Buenos Aires
Floralis Genérica, Monumental Sculptures & Modern Buenos Aires
Floralis Genérica (the monumental stainless steel and aluminum kinetic sculpture by Argentine architect Eduardo Catalano, donated to the city of Buenos Aires in 2002, standing 23 metres tall and weighing 18 tonnes in Plaza de las Naciones Unidas (United Nations Square) in Recoleta): the sculpture is designed with hydraulic petals that open at dawn and close at dusk (and during certain national commemorations), creating a giant mechanical flower that tracks the daily rhythm of light — one of the most beloved public sculptures in South America.
Buenos Aires Nightlife — The City That Never Sleeps Before 4am
Buenos Aires nightlife operates on a schedule unlike any other city in the world: dinner typically begins at 10pm, restaurants remain fully occupied until after midnight, clubs (boliches) do not open their doors until 1am and do not reach peak capacity until 3-4am, with many operating until 7-8am; the city's extraordinary nightlife culture is a consequence of the late dinner tradition (itself a product of the long Spanish siesta tradition and the Argentine summer heat), the social centrality of the night (la noche) in Carioca culture, and the concentration of young people in Buenos Aires.
Tigre & the Paraná Delta — Waterways, Rowing Clubs & Weekend Escapes
Tigre and the Paraná Delta (the town of Tigre, 30 kilometres north of Buenos Aires by suburban train or boat, at the point where the Paraná river system splits into hundreds of channels and islands forming the Paraná Delta — a vast wetland of approximately 14,000 square kilometres of river islands, floating vegetation mats, willow-lined channels, and wooden houses on stilts): the Paraná Delta is the weekend escape destination of choice for millions of porteños, with hundreds of rowing and sailing clubs, waterfront restaurants, campgrounds, and private weekend houses accessible only by boat.
Recoleta Cemetery, Evita's Tomb & the Palermo Parks
Recoleta (the most exclusive residential neighbourhood in Buenos Aires, developed in the early 20th century as the neighbourhood of the Argentine oligarchy, with its French-influenced architecture, luxury boutiques, and the most important museum cluster in the city) centres on the Cementerio de la Recoleta — the ornate neoclassical cemetery where virtually every significant figure in Argentine history is buried, including Eva Perón ('Evita') — and is flanked to the west by the Palermo parks, the largest green space in Buenos Aires.
Plaza de Mayo, the Casa Rosada & the Historic Centre of Buenos Aires
Plaza de Mayo (the central plaza of Buenos Aires, established 1580 at the founding of the city, scene of virtually every major event in Argentine history from independence in 1816 to the military coups of the 20th century and the return of democracy in 1983 — surrounded by the Casa Rosada (the Pink House, seat of the Argentine executive), the Metropolitan Cathedral, and the Cabildo) is the symbolic and historical heart of Argentina and the essential starting point for understanding Buenos Aires.
Teatro Colón — One of the World's Great Opera Houses
Teatro Colón (Cerrito 628, Buenos Aires — the national opera house of Argentina, built 1889-1908, seating 2,478, one of the five acoustically finest opera houses in the world alongside La Scala in Milan, the Vienna State Opera, the Paris Opera Garnier, and the Royal Opera House in London): the Teatro Colón is the most important performing arts venue in the Southern Hemisphere and the largest opera house in the Americas, with a 35-metre-wide stage, a seven-storey fly tower, an auditorium with perfect sight lines from all levels, and acoustic properties that the German manufacturer Siemens measured as among the three finest in the world.
Argentine Asado, Malbec Wine & Buenos Aires Gastronomy
Argentine cuisine — shaped by the extraordinary cattle-ranching tradition of the Pampas (the vast grasslands of central Argentina, home to the world's finest grass-fed beef), the Italian immigrant influence on pasta and pizza culture, the Spanish colonial foundation, and the Mendoza wine tradition (Argentina is the fifth largest wine producer in the world, and Malbec — the deep, plummy red grape variety that has become Argentina's signature — is widely regarded as one of the great red wines of the world) — is one of the great meat-based cuisines of the world.
Avenida 9 de Julio, the Obelisco & Buenos Aires' Grand Boulevard
Avenida 9 de Julio (the main north-south artery of Buenos Aires, claimed to be the widest avenue in the world at its widest point (140 metres, 14 lanes of traffic plus two footpaths and a dividing median), running approximately 3 km through the heart of the city from Constitución in the south to Retiro in the north): at the intersection of Avenida 9 de Julio and Avenida Corrientes stands the Obelisco de Buenos Aires (the 67.5-metre white obelisk built 1936 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the first founding of the city in 1536 and the site of the first raising of the Argentine flag) — the most recognizable landmark of modern Buenos Aires.
Tango, San Telmo & La Boca — Buenos Aires' Soul Neighbourhoods
San Telmo (the oldest neighbourhood in Buenos Aires, first settled in the 17th century, with its cobblestone streets, colonial buildings, antique markets, tango milongas, and the famous Sunday market on Plaza Dorrego) and La Boca (the working-class port neighbourhood at the mouth of the Riachuelo river, home of the Caminito painted street and the Boca Juniors football club) are the two most characterful and visited historic neighbourhoods in Buenos Aires — both central to the origins and culture of the tango.