Buenos Aires, La Belleza

Buenos Aires is definitely a stop everyone should make in Argentina. With Ker & Downey, you’ll experience the best of the city in pure luxury. Add it to your next South American journey!

Every journey to Argentina should include a substantial stop in the capital city of Buenos Aires, a place distinguished by gorgeous architecture and aptly considered by many to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Follow Ker & Downey as we trace the lineage of Argentinean’s wealth and reveal some of our favorite highlights of the “Paris of South America.”

Before you get going, make a stop at the nearby shop of international leather designer Bettina Rizzi. There you can be fitted for a custom leather jacket made out of fine Argentinean leather, which can be tailored and delivered to your hotel by the next morning.

To get a feel for the city’s trademark vibrance and elegance, follow the history of the aristocracy, letting the distinctive architecture be your guide. Begin with their arrival via the Rio de la Plata and follow their migration through the city as fortune and misfortune shaped their path. Every story begins in La Boca, the wildly colorful neighborhood at the original arrival port, which quickly became the heart of Buenos Aires nightlife. The tango was born among its streets and today a stroll down the Caminito is a feast for the eyes and ears as dancers, artists, and street cafe’s recreate the neighborhood’s bohemian past.

The aristocracy fled the rough port crowd and headed along the river’s tributaries to San Telmo. Today the narrow cobblestone streets are crowded with artisan shops, like that of renowned silversmith Marcelo Toledo. For a bite to eat, stop in at the casual Bar El Federal where you can taste authentic Argentinean picada, a charcuterie of local meats and cheeses. On Sundays San Telmo hosts a world famous antique market, and every day you can stop for one of the best espressos in Argentina as you wander through the impressive galería mercado.

To understand the rise and fall of the neighborhood, visit El Zanjon and explore a network of underground tunnels used to provide water to residents. The well-preserved archeological site is now an exclusive event venue and museum that retains the mystique of its tragic history. After a plague forced them to flee these cozy streets, the aristocracy found a more permanent home in the Recoleta neighborhood. An architectural guide can help you see that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to the buildings of the Plaza 25 de Mayo and its surrounding streets. Porteños’ love of all things European shows in the anachronistic style of architecture they chose for their commissioned buildings. Italian, art nouveau, and baroque buildings were built throughout the 19th and 20th century, creating a timeless landscape of grand and opulent panache. The Casa Rosada itself blends three architectural styles for a unique facade.

A private tour of the Teatro Colón further reveals the Argentinean devotion to world-class design. Walk along the pedestrian street Avenida Florida, once considered the Rodeo Drive of Buenos Aires to take in the bustling scene with vendors and office workers on their lunch break, the epitome of Buenos Aires’ signature electric, elegant vibe.

Stroll down the stately Avenida de Mayo, stopping for a coffee at Café Tortoni. The cafe attracts many tourists, true, but it’s a must for those tuned into the artistic and political importance of the city. As the sun sets on Buenos Aires, it is the perfect time to pay a visit to the famous Recoleta Cemetery. Even if paying tribute to Eva Perón is not on your agenda, the stunning mausoleums glowing in the twilight are a striking homage to the heroes of Buenos Aires as they rest in eternity.

In this city defined by sensuality and elegance, you will certainly work up an appetite. For dinner, enjoy the sizzling Rojo Tango at the Faena hotel, or perhaps visit the hip Puerto Madero neighborhood for some of Buenos Aires’s most popular new restaurants.

To add Buenos Aires to your next Ker & Downey journey, contact your Ker & Downey Travel Professional. For further inspiration, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.