Buenos Aires Neighborhoods

Here you will find a brief description of the most popular neighbourhoods in Buenos Aires. Each one has its own defined personality, which reflects not only a part of Buenos Aires’ history but also a distinctive aspect of argentine identity.
When deciding where to book your accommodation, take the neighbourhood’s personality into account, and you will probably enjoy a much more fulfilling experience during your stay. Buenos Aires is all about diversity and contrasts...you will certainly find an area where you can feel at home!
However, if your time schedule allows it, try to visit at least some of the other neighbourhoods during your stay. The more different perspectives you experience, the more you will love Buenos Aires!

Please select the neighborhood you would like to know more about:

Recoleta	Barrio Norte	Palermo Viejo	Plaza Italia
Las Cañitas	San Telmo	Downtown	Puerto Madero
Belgrano	Abasto	Congreso

Recoleta
Recoleta is probably the finest and most elegant neighbourhood in Buenos Aires. Home to many of Argentina’s most traditional and richest families, Recoleta presents a collection of elegant buildings and mansions in a French architectural style, beautiful green parks and superb gastronomy.
In Recoleta everyting is about elegance, style and tradition.

Along the Avenida Alvear, at the heart of Recoleta, you will find boutiques of most international luxury brands, such as Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Armani and the like.
Many luxury hotels are also located in this neighbourhood, including the famous Alvear Palace Hotel, member of the “Leading Hotels of the World” and preferred location for many international personalities visiting Argentina.
Although aristocratic, Recoleta is a friendly neighbourhood. Foreigners are very welcome and the current favourable exchange rate ($1=ARS 3.10) makes Recoleta’s reputation as an expensive neighbourhood relative.

Attractions in the Area
Recoleta Cementery
Buenos Aires Design
Artisans Market at Plaza Francia –weekends from 11AM until almost midnight.
MALBA
Arts Museum
Law University
Flower Monument
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Barrio Norte
Barrio Norte is also an elegant, rather upscale neighbourhood, right next to Recoleta. The presence of three of Argentina’s biggest and most reputable Universities at the very heart of the neighbourhood makes it a livelier, not so posh spot.
In this area you will find very comfortable lodging options as well as a superb gastronomic offerings. The commercial and cultural centre of Barrio Norte is located along the Santa Fe Avenue, with many fashion apparel shops, book stores and uncountable restaurants where to stop for a drink or a snack while shopping.
Lately, Barrio Norte has also become a hot spot among the gay community, and unlike other areas in Buenos Aires, it is not uncommon to see openly gay couples hanging out.

Attractions in the Area
Aguas Argentinas Building
Av. Santa Fe & Callao commercial centre

Palermo Viejo
Once the neighbourhood of renowned writers J.L.Borges and Julio Cortázar, Palermo Viejo remains a center of attraction for creative minds. Today, not only bohemians and intellectuals keep shaping this neighbourhood’s identity, but also plenty of young artists and fashion designers have found their place in Palermo Viejo.
Although a little further away from downtown (10min. subway), Palermo Viejo offers the possibility of experiencing a towns renaissance first-hand. Lots of young energy and creativity mix with the still very present bohemian attitude of its origins…the result: a truly post-modern spot where creativity and nostalgia are living together and reinventing modern argentine culture.

Attractions in the Area
Designers’ ateliers along El Salvador, Gurruchaga and Malabia streets.
Plaza Serrano
More than 300(!) modern restaurants, offering all kinds of ethnic food.

Plaza Italia
Also known as “Palermo’s Forests”, this area of Buenos Aires is probably the city’s biggest green spot. About 25 hectares of huge parks and artificial lakes limited by the avenues Libertador and Casares, offer porteños the possibility to get in contact with nature, without having to drive too long.
Early in the morning and late afternoon are usually the times when the whole area gets crowded with joggers and tai-chi aficionados; during the day, you will see dog-walkers everywhere, striving to get around with a cloud of 10 to 15 dogs each!
This neighbourhood is also a little away from downtown, but very well connected by the subway (Line D). The city Zoo, the botanical garden, the Planetarium and the biggest expo centre in Buenos Aires are also located in this area.

Attractions in the Area
El Rosedal
Park lakes
Zoo
Botanical Garden
Japanese Garden
Monumento a los Españoles
Plaza Italia

Las Cañitas
Officially a part of the Palermo neighbourhood, Las Cañitas has become a trendy spot in the last years. Located in a quiet and elegant area near the Polo Field (Campo Argentino de Polo), and with a superb connection to downtown, Las Cañitas is the place to go for those in the search for extraordinary culinary/gastronomic experiences.

Attractions in the Area
Campo Argentino de Polo – especially during November-December, when the Argentine Polo Open takes place.
El Solar de la Abadía Shopping Center
Hundreds of restaurants!

San Telmo
San Telmo in Buenos Aires is a synonym for bohemia and tango. Only a 5 minute drive from downtown, a visit to this charming neighbourhood is a must for everyone wishing to know more about -and better understand- the essence of tango and its melancholia.

In the early 1800s, San Telmo was the place of choice for residence for Buenos Aires’ richest families, who then suddenly moved to Recoleta after an outbreak of the plague in 1871.
Traces of this noble and opulent past are everywhere to be seen in the wonderful French and colonial architecture of its buildings.
Every Sunday a popular antiques’ market takes place at the Plaza Dorrego, where dozens of stands present argentines and tourists with lovely memories of Buenos Aires’ history. Meanwhile, street dancers and musicians add some entertainment –and above all, some bohemian flair!- to the environment.

Attractions in the Area
Antiques Market in Plaza Dorrego – every Sunday at 11AM.
“San Pedro Telmo” Church
Tango Shows
National History Museum
Argentine Museum of Modern Art

Downtown
It is Buenos Aires financial and political centre, where a great number of Buenos Aires most popular attractions are located. Here you will find, at walking distance from one another, the Plaza de Mayo, the Pink (Government) House, the Cathedral, the Obelisk, the Teatro Colón…and many, many other interesting spots!
The pedestrian Florida Street runs from Avenida de Mayo (one block from the Plaza de Mayo) to Plaza San Martin, and features numerous restaurants and fashionable boutiques offering high-quality (especially leather) apparel and decorative products. Also located on Florida Street is the Galerias Pacifico, an upscale shopping centre built into in a baroque style building and featuring a wonderful ceiling, painted by renowned argentine artists. Here you will find a collection of international brands as well as outstanding, modern argentine designs.
The biggest advantage of picking an accommodation in downtown is its strategically central location, which greatly eases access to both, attractions in northern Buenos Aires (such as Recoleta, Palermo, Tigre, etc) as well as in southern Buenos Aires (San Telmo and La Boca). The main disadvantage, on the other hand, is the frantic pace at which people live and work in this area.
There are many lodging options in this area, but if you are considering a long stay in Buenos Aires downtown, be prepared to deal with really noisy days and –depending on where exactly you are located- not so quiet nights. Asking for hotel room or apartment at the backside of the building can make a world of difference, so just do not hesitate to bring up this issue before making your lodging reservation.

Attractions in the Area
Plaza de Mayo

Puerto Madero
Buenos Aires youngest and most fashionable neighbourhood is located in the small area between downtown and the Rio de la Plata River. The architectural style in this neighbourhood reflects its modernity, with modern highrise buildings dominating the landscape.
Puerto Madero is one of the most expensive locations in Buenos Aires, with real state prices going up to 3000 dollars per square meter.

Choosing Puerto Madero as a place of residence has many advantages: it is a very quiet, safe area while still only 5 minutes away from downtown. Most buildings are equipped with numerous on-site facilities, such as swimming pool, gym, spa and solariums. But probably the most powerful reason of all, are the incredible views –especially at night- over the Rio de la Plata and over the rest of Buenos Aires.
On the other side, if you are looking for a real immersion in Buenos Aires’ culture, you might find more satisfying alternatives in other neighbourhoods such as San Telmo, Palermo or Barrio Norte.
A curious fact about Puerto Madero is that, by law, all streets in the neighbourhood must be named after important argentine women.

Attractions in the Area
Woman Bridge
Fragata Sarmiento
Hotel Faena
Reserva Ecológica
Fashionable and elegant restaurants

Belgrano
Belgrano is one of Buenos Aires’ typical residential neighbourhoods. Its main commercial center is located along the Cabildo Avenue and its main green spot is the Barrancas de Belgrano Park, one of the many parks in Buenos Aires designed by the architect Carlos Thays.
Although the area close to Cabildo Avenue sees high traffic all day and is quite noisily, just a few blocks away Belgrano’s residential area starts, where numerous elegant houses enjoy the quietness and comfort of a calm, sheltered area.
If you are considering renting an apartment or booking a room at a hotel in Belgrano, please consider that you will have to take a 20 minutes subway ride to downtown, and will probably need more than half an hour to get to other popular attractions such as Recoleta or La Boca.

Attractions in the Area
Barrancas de Belgrano
Larreta Museum

Abasto
Abasto is a neighbourhood, whose history holds one of the strongest connections with Tango. Here Carlos Gardel was born and raised, popularly known as “El Morocho del Abasto” (the brunette from Abasto) and many other Tango personalities used to live and spend time in this area towards the 1920s.
Today there is little to remind you of that glorious past. Abasto has become an immigrant’s neighbourhood, with a strong presence of citizens from Peru and Paraguay.
The Abasto neighbourhood is at only 10 minute subway drive from downtown and the main attraction in the area today are the Abasto Shopping Centre as well as some companies offering Tango Shows.

Attractions in the Area
House of Carlos Gardel
House of Anibal Troilo
Bar el Progreso
Abasto Shopping Center
Tango Shows

Congreso
This neighbourhood is part of the so-called Buenos Aires macro-downtown. Its center revolves around the avenues Rivadavia and Callo, where the National Parliament has its home. In front of the Parliament building, there is the Plaza de los Dos Congresos, which connects to the Avenida de Mayo, in order to reach the Plaza de Mayo and the Pink House.
Congreso is a rather conservative and mainstream area. Way more residential than the area around the Plaza de Mayo, but still very busy and rather loud during day-time.
Numerous independent bookstores are located along Corrientes Avenue, where it is possible to find rare and very good exemples of both argentine and international literature.

Attractions in the Area
National Parlament
Plaza de los dos Congresos
Palacio Barolo
National Library
Corrientes Avenue