A mix of the old and the new

Here's the beef

National Congress building

Tango dancers

Buenos Aires is one of South America’s - nay - the world’s most appealing cities, offering visitors to its (sometimes very wide) avenues a blend of the old, the new and the in-between. On BA’s bustling streets, you’ll see stylish residents strutting their stuff alongside street artists, football fans making their way past sightseers. Wherever you go, you’ll find a vitality to the city that will draw you in.

With a total population of around thirteen million, you could be forgiven for feeling overwhelmed upon arrival into Buenos Aires. But don’t fret: the city is extremely accessible, with an efficient integrated transport system and a host of tour operators, courtesy of burgeoning tourism. English is also widely spoken in BA, so if you find yourself lost in one of BA’s barrios (neighbourhoods) and don’t know any Spanish, try asking one of the friendly Portenos (BA locals) for directions.

Sometimes referred to as “Paris of the South”, the city’s architecture borrows elements from Barcelona, Madrid and even Manhattan, as well as from the French capital. The National Congress, the Casa Rosada, and Palacio Barolo are among the most impressive buildings in the city. But for something a little quirky, keep your eye out for a small cottage sitting strangely on top of a skyscraper above Avenida 9 de Julio (the widest road in the world).

Food lovers fare well in BA as there are dining options aplenty in this town; and you’ll never need to ask where the beef is. 70 kilograms of the red meat is eaten per capita per year by Argentinians, making this a town vegetarians may like to avoid. Fortunately though, there are alternatives to meat in restaurants, even in standard parrillas (traditional steakhouses). There are even a few vegetarian restaurants around town. Just remember ‘sin carne’, meaning ‘without meat’, if you don’t feel like chowing on cow.