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The city of Buenos Aires, capital of the Republic
of Argentina, is a friendly, pleasant, and cosmopolitan city, and
is listed as one of the most inexpensive capitals on the planet. Its
location is next to the La Plata River, its climate is pleasant,
and you can visit year-round as the average temperature is 18ºC
(65°F). Its population has reached almost 14 million.
Buenos Aires was founded by Pedro de Mendoza in 1536, with the
name Santa María del Buen Ayre, in honor of the virgin of
the seafarers. It was destroyed in 1541, and reconstructed and
reestablished in 1580, by Juan de Garay, who give it the name of Santísima
Trinidad and Puerto de Nuestra Señora de los Buenos Ayres.
It is a city with many attractions, like neighborhoods known for
their cuisine: Puerto Madero, La Recoleta, Palermo
Viejo and Las Cañitas where hundreds of establishments
exist. The excellent quality of the Argentinean meat is
known throughout the world, so one should not leave without trying
the chorizo and the "asado criollo" (typical barbecue).
There are certain locations that you should not miss, such
as la Calle Caminito (pedestrian museum since 1959) that is
located in the Barrio de la Boca and is today an artistic and
cultural center where artists perform and display their work, and
where they sing and dance tango on every corner. We cannot forget
the symbol of Buenos Aires, the Obelisk, that was
constructed in 1936, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the
city, measuring more than 67 meters (220 ft) in height and only 49
square meters (527 sq. ft.) at the base. The Recoleta Cemetery is
another interesting place to visit, in which you can find the
gravesites of important people, such as President Juan Peron's
first lady, Eva
Perón.
The city is characterized by its historical buildings such as the
Colón Theatre, inaugurated in 1908 with opera and whose stage has
seen many famous plays, and the Municipal Palace that
borders the historic Plaza de Mayo.
Those who enjoy walks and strolls will enjoy strolling in the
Botanical Garden, with more than 5,000 types of plants from all
over the world, and with one of the largest Japanese Gardens in
the world, located inside the Parque Tres de Febrero (3rd of
February Park). This park covers more than 80 hectares (198 acres)
of forests and is one of the largest and most important green
sectors of
the city.
There are also many traditional artisan fairs, like the Mataderos
fair located in front the Hacienda National Market, where you can
watch acts of local folklore take place right in front of you. For
the antique-lover, there is the Plaza Dorrego fair, in the San
Telmo neighborhood, which occurs every Sunday, and some eight thousand
people come and display all sorts of antiques in approx. 270
booths.
Buenos Aires has more than 100 museums including: the National
Historic Museum that has pre-Columbian, colonial, and antique
military works exhibited, the National Museum of Decorative Art,
and the Museum of Fine Arts, in addition to the National Showrooms
(Salas) of Culture, and the Borges Cultural Center.
The city has an enormous number of hotels, ranging from 5-Star
hotels, to hostels and apart-hotels (apartment-style
accommodations). Similarly, the transport system is of a high
quality as well. There are five different lines for the metro, a
large fleet of taxis, and numerous bus lines that run both within
the city and to destinations outside of the city. For destinations
further away, like the nearby city of Quilmes, a good option would
be to rent a vehicle or take a train.
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Location
Federal District, on the eastern border of the Rio de la
Plata Negro.
When to go
All year.
Attractions
Culture, history, entertainment, shopping.
How to get there
Flights into the Ezeiza International Airport.
Activities
Walks, cultural tours, tasting, night excursions, shows,
shopping.
Services
Accommodations, restaurants, transportation, entertainment.
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