

Saint Ignatius Church in San Telmo.

Opened in 1897, the Mercado de San Telmo takes up almost an entire city block. The inside is filled with stalls and vendors ranging from a traditional fruit and vegetable stand to the quirky antique stalls. While many markets in other cities are dark and claustrophobic, the market in San Telmo is light and airy, with a tall wrought-iron structure letting in a lot of light from above. The vendors are all friendly and we found many supplies and meals here; from the bakery selling fresh bread every day to the stalls serving traditional choripán sandwiches. The market is a glimpse back in time, and aside from the addition of electricity, not much has changed since the market was first built over 100 years ago. Thanks to the preservation of the structure, the San Telmo Market was declared a National Historic Monument in the year 2000.

Fruit and vegetable stands are common at the Mercado de San Telmo.

The high ceilings and wrought-iron structure allow light to shine in the Mercado de San Telmo.

Two blocks away from our apartment lies Plaza Dorrego. The hub of the historic San Telmo, the plaza is surrounded by bars and restaurants, all housed in traditional buildings dating from the late 1800’s. In the center of the plaza, circled by café tables, dancers provide entertainment and a glimpse into the world of tango dancing. Each Sunday of the month, Plaza Dorrego and the connecting streets transform into a street market, known as a ‘feria’. Originally started to sell antiques and collectibles, there are now vendors offering trinkets, souvenirs, and mementos of Buenos Aires. The streets are crowded, with tourists and locals alike, shopping, eating, laughing, and listening to music. In the evening, once the vendors have packed their wares and dismantled their stalls, an informal ‘milonga’ takes place. A ‘milonga’ is a place where people come together to dance tango and this occurs each week around dusk. A section of Plaza Dorrego turns into a dance floor with a local dance school providing a speaker and music. People of all ages and backgrounds join together on the dance floor to participate. It’s clear that this is meant to be a fun time for those involved and not a formal study of tango. Attire ranges from the casual shorts and tennis shoes to a slightly more formal button-down shirt or flowing skirt. Crowds gather around to watch and applaud at the end of each song.

The feria that takes place around Plaza Dorrego each Sunday hosts a variety of vendors and stalls.

The informal milonga that took place after the Sunday market ended.

Although we ate breakfast at our apartment, most evening meals were taken at different cafes or restaurants in San Telmo. In addition to local Argentine cuisine, restaurants offered dishes from around the world. Bar El Federal is situated in a building that dates back to 1864. The old wooden bar and tile floors made us feel as though we had been transported back in time, although the modern cheese and meat platter provided us with a hearty meal after a day of sightseeing. The thoroughly contemporary El Banco Rojo is more than just a fast food restaurant. Decorated in black and white with splashes of red, we obtained some sandwiches for take-away one afternoon. Falafel and kebabs are listed on the menu next to a more traditional empanada or hamburger and all are fresh and filling. Bar Chin Chin, only open in the evenings, is a small restaurant with a short menu. The options on the menu read more like a listing from a gourmet restaurant in New York than a dark, neighborhood bar in Buenos Aires. We drooled over some flavored potato wedges one evening and then returned later in the week for a full meal of Mediterranean-style chicken kebobs and a lamb filet. Many more meals were eaten in San Telmo, but these were just a few of our favorites.

We sampled some choripan sandwiches (chorizo in bread) at this stall by the market. Freshly grilled meat and prepared as we watched – they were delicious!

The bar inside of Bar El Federal is a long, old, wooden bar with a lot of history.

From the French-inspired architecture to the mouth-watering scents on the streets, San Telmo was a joy to explore and get to know. Our apartment was ideally situated close to restaurants, bars, and cafes and the neighborhood was a safe and friendly place to walk around. We didn’t venture out to do as much formal sightseeing in Buenos Aires as we had expected, in part due to the attractiveness of San Telmo and desire to become acquainted with our neighborhood. Had we more time, we would have gladly extended our stay in the lively, historic, and friendly San Telmo.

Plaza Dorrego is surrounded by old architecture and filled with cafes.