Buenos Aires Info

Like the tango - a hybrid of various European and local musical influences - Buenos Aires , the city, is a product of old and new world culture. As a major immigrant's destination in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the city was exposed to the influence of various European cultures, especially those of the Italians and the Spanish.

You'll see the traces of Buenos Aires ' immigrant heritage in the city's distinct and diverse neighborhoods, known in Spanish as barrios . In the Italian neighborhood of La Boca , for example, with its bright colored houses, or in the Spanish colonial neighborhood of San Telmo with its cobblestone streets and wrought-iron lamp-posts; in the neo-gothic architecture of the Recoleta monastery and cemetery, and in the restaurants, bars and shops of Palermo.

Something of this atmosphere is also present in the cafés lining Buenos Aires ' avenues and in its large system of well-manicured parks.

Meanwhile, as to the things you can do in the city - and where you can begin to get a glimpse into the broader dimensions of the culture, beyond the architecture - these include:

. Tango shows, tango classes and milongas (the city is, after all, the birthplace of tango).

. Art museums and galleries - the MALBA (Museo de arte latinoamericano en Buenos Aires), the MNBA (Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes) and the Centro Cultural Borges, amongst others.

. Theatres (listings of current offerings can be found in the on-line version of the newspapers Clarín or La Nación and the English language Buenos Aires Herald).

. Opera, classical music and ballet in venues like the historic Teatro Colón.

. Nightlife - discos, bars, concerts and a large offerings of restaurants. Nightlife in Buenos Aires normally doesn't stop until dawn.

As for shopping and other necessities, there's several large modern shopping malls in BA as well as street shopping throughout the city, with the largest variety of stores located on Avenida Santa Fe in Recoleta (just one block away from our institute). For artisan crafts, you might try the weekly Sunday fairs in San Telmo or in the outlying neighborhood of Mataderos.

Buenos Aires has an excellent public transportation system so it's easy to get around to all of these places. BA has a subway system, taxis, and buses (called "colectivos"), the latter of which runs 24 hours a day. There is also an extensive network of long-distance buses leading away from Buenos Aires - a cheap way to visit other places in Argentina while you are here.

If you'd like more information about travel in Buenos Aires , or have specific questions about what to bring, etc., have a look at our Tourist Information section. And if that still doesn't answer your questions, contact us at info@interhispanica.com.ar