Travelogue 4: Buenos Aires and beyond, 2025

The New Era finally brought us back to a city we had long hoped to revisit. We already knew Buenos Aires, and our first impression from a short trip had been excellent. We loved the city then and were excited to return. I can happily report that reality surpassed our expectations. This time Buenos Aires did more than delight us: I could say we fell in love with it, and we had three months in which to enjoy it.

Outside Mexico City, I had never felt such a sense of belonging—or desire to belong—as I did in Buenos Aires. It is a city where I would like to live, one with which I somehow identify despite its not being my country or my culture. I simply feel it is an ideal place for me. Perhaps the first way to understand why I liked it so much is to examine the details and minutiae I found there, and what better place to begin than with the stereotypes.

Stereotypes

In Mexico, we have very strong stereotypes about Argentines. They are not merely inaccurate, as stereotypes usually are; in my experience, they are completely wrong. To begin with, Argentines—and particularly the porteños with whom I had most contact—seemed genuinely kind and extremely courteous. For some reason, Mexicans have created a caricature of Argentines as overbearing, unpleasant and conceited. My experience was entirely different: everybody I interacted with was at least cordial and often friendly. Upon learning I was Mexican, they showed curiosity and pleasure.

The stereotype may come from the pride porteños seem to take in certain parts of their culture. In Mexico, where schizophrenia is our sanity, we have convinced ourselves that self-contempt is humility and humility is how one earns heaven.

Everywhere I went, I was treated well and offered a smile; in restaurants, bars and shops, the service was excellent.

Buenos Aires is often described as “very European” or “the Paris of South America.” I strongly dislike those expressions. Buenos Aires has no need to compare itself with Paris because it possesses merits of its own, and I do not believe that making a city “European” should be an aspiration. I love many European cities, but Latin America has extraordinary cities that need not resemble them. All that said, I understand the comparison and partly agree with it.

During the nineteenth century, Buenos Aires underwent a transformation and expanded northward. In a sense, that transformation copied Napoleon III’s project in Paris, which created the French capital we know today. Buenos Aires wanted to do the same and was altered through various projects: Puerto Madero’s construction, Plaza de Mayo’s renovation, the extension of avenues toward Congress, the creation of medians and green spaces, and the development of two emblematic neighborhoods, Retiro and Recoleta. One of the most important decisions was to adopt French Academicism as an architectural model. This is why certain parts of the city contain mansard roofs and rusticated façades around parks and avenues, producing a Parisian sensation. Divide the city into north and south at Plaza de Mayo and walk in either direction, and the differences in planning and architecture become clear. Southward, toward San Telmo and farther to La Boca, lies the old city, much like any other in Latin America. Northward, toward Retiro and Recoleta, stands the “new” nineteenth-century city, a Parisian imitation.

It must be acknowledged that this transformation in the century before last, combined with a period of British industry and a colony of Genoese immigrants who settled in La Boca and helped give rise to tango, has confused some Argentines—or rather, some porteños—into thinking they are not Latin American. Despite its masks, Buenos Aires is a Latin American city and should be proud of it. Seventy-five percent of the people one passes on the street look like people in many other Latin American cities, despite the many Italian and German surnames. But I encountered those confused Argentines only online; nobody expressed such ridiculous ideas to me in person.

Neighborhoods

Buenos Aires is beautiful, and not merely because of its French imitations. Its different neighborhoods, abundant green areas and public spaces, broad sidewalks and street furniture all contribute to its beauty. It possesses something Mexico City lost several years ago—and we all know why, though there is no point revisiting it: it is a city made for people to enjoy.

Naturally, much remains for me to discover, but I can discuss the neighborhoods where I lived, walked and spent time. I feel I learned a great deal by wandering in the afternoons with no purpose beyond becoming lost.

Recoleta

My favorite neighborhood. Perhaps it is predictable that I prefer the area most people consider the city’s most beautiful, but I simply love it. Recoleta is one of the heavily French-influenced districts I mentioned when discussing the nineteenth-century transformation. Seeing French Academic and other European styles there gives me cognitive dissonance because I dislike make-up and masks—but the buildings are beautiful, and ultimately I enjoy them. The area is full of parks, broad sidewalks and shops. I spent two incredible months living here.

Retiro

Another French-influenced neighborhood, adjoining Microcentro on one side. It is an attractive area for walking, full of commerce and activity. Some of my favorite streets—Arroyo, Posadas and Alvear—are here, and two extend into Recoleta. I love Plaza General San Martín. It apparently once had a homelessness problem but has improved considerably.

Palermo

Unquestionably the most touristy neighborhood outside the center. I lived for a month on the Palermo Soho side, near the boundary with Recoleta. Palermo is enormous and really consists of several neighborhoods, much like Colonia Roma in Mexico City. I came to know Palermo Chico well while walking from Recoleta and love it, especially Barrio Parque. I also know Palermo Soho well because I lived there. The whole area from Plaza Güemes to Plaza Armenia is attractive, with good places to eat or drink afternoon beers. I definitely dislike the area around Plaza Serrano, a bar and restaurant district popular with bewildered North American tourists and characterized by the tired atmosphere of dark venues with neon lights and terrible music at full volume. It is not for me. Although I walked a little through Palermo Hollywood, I did not explore it enough. I did become thoroughly familiar with the great parks: Plaza Alemania, Plaza Sicilia, Parque Las Heras, the Botanical Garden, Ecoparque, El Rosedal and Lago de Regatas, all of which I explored by running and walking.

Belgrano

I would call it Buenos Aires’s best-kept secret, at least for outsiders. Parts of the neighborhood are very beautiful, with pleasant streets and buildings, places to eat, shops, Chinatown—admittedly touristy—and parks.

Puerto Madero

This neighborhood has an unusual history. Puerto Madero is land reclaimed from the river when a new port with four docks and basins was built in the late nineteenth century. Curiously, the port was already obsolete by the early twentieth century and is considered a failed project because it did not anticipate the growth of maritime trade. In the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, however, it was redeveloped: abandoned warehouses became apartments and commercial spaces. Today it contains offices, housing and considerable commerce, and adjoins Isla Demarchi and the Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve. It is an attractive place to eat or drink and contains many green spaces.

This offers an opportunity to clarify the Río de la Plata. People from Argentine and Uruguayan cities on its shores always call it the “river,” yet on a map it logically appears to be the sea—more like a gulf than a river. It is neither: technically, it is an estuary, the point where a river—in this case two rivers—meets the sea, creating a peculiar ecosystem of fresh and salt water. Historically and culturally, however, it has always been called a river.

Microcentro

Microcentro is what Mexicans would call the historic center. It consists mainly of San Nicolás and Monserrat. Highly commercial and full of historic buildings, it seems well cared for and maintained for a city center, since such areas often face many problems. The immense Avenida 9 de Julio and its Obelisk cross it, and practically every famous historic building is there, from Casa Rosada and the cathedral to Teatro Colón, Palacio Barolo and Congress.

San Telmo

San Telmo is among the city’s oldest neighborhoods. Curiously, although Buenos Aires began in Microcentro, San Telmo is older because much of Microcentro was remodeled during the nineteenth century. In the colonial period San Telmo was a residential district for wealthy families, but after a yellow fever epidemic, most residents abandoned it for the north. Its principal attractions today are the famous Mercado de San Telmo and the restaurants, bars and shops surrounding it.

La Boca

This is another old area, though originally a port rather than a residential district. Its name comes from the “mouth” formed there by the Matanza River before it flows into the Río de la Plata: La Boca del Riachuelo. In the nineteenth century, immigrants—mainly Genoese—settled there and, lacking resources, built houses from timber and corrugated metal painted in bright colors, giving the neighborhood its distinctive style. Tango and lunfardo are said to have originated here. Historically, although La Boca was crucial, an entire social system throughout the Río de la Plata region produced these cultural forms.

Caballito and Almagro

Residential areas with considerable commerce, both generally attractive. I explored Caballito more extensively; it has several interesting streets and parks. I hope to see more on another visit.

Núñez and Saavedra

I explored these two neighborhoods when visiting the former Navy School of Mechanics, which served as a clandestine detention, torture and disappearance center during Argentina’s last military dictatorship. Nydia and I took a guided tour and walked through parts of both neighborhoods before and after, from the Congreso de Tucumán Subte station to ESMA and then to Parque Saavedra. They are attractive, tranquil residential districts.

Green spaces

Buenos Aires contains an extraordinary number of green spaces, even before counting the several ecological reserves along the coast. It is full of parks of every size, planted street beds and trees. The great street trees, particularly eucalyptus, stand out.

I enjoyed the green spaces enormously, especially while running. Nydia and I ran several times a week along a route we gradually developed. Depending on the variation, it covered 11 to 21 kilometers and ran almost entirely through or around parks. Most followed Avenida Figueroa Alcorta and Avenida del Libertador and included Parque Thays, Parque Naciones Unidas (Floralis Genérica), Parque Rubén Darío (Bellas Artes), Parque República Oriental del Uruguay, Plaza República del Perú (Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires), Plaza Sicilia (Jardín Japonés), Parque El Rosedal, Parque Dr. Benjamín A. Gould (Planetario), Parque Agustín P. Justo, Plaza República de Haití, Parque República de Pakistán (Hipódromo), Parque 3 de Febrero, Parque Árbol Lasa, Plaza Israel, Plaza Fray Mocho and Plaza Armenia (Lago de Regatas), Plaza República de México 🎉, Plaza Parques Nacionales Argentinos (El Sueño del Lector), Parque de las Américas, Plaza Holanda, Plaza Intendente Seeber, Plaza Alemania, Plaza República de Chile, Plaza Evita, Parque Mitre, Plaza Francia and Plaza Intendente Torcuato de Alvear.

I doubt anybody read that entire list, and those are only the parks we ran through. I have omitted those visible across the street, the small tree-filled squares we passed, and those we visited while walking or saw perhaps only once. This truly is a city that values green spaces and public life. On sunny days, people commonly sunbathe in swimsuits, and in the afternoons couples and groups of friends sit on the grass drinking mate.

The Subte

I used the Subte extensively. In general, it seems functional and well maintained. Its six lines place it alongside other underground systems on the continent, such as São Paulo’s six and Santiago’s seven. Buenos Aires also has urban railways, providing good connectivity.

Counting—purely out of curiosity—the largest public transportation systems in South America that run outside road traffic, excluding buses and other vehicles that share the streets, and comparing them with Mexico City, the number of lines is:

• 16 in Mexico City (12 metro, 1 light rail and 3 Cablebús lines)
• 14 in Buenos Aires (6 Subte, 1 Premetro and 7 urban railway lines)
• 12 in São Paulo (6 metro and 6 urban railway lines)
• 8 in Santiago (7 metro and 1 urban railway line)

This comparison shows that Buenos Aires has good public transportation independent of traffic, which to me says a great deal about its urban planning.

Food

I gained weight in Buenos Aires. I love the food: asado, chorizo, choripán, empanadas, milanesas and sándwiches de miga. I am not a fan of the pizza, sorry. The desserts are also delicious: alfajores, medialunas, meringues, ice cream, dulce de leche, bread and cakes generally.

And what can one say about the wine, especially Malbec, which Nydia and I love and which exists in endless varieties.

Music

I have always enjoyed Argentine music: Soda Stereo, Cerati, Fito Páez, Calamaro, Los Enanitos Verdes, Charly García, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Babasónicos, Los Auténticos Decadentes, Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas, Gotan Project, Bajofondo, San Telmo Lounge and more.

The good thing is that Argentine music can be heard everywhere. Naturally, some people have caught the mind-numbing reggaeton virus, but not, I feel, with the sad frequency found in Mexico.

The economy

We have always heard that Argentina exists in permanent economic crisis: the world’s most indebted nation, schizophrenic inflation, Argentines unable even to buy asado. What I saw was quite different. I understand, of course, that several factors may distort my perception, starting with the fact that my personal finances are tied to Mexico and the Mexican peso. I also understand that, at this particular moment, the Argentine peso and inflation have achieved a degree of stability absent for a long time.

Leaving temporary circumstances aside, Argentines seem to live well—at least, that is the impression their capital gives me. I see a cultured middle class with a good quality of life, much like Mexico City’s. They may have access to fewer international products because many brands are absent and those available are very expensive, but that does not appear to diminish people’s quality of life.

I must also acknowledge that my experience is one of living in upper-middle-class areas. But that is also my general experience in Mexico City and elsewhere, so I can at least make a valid comparison. People live well. They have an attractive city, good neighborhoods, greater safety than many Latin American cities, good public transportation, cultural, sporting and entertainment events, and excellent places for recreation and walking.

Other places

Tigre

Tigre is a small city within Greater Buenos Aires. Feeling more like a town, it lies beside the Tigre and Luján rivers and is a weekend recreation destination for porteños. It is very attractive, with numerous restaurants and many opportunities to travel along the river and among its islands in boats and catamarans.

We went for a weekend, stayed two nights and had an incredible time. Our seventh-floor apartment stood beside the river and had—I say without fear of being wrong—the best view in Tigre, by day and night. We enjoyed its small terrace with a glass of wine while watching boats and catamarans pass.

We explored the tourist area, ate excellent asado, took a boat trip and visited Puerto de Frutos, an enormous and highly touristy market. Overall, an excellent weekend.

Another convenience is that one can reach Tigre on a Buenos Aires urban train in only about an hour.

Colonia

One weekend we left Argentina to visit Colonia in Uruguay. This small city lies directly across the Río de la Plata from Buenos Aires and is reached by ferry in only an hour and fifteen minutes. On clear days, Puerto Madero’s office towers can be seen from Colonia.

Its historic center is small and attractive, with cobbled streets and a generally rustic character. There are several restaurants and shops, and it feels like a small town. Our hotel had an excellent location and was very beautiful, occupying an old house around an internal courtyard. It was a good weekend experience; two nights were more than enough.

Mendoza

Mendoza is a small city in western Argentina, beside the Andes, famous for wine production. Its arid, dry climate is ideal for grapes. Nydia and I visited for several days precisely because we love wine and wanted to tour vineyards and wineries.

The contrast with Buenos Aires is considerable. Mendoza is much quieter and lower-rise, with different vegetation—except for the abundant eucalyptus—and a very different accent, closer to Santiago’s than to that of the porteños. The distance from Mendoza to Santiago, Chile, is only 364 kilometers, compared with 1,050 to Buenos Aires, almost three times as far. Two friends from Mendoza told us they visit Santiago much more often than Buenos Aires.

The city center seemed attractive and well maintained, with several public squares and abundant commerce. Two streets offer a good selection of restaurants, cafés and bars: pedestrianized Sarmiento and Calle Arístides. I must say I expected far more wine bars and wine-related activities. They certainly exist, but I imagined the city would exploit this attraction more; perhaps tourist numbers do not justify it.

It is worthwhile specifically for visiting vineyards and wineries, but outside that activity there is not a great deal to see or do. It has to be said.

Conclusions

Although I already knew Buenos Aires, this time it surpassed my expectations. I could enjoy it fully and genuinely feel what living there is like.

I plan to return toward the end of this year and enjoy more of the city. I also hope to visit other places in Argentina. I leave with an incredible experience. I know I will miss becoming lost on foot in Buenos Aires, the food and my runs through so many parks.