Buenos Aires sits on the south-west bank of the River Plate, close to the estuary. The districts of Monserrat and San Nicolas sit at its heart, the gentrified docklands of Puerto Madero to the east, historic San Telmo, and the traditionally working-class La Boca, south of the centre. Both take 40 minutes to an hour, depending on traffic. San Nicolas has a tourist office 2 at Calle Florida 00 54 11 ; bue. Both are open daily 9am-6pm. From Las Heras metro station 4 turn right on to Av Gral Las Heras, then left onto Junin to stop at the haunting Recoleta cemetery 5 , open daily from 7am Eva Peron, the Argentine first lady whose story is told in Evita, is buried among its gothic mausoleums.
Closed Tuesdays. Bosques de Palermo lies on the edge of Palermo, a barrio so trendy it has subdivided itself into smaller neighbourhoods known locally as Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood. On Sunday, Calle Defensa 10 turns into an enormous, bustling street market.
Is it a florist? Is it a record shop? Argentinian food draws heavily on the influence of its Italian immigrant community, with pizza restaurants on every street corner. Try the local cheeses, the octopus or the juicy lasagna. Puerto Madero waterfront has undergone a glistening refurbishment, and has become a hub for the new rich.
Two of its six lines run north to south; the others run east to west. The Buenos Aires tourist board offers free guided walks around the barrio, which take in more than just the main tourist drag, the Caminito 16 turismo. Buenos Aires is the tango capital of the world; for an authentic experience, head to a milonga a tango club rather than a tourist show. A good place to start is Oliverio Girondo 17 at Vera facebook. British Airways ba.
Indirect options include Iberia iberia. One of the grandest hotels in town, the Palacio Duhau 19 at 00 54 11 ; buenosaires. The Panamerican Hotel 20 at Carlos Pellegrini 00 54 11 ; panamericano.
