Buenos Aires Review

BA was simply bangin’. After two weeks in the Argentine capital, I was well and truly in love with the city and just the thought of leaving was upsetting. There’s something about it that draws you in and captures your imagination. The lifestyle, the Porteños (a term people from Buenos Aires like to call themselves) and the seemingly endless array of activities at your fingertips all leave you wanting more from this amazing city.

San Telmo Markets

So what did I do? Well, I stayed in three different hostels, just to get a different vibe of the city and to experience both so-called party hostels and quieter ones for some down time. The weekends were definitely my favourite, with Saturdays reserved for time in Palermo and Sundays in San Telmo. Palermo is a lush green neighbourhood which has an amazing park, a lot like Hyde Park in London, with a lake serving as a landmark to rollerblade, run, cycle or walk around or even paddle a boat on! San Telmo has world-famous markets that go on for kilometres and even after a big Saturday night, walking around the San Telmo markets is an enjoyable experience where you can buy and see almost everything, including tango on the street!

Tango Show

No visit to BA is complete without going to Fuerza Bruta, a show that I can only describe as Cirque du Soleil on drugs. It’s rated as the number one attraction on TripAdvisor and deservedly so. Other must-dos include La Bomba de Tiempo, experiencing a tango show, partying until the sun rises and visiting the neighbourhoods of La Boca and Recoleta.

Working at the local Parrilla in Puerto Madero. OK, I just posed for the photo.

Colourful La Boca

The Five Senses of Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires looks like a cross between New York, Washington DC and a European city. The wide avenues of BA resemble New York and DC, whilst the architecture of the buildings and apartment blocks have a very distinct European flavour.

Buenos Aires smells like Parrillas. Parrillas, Asados or barbecues in English are fired off across the city and leave your mouth watering at the smell of meat cooking on the grill.

Buenos Aires feels like home. I had a nice routine in BA, met some great people and got to catch up with many friends I had previously met in South America, which gave it a very homely feel. 

Buenos Aires tastes like pizza. Although I ate one three of the best steaks in my life at La Cabrera in Palermo, I ate so many pizzas it was out of control. They were delicious, though. 

Buenos Aires sounds like shhh. The Spanish that is spoken in Argentina and especially in Buenos Aires has a very strong accent and they pronounce the ‘ll’ or ‘yo’ sounds with shhh sounds. Some love it, others hate it.

 Eva Peron’s Grave in Recoleta Cemetery

I haven’t been taking as many photos as I would have liked to in the past few weeks because they wouldn’t capture how extraordinary the scenery or moment was and do it justice, and neither does this review of BA. But, I can only urge you to go and check it out for yourself, I know I will be back there very, very soon!

Before and after steak at La Cabrera – Meat Sweats!