With the rand heading south it might be time to shelve that European sojourn until you can afford a few more euros. If you're looking for a break in a big city, but without the big budget, then Buenos Aires is for you. Brimming with culture, history and beautiful porteños this sprawling metropolis of 13 million people offers everything from ornate opera houses and fine dining to rabid football fans.
The entire city covers over 1400km², but it's the 47 barrios of the 'Capital Federal' that'll keep you entranced. Take a turn through the obligatory tango show and fill up at an 'asado', but don't think that a hunk of beef and sultry dancers are all that BA has to offer. Take a turn off the tango track and discover all that the 'Paris of the South' has to offer…
Why did the chicken…
They like to do things big in Buenos Aires. Big steaks, big buildings and - it seems - big roads, with BA boasting what is said to be the widest boulevard in the world.
Avenida 9 de Julio, celebrating Argentina's independence in 1816, throws 12 lanes of traffic in the path of unsuspecting pedestrians! Luckily you can have a break in the middle and gaze up at the magnificent 'obelisco' — a 67-metre tall granite obelisk – so take your time and wait for the little green man.
Despite losing some of their lustre, the grand avenues of Buenos Aires are destinations in themselves. Browse the bookshops of Avenida Corrientes, join the throngs of tourists in the pedestrian district along Avenidas Lavalle and Florida, or stop in at the famous ice-cream parlours and coffee shops of Avenida de Mayo.
Join a protest
Avenide de Mayo will (unsurprisingly, I suppose) lead you slap bang into the middle of Plaza de Mayo and, if you're there on a Thursday afternoon, yet another protest march. Argentines love to protest, and to get a taste of life at the picket line all you need to do is head for the Plaza at 3.30pm when mothers of the thousands who were abducted and killed — dubbed ‘the disappeared’ — by the security police in the turbulent '70s protest at the lack of information on the fate of their loved ones.
Keep your eye on the ball
Speaking of loved ones, football comes a close second to Catholicism as the national religion and you shouldn’t leave the city without experiencing a local football match.
The rough 'n jumble harbourfront suburb of La Boca is best-known for its colourful array of houses and tacky tourist shops, but it's also home to one of the planet's most famous football teams.
Boca Juniors is where football legend Diego Maradona cut his teeth and games at their home ground La Bombonera are a mixture of unbridled fury and passionate fervour. Support the opposition at your peril!
Tickets start from $80 (R250) or you can pay about $250 (R780) to go with a tour operator, which will include transfers and a guide.
Get theatrical
From the theatre of dreams to theatres of a different sort, the city's Teatro Colon has hosted everyone from Maria Callas to Rudolf Nureyev, and is the first stop for cultured travellers. Celebrating its centenary this year, the ornate theatre is said to have some of the best acoustics in the world.
Unfortunately the renovations which began in 2006 are two years behind schedule, and the theatre will only reopen for performances and the popular guided tours in 2010. Until then you'll have to make do with admiring the ornate French Renaissance exterior.
Tango in San Telmo
Dancing on stage might be in short supply, but this is the city that gave birth to the tango! All you need to trip the light fantastic is to head for the cobbled streets of San Telmo and find yourself a traditional milonga dance-club where the beautiful people of BA spin the night away.
Start the night with dinner and drinks at the revitalised Puerto Madero waterfront and you'll be set for the night… but don't forget that Argentines don't even think of going out for dinner before 10.30pm or you'll be dining alone.
Hang with the dead
If you need to recover the next morning, take a slow wander through the well-heeled barrio of Recoleta. Apart from carpeted pavements and designer boutiques this upmarket suburb is also home to the Recoleta Cemetery, one of the world's most famous graveyards and the final resting place of Argentine heroine Eva Perón.
The gardens outside are also the perfect place for spotting the famous Buenos Aires dog walkers exercising a dozen large mutts at a time, while just around the corner from the cemetery 'Buenos Aires By Design' offers über-chic interiors from some of Argentina’s top designers.
» This article was originally published in Out There Travel, December 2008.
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