Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina, a city of about 3.1 million people on the south-western shore of the Río de la Plata. Together with some forty surrounding municipalities it forms a metropolitan area of more than 13 million. Founded for good in 1580, it grew rich on its port and on immigration from Italy and Spain between about 1880 and 1930, and it is known worldwide as a birthplace of tango.
Visitors come for its neighbourhoods as much as its sights: the cobbled streets and antiques fair of San Telmo, the painted houses of La Boca, the grand avenues and famous cemetery of Recoleta, and the parks, cafés and nightlife of Palermo. The Plaza de Mayo, the Teatro Colón and many museums fill several days. The city is officially divided into 48 barrios, and many travellers choose an apartment in one of them over a hotel, gaining a kitchen, more space and a feel for the daily life of the porteños, as residents are called. The Tigre delta and Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay make easy day trips.
Palermo, the largest barrio, in the north of the city, is where many visitors stay. Palermo Soho, around Plaza Serrano, and Palermo Hollywood are full of cafés, shops and bars and suit couples and younger travellers, while the lawns and lakes of the Parque Tres de Febrero make the area good for families. Recoleta, next door, is a traditional upper-class residential district of European-style buildings near the cemetery and the national fine arts museum, a calm and elegant base.
San Telmo, one of the oldest barrios, appeals to travellers who want history, tango and antiques on the doorstep. The city centre, in San Nicolás and Montserrat, puts the Plaza de Mayo, the Obelisco and the Teatro Colón within walking distance and is handy for a short first visit. Puerto Madero, the former docks turned modern riverside district, has high-rise apartments and waterfront walks. Belgrano, further north, is leafy and residential, with parks and a small Chinatown, and suits longer stays.
The Plaza de Mayo, named after the May Revolution of 1810, is the historic and political heart of the city. Around it stand the Casa Rosada, seat of the president, the Metropolitan Cathedral and the colonial Cabildo, and the May Pyramid at its centre was the city's first national monument. From the square the Avenida de Mayo runs west towards the Congress, and the 140-metre-wide Avenida 9 de Julio crosses the centre past the Obelisco. The Teatro Colón, whose present building opened in 1908 with Verdi's Aida, is renowned for its acoustics.
In Recoleta, the cemetery laid out in 1822 in the garden of a former convent holds the graves of Eva Perón, presidents and Nobel Prize winners, and the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes stands nearby. Palermo has the Parque Tres de Febrero, created in 1874, the Botanical Gardens and the Japanese Gardens. On reclaimed land beside Puerto Madero, the Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve covers about 3.5 square kilometres along the river.
A Spanish expedition led by Pedro de Mendoza first founded the city in 1536, probably near today's San Telmo, but the settlement was abandoned in 1541. Juan de Garay founded it again, permanently, in 1580, arriving down the Paraná from Asunción. The May Revolution of 1810 began the road to independence, which was declared in 1816 at the Congress of Tucumán, and in 1880 the city was federalised as the national capital. Between 1880 and 1930 it drew large numbers of immigrants, above all from Italy and Spain.
Tango took shape from the 1880s among the working-class and port neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires and Montevideo, mixing the traditions of European immigrants, descendants of enslaved Africans and local criollos. In 2009 UNESCO inscribed it on its intangible heritage list at the joint request of Argentina and Uruguay. Carlos Gardel became its great star. Today tango is danced at milongas, social dance evenings held across the city, and performed on the streets of San Telmo and on the Caminito in La Boca.
Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE), usually called Ezeiza, handles most long-haul international flights and lies in the town of Ezeiza, about 22 kilometres south-southwest of the city; the journey into town is by road. Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (AEP), on the riverbank in Palermo, is the only airport within the city limits and serves domestic routes and regional flights to neighbouring South American countries.
The Subte, whose first line opened in 1913 as the first underground railway in Latin America, has six lines named A to E and H, plus the Premetro light rail. City buses, called colectivos, cover the whole city, and Metrobus lanes speed them along several main avenues. Public bike-share stations and protected bike lanes make cycling practical in the flat central districts, and commuter trains from Retiro station reach the northern suburbs and Tigre. For a city stay, a car is not needed.
Tigre, about 28 kilometres north, sits on the Paraná Delta, a maze of river channels and islands where traditional wooden launches serve as public transport. It is reached by the Mitre Line train from Retiro or by the scenic Tren de la Costa, and its former fruit port by the river is now a crafts market. Boat rides along the channels are a popular way to spend the day.
Across the Río de la Plata, about 50 kilometres away by boat, Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay was founded by the Portuguese in 1680. Its historic quarter of cobbled streets, the Barrio Histórico, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995 for its blend of Portuguese, Spanish and post-colonial styles. Because it is in another country, bring the travel documents needed to enter Uruguay. Closer to the capital, a day at an estancia, a traditional country ranch in the Province of Buenos Aires, is another popular outing.
Buenos Aires has a humid subtropical climate, and its seasons are the reverse of those in the northern hemisphere. Summer, from December to February, is hot and humid. January, the warmest month, has a daily average of about 25°C, and heat waves are common; most last less than a week and end when the cool, dry Pampero wind brings violent thunderstorms. Winter, from June to August, is cool, with daytime highs averaging about 17°C, chilly nights and frequent fog, while snow is very rare: the last notable snowfall came in July 2007.
Spring, from September to November, and autumn, from March to May, usually bring mild weather that suits long walks between neighbourhoods and evenings outdoors. The weather can change quickly because warm and cold air masses meet over the region, so pack layers in any season. Heavy downpours can flood some streets, so keep an eye on the forecast during summer storms.
Short tourist rentals in the city are regulated by Law 6255, passed by the city legislature in November 2019. It defines a temporary tourist rental, or alquiler temporario turístico, as lodging in a residential unit, in whole or in part, for at least one night and up to three months. Every unit offered this way must be entered in the city's register of tourist rental properties, the Registro de Propiedades de Alquileres Temporarios Turísticos, a free online register run by the Ente de Turismo, the city's tourism authority.
Hosts must include the registration number in every booking and advertisement, display a copy of the registration certificate at the entrance of the unit, hold third-party liability insurance and make the building's rules available to guests. For travellers, the useful check is that a listing shows its registration number. Procedures have been updated since the law was passed, so check the current rules with the Ente de Turismo.
Palermo suits most first-time visitors, with cafés, nightlife and large parks. Recoleta is elegant and calm, San Telmo is historic and full of tango, and the centre around the Plaza de Mayo is handy for short stays. Puerto Madero offers modern riverside apartments, and Belgrano is a leafy choice for longer stays.
Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE), known as Ezeiza, is about 22 kilometres south-southwest of the city, and the transfer is by road. Many domestic and regional flights use Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (AEP) instead, which lies on the riverbank in Palermo, inside the city limits.
Spring (September to November) and autumn (March to May) usually bring mild, comfortable weather for walking. Summer, from December to February, is hot and humid with occasional strong thunderstorms, and winter, from June to August, is cool and sometimes foggy, but rarely cold enough for snow.
Three or four days cover the Plaza de Mayo and the centre, Recoleta and its cemetery, San Telmo, La Boca and Palermo, with an evening of tango. With five days to a week you can add a day in the Tigre delta or a crossing to Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay.
No. The Subte, the colectivo buses, commuter trains and taxis cover the city, and the central barrios are pleasant to explore on foot or by shared bike. A car is only useful for trips into the countryside of Buenos Aires Province, and even Tigre can be reached by train.
Yes. The Parque Tres de Febrero, the Botanical and Japanese Gardens, the Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve and boat trips in the Tigre delta all suit children. An apartment in Palermo, Recoleta or Belgrano gives families space, a kitchen and parks close by.
Yes. Ferries cross the Río de la Plata to Colonia del Sacramento, in Uruguay, about 50 kilometres away by boat. Its historic quarter, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995, is small and walkable. It is another country, so bring the documents needed to enter Uruguay.
Yes. Under the city's Law 6255, every home offered as a temporary tourist rental of up to three months must be entered in the register run by the Ente de Turismo, and the registration number must appear in every advertisement and booking. Check the current rules before you book.
Researched and written with AI assistance, then fact-checked against the sources below. Last checked .