by Ana O'Reilly

Created on: September 07, 2009

Some facts about Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is an alternative, and cheaper, holiday destination to Europe. Although flights might be a little more expensive, the American dollar goes further here than in Europe, at an exchange rate of almost four pesos to the dollar.

It might be a good idea to dispel some common misconceptions. First, there is nothing tropical about it. The average temperature in the hotter months (December, January, and February) is about 85 F with an average humidity of 65%, although it can climb even higher. During the colder months, June, July, August, the average temperature is about 50 F. The city gets 45 inches of rainfall per year and it can be expected at any time, there isn't a clearly defined wet season. Hailstorms are not unusual, either. Second, the food is very different from that of other Latin American countries: no tacos, no burritos and the like. And it is not spicy, so bring your own Tabasco sauce.

Beef is like god here. There are countless parrillas (steak houses) to suit all budgets. But beware of the tourist traps: it is actually possible to get good beef without risking bankruptcy. Popular parrillas include La Cabrera (Cabrera 5099, Palermo), La Cabana (Rodriguez Pena 1967, Recoleta), Campo Bravo (Baez 292, Las Canitas), Cabana Las Lilas (Alicia Moreau de Justo 516, Puerto Madero - quite pricey), La Brigada (Estados Unidos 465, San Telmo). If you're a vegetarian or simply refuse to kneel at the altar of beef, not to worry, there are vegetarian and vegan restaurants as well. Bio (Humboldt 2199, Palermo), Verdellama (Jorge Newbery 3623, Belgrano), Masamadre (Olleros 3900, Belgrano), La Esquina de las Flores (Avenida Cordoba 1587) are some of them. Anyway, there are non meat options in every resturant.

Spanish and Italian immigrants have brought their cuisines with them and thus shaped they way Argentines eat. Some great pasta restaurants are Bice (A. Moureau de Justo 192 - pricey), Campo dei Fiori (Venezuela 1411, Montserrat), La Parolaccia (A. Moreau de Justo 1052, Puerto Madero). The oldest restaurant in town, El Imparcial (Hiplito Yrigoyen 1201) is renowned for its puchero (a Spanish stew) and seafood. La Robla (Viamonte 1615, Centro) and La Tasca de Plaza Mayor (Posadas 1052, Recoleta) offer excellent quality Spanish food too. Plaza Mayor (Venezuela 1399, Montserrat) is not to be missed either. Almost every other cuisine in the world is present in Buenos Aires too: Armenian, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, French, Brazilian, Peruvian... and the list goes on.

A little known fact about Buenos Aires is that it is officially gay friendly, and same-sex unions are legal. The city dethroned Rio de Janeiro as the gay tourist destination in South America. It is not unusual to find gay couples holding hands in the streets and no one bats an eye. There are gay friendly restaurants, bars, clubs and hotels

Getting around is very easy. Taxis roam the streets 24 hours a day. You can either flag them or call one of the taxi companies and one will be sent right away. The public transport network is very good. The buses are operated by private companies and each line has its distinctive colors. There are six subway lines which fan out from the Plaza de Mayo area. The fare is around US$ 0.35, so it is quite inexpensive, as are the bus fares. However, the best way to know a city is on your own two feet. So hoof it everywhere, Buenos Aires is a pedestrian-friendly city. But if you aren't in the mood for some exercise, AR$25 (around 7 dollars) will get you a ticket on the new hop-on-hop-off bus service, which is another great way to get to know a city and get your bearings.

Learn more about this author, Ana O'Reilly.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.