Downtown Buenos Aires is made up of several wonderful neighbourhoods: Retiro to the north and the Port to the East.
Right in the middle you will find the Plaza de Mayo, Buenos Aires’ political centre. Visitors come here to catch a glimpse of the Casa Rosada, the lavish pink building that houses the office of the President of Argentina. The Plaza de Mayo also boasts many other buildings, churches and monuments of architectural and historical significance.
Visitors come from all over just to stroll down Florida Street and to spend time in the elegant shops and boutiques as well as the international department stores before hitting Lavalle Street for a bite to eat. These two pedestrian streets offer visitors a different kind of hustle and bustle: the opportunity to stroll, shop, and dine in style.
A day in this part of town wouldn’t be complete, however, without a stop in San Martin Square in the Retiro area. Here, at the northern edge of downtown, you will find plenty of open spaces and lots of shade. You will want to stop into a local coffee shop for afternoon refreshment or stroll along the Falklands War Memorial and visit the old clock tower. In San Martin Plaza, you will also find the National Museum of Fine Arts and several magnificent mansions.
Don’t leave Buenos Aires without a trip to the port to take a picture on the architecturally breath-taking Puente de la Mujer — or Women’s Bridge — with the sun setting behind a striking backdrop. You can kick off the evening by heading back up to Florida Street where street performers and tango dancers come out to entertain on the footpaths in front of local restaurants. End a relaxing day by enjoying a local speciality while you sip a local wine: what better than a glass of Argentinian Malbec, one of Argentina’s famous red wines.
These two charming areas will really capture your imagination, and you may find that you need to spend a few days to really explore and enjoy them. There are no better places to relax and soak up Buenos Aires than Plaza de Mayo and San Martin Square.
