Introduction

Visiting Argentina had been on my bucket list for the longest time, but I never went because it was so expensive to fly there! But, an opportunity came up where the fare was cheap and my friend was living in BA at the same time. I'm so glad I pulled the trigger and thought this was one of my more interesting trips!

I ended up staying with my friend for a week and spending most of my time in Palermo, which is one of the neighborhoods a little further out of the city. It reminded me a little of West LA, where there's a lot of hip cafes and restaurants. My friend and I ate out a lot and I was pleasantly surprised at the food scene! If I were to come back to BA, I would stay around Palermo again. Some other popular areas are San Telmo, Puerto Madero and La Boca (which I recommend seeing) but they're more downtown and they lack that charm.

A big thing to know is exchanging money. You may have heard of the "blue rate" because Argentina's economy is bananas. But, all you really need to know is to bring US dollars to Argentina and then exchange them when you get there. If you exchange money at an ATM or use your credit card, you get a worse exchange rate. So, ideally you'll exchange money at pretty much any place in town (we went to a place near Palermo called Berlin Cambio). It's important that the dollar bills are nicely crisp (no folds or rips) and ideally in $100s. One of my bills had a very small rip at the bottom and the lady told me it was only worth $60 (better than the official exchange rate, but still). So, before your trip, mentally project how much you'll need and then bring that in cash. I would also still bring a credit card as a backup, since a select few places only take credit cards in USD.

I had to stay in a hostel 1 night, and I highly recommend Viajero Hostel Buenos Aires, which is centrally located in the downtown neighborhood of San Telmo. Everything around it is kind of stale, but the hostel was pretty nice. Beds were comfortable, big common areas to sit in, and there was even an indoor and outdoor pool. 

In terms of safety, I never felt too unsafe when I was there, especially in Palermo. My friend and I would walk home past 12am after eating dinner and nothing happened to us. However, there are definitely some areas that are dodgy. Just be smart about what you're doing on the street and if it's super late, call an Uber (very cheap in BA and always elect to pay the driver in cash when you call the ride) or a taxi. A local we met discouraged taking public transportation at night. 

In terms of public transportation, it was actually fairly easy to get around. Besides walking, I would recommend getting a SUBE card, which is the city's public transportation card. The subway and bus system is very extensive and is very affordable. It also wasn't very sketchy, although I would keep your possessions within line of sight at all times. There are a few things to know:

• To get the SUBE card, you can go into any convenience store, etc. that has the SUBE sticker and just ask for a card. Or, you can go into a subway (subte) station and ask to buy a card from the receptionist on duty. It was very hard to find anyone at these subway stations, but I had luck at the end of one of the lines. Even without knowing Spanish, the person knew that I wanted a SUBE card. The card itself is 490 pesos, and then you have to top it up at a machine which is relatively straightforward, even though the machines don't have an English translation.
• If you're using the bus with the card, you have to tell the driver where you're going and then tap your card on the reader so the driver can charge you the correct fare. I didn't know this until a friend told me, but what I did was that I just showed the person my Google Maps routing (i.e. my bus ride) or just said what neighborhood I'm heading to and they'll understand.

Overall, I loved Buenos Aires and can't wait to go back to Argentina (maybe even hike Patagonia)! I highly recommend visiting if you have the means to do so!

*** bolded bullet points below are ones that are highly recommended (in my opinion).

 

Nature

• Plazoleta Guemes
• Ecoparque - it's basically the equivalent of a zoo, and it's free! Super cool to see. 
• Tres de Febrero Park - the park is huge and is very pretty. You can also see the Paseo El Rosedal Garden too.
• Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur - I recommend walking from one end of the reserve to the other (north-south or vice versa). It's not really a hike, but the paths are clearly paved and it's just a nice walk on a sunny day.

 

food

​Most of these places are in Palermo, since that's where my friend and I were based. BA is very affordable if you're exchanging money at the blue rate. We were probably eating out for dinner every day for 7 days, and plus other incidentals it only came out to ~$125 USD or so. Not bad!

• San Cafe
• Fly Taco - tacos are alright but cheap compared to North America.
• Daniel Bakery - great croissants here as I got the mango one.
• Pini Empanadas - very tasty and great value
• Nieva Cafe - this is a cute cafe. I got the vegan sandwich and a lemon pastry which was really good! 
• Hotpot restaurante - it was better than I expected for a place in South America and relatively affordable by NA standards, but eat Argentininan food if you're strapped for time.
• Don Niceto - highly recommend coming here to get some steak. This place was easily the best value of my entire trip, as we got a LOT of food for only $8 USD.
• Naranjo bar - cute bar with a big wine selection
• Chori 
• Rapa Nui - great ice cream, dulce de leche is a classic
• Artemisia - this place is a fantastic vegan spot. The food was LA quality but at a 3rd world price, absolutely amazing. ​
  
• Daonda Comida Coreana
• Finde Heladería
• Nicolo

 

Attractions

• El Atendo Grand Splendid - this was really cool to see! They turned an old theatre into a bookstore, so good vibes all around. 
• Cemetery de la Recoleta - highly recommend sitting here. It reminded me a Disneyland version of a cemetery but it's cool to see the history and the structures. Beware, you have to pay with your credit card in USD. 
• Centro Cultural Recoleta - the cultural centers in the city are free and cool to see! It's kind of a cross between a community center and a museum, and it's a great spot to just catch your bearings.
• Obelisco
• Plaza de Mayo
• Centro Cultural Kirchner (CCK)
• Casa Rosada
• Woman’s Bridge
• Plaza del Congreso
• San Telmo Market

 

Side Trip: Tigre

My friend and I did a half-day trip to Tigre, which is further north of BA. We went to do a boat ride around the city and its surrounding islands, which was super pretty and we had a great time. 

We got the tour off of WhatsApp (through my friend's friend) and it was only $75 USD for a private tour (me, my friend and his other friend). We basically took an Uber to Tigre (although, it's cheaper to take the train using the SUBE card). The driver picked us up, took us to his boat, and we spent the rest of the time looking around the islands where some of the people live. The only way around these areas is by boat, so that was cool to see!

The guide also took us tubing, which was an incredible experience. It's really hard to hold on to the tube and you feel like you'll fall off while the boat is running, but I would recommend doing it! Then, the guide took us to see the sunset and gave us mate (a classic drink) to try. That was basically the tour, but if you have time I would definitely recommend visiting here!

Contents

Introduction
Nature
Food
Attractions
Side Trip: Tigre
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