Having a full week in Buenos Aires, you would think that we would have seen everything there is to see, and more! Since we loved our neighborhood of San Telmo so much, we spent a few days just relaxing in the cafes and walking the streets near our apartment. There were a couple of days during which we left the comfort of our adopted home to go out into the city to see the sights. Here is a limited list of things to do in Buenos Aires, although there is so much more to see and do!
The French-inspired architecture helps give Buenos Aires its nickname of “The Paris of the South”.
Cementerio de la Recoleta (Recoleta Cemetery)
No visit to Buenos Aires is complete without spending a little bit of time wandering around the well-known cemetery in Recoleta. Famous for one tomb in particular, that of Eva Peron, the cemetery also hosts other political, artistic, and historic notables from Argentina’s past. Many former Presidents reside in the cemetery alongside Nobel Prize winners, poets, artists, musicians, and other notable individuals. The elaborate tombs mirror those found in Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France, and make for an interesting stroll down the narrow lanes of stone. Recoleta Cemetery is routinely named one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the world and we enjoyed the few hours we spent walking along the pathways between large and ornate tombs.
The reason for most people visiting Recoleta Cemetery is to see the tomb of Eva Peron.
Each tomb within the cemetery was unique and ornate.
El Club de la Milanesa
As always when we visit a new city or country, Jon and I like to try the local cuisine. After hearing about milanesa, we decided to visit a restaurant that specializes in the dish. El Club de la Milanesa is a restaurant with locations scattered throughout Buenos Aires and we found one to try next to the Recoleta Cemetery. Milanesa is a dish that was brought to Argentina by Italian immigrants from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. At its core, milanesa is meat that has been breaded and fried. In order to experience different types, we ordered a sampler platter consisting of seven kinds of milanesa. My favorite was the caprese, topped with tomato, mozzarella cheese, pesto, and basil. Jon liked the milanesa covered with tangy mustard, pickles, and pickled onions. Served with French fries doused in cheese sauce, bacon bits, and green onion, the sampler was more than enough to fill us both up and give us a taste of Argentinian milanesa!
Our sample platter of seven types of milanesa.
La Casa Rosada (The Pink House)
The United States of America has the White House and Argentina has La Casa Rosada, the Pink House. A structure has been on this site for over 500 years, dating back to when there was a fort looking out over the river. In 1857, transition occurred in which a majority of the fort was demolished to make way for a large, Italian-inspired building. The color pink was chosen to help diffuse political tension during the mid-1800’s – a mixture of red and white which represented the two opposing political parties. While we were unable to enter and tour the Casa Rosada, there was a free museum attached to the backside of the building. The museum was created using the structure of the old fort, which had been excavated in the early 1990’s. Objects from Argentina’s past are on display chronologically, taking us from the time when the fort was built up to the modern-day presidency.
This is the main section of La Casa Rosada, although we weren’t able to enter.
The museum behind La Casa Rosada is built upon the ruins of the old fort.
The museum houses artifacts from the different leaders of Argentina.
Obelisco de Buenos Aires (Buenos Aires Obelisk)
A large obelisk stands in the center of the Plaza de la Républica. It was erected in 1936 to commemorate the forth centennial of the founding of the city of Buenos Aires. Over the years, the obelisk has been converted into different objects to celebrate various holidays and bring awareness to causes, such as a condom for World Aids Day in 2005 and a mural of the Argentina and German flags in 2007. While it is possible to climb to the top, we enjoyed the view from street-level just as much.
The obelisk sits in the center of a plaza, bracketed by wide streets and French architecture.
The obelisk has inscriptions on all four sides describing the events surrounding its construction.
Café Tortoni
Opened in 1858 by a Frenchman, Café Tortoni has been called one of the most beautiful cafes in the world. It was inspired by the literary cafes of Paris in the 1800’s and was frequented by the intellects of the day. The basement of the café was the meeting place of the founders of the Agrupación de Gente de Artes y Letras (Arts and Letters Association) and is currently used for jazz musicians, tango performances, and poetry and literary readings. While touristy nowadays, it’s easy to see why the elite of Buenos Aires were drawn to the wooden beams, marble floors, and stained-glass ceilings. No visit to a café is complete without a snack, and to our pleasant surprise, the food was tasty and filling!
Stepping into Cafe Tortoni, you almost felt like you had been transplanted back in the mid-1800’s.
We enjoyed a cider and coffee in addition to our pie and ice cream snack!
El Ateneo Grand Splendid
Although both Jon and I love to read, we never expected visiting a bookstore to be high on our list of things to do while traveling. That changed once we learned about El Ateneo Grand Splendid, a bookstore housed in a former theater. Books fill the floor where the orchestra used to play and patrons used to mingle. CDs and DVDs line the walls of the balconies, providing a view over the floor of the theater. A café has been installed on the stage, where patrons can enjoy a coffee or glass of wine while browsing through a book. The ceiling remains as it was when the theater was constructed back in 1919, a mural displaying the sky, angels, and other important biblical figures. Many other features have been preserved, such as the velvet curtain, wall sconces, and theater chairs. While we didn’t purchase anything, we loved spending a bit of time among the books in such an elegant setting.
The building retains many of the features that were originally constructed for the theater.
Each level of the old theater is filled with books, CDs, and DVDs for purchase.
Catedral Metropolitana de Buenos Aires (Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral)
When you hear the name Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral, you probably think of the large gothic cathedrals found in Europe, built nearly 1,000 years ago and covered in gargoyles and stained glass windows. The cathedral in Buenos Aires is a bit different in style and we almost walked past it without realizing what it was. The façade brings an old Greek temple to mind and since there are no spires, it’s hard to remember it is a church when viewing from the outside. Once you step inside, you are quickly reminded that the building is a place of worship, with a long nave, elaborate pulpits, statues of biblical figures, and an organ with 3,500 pipes. Started in the 16th century, the cathedral was slowly built up over the years, with each era lending its style to the architecture and decoration. The result today is a mismatch of designs, which somehow all flow together, to achieve a unique cathedral located in the heart of the city.
The interior of the cathedral is clearly a place of worship.
The exterior of the cathedral doesn’t look like a typical church that you would find.
While there is much more to do in Buenos Aires and there are entire neighborhoods that we missed, we were happy with the places we visited and things we saw. The bus system was cheap and readily accessible anywhere we wanted to go, making it easy to use during our stay. The areas we went felt safe and the people were friendly, helping out when we needed directions or ordering off a menu. Jon and I both agreed that we could live in Buenos Aires long-term, if given the opportunity, and would welcome a return visit to get to know the city even better.
While out sightseeing, we walked through a few parks, which provided a nice change from the busy streets.