Buenos Aires City Guide - Overview

Buenos Aires is the most European of all Latin American cities. With its wide boulevards, leafy parks, grand buildings and varied culture and nightlife, the city is reminiscent of Paris or Barcelona. The porteños ('people of the port'), as the residents of Buenos Aires are called, are more European too - descended from the first Spanish founders and Italian immigrants from the 19th century. Their culture and cuisine still flavours the city and can be enjoyed in countless art galleries, theatres and museums, as well as fine restaurants. But the city has also spawned its own art forms, notably the tango, for which Buenos Aires is famous.

Buenos Aires is the third largest city in South America and comprises 47 barrios (neighbourhoods) in which nearly 3 million people live. Situated in the east of Argentina beside the Rio de la Plata and surrounded by seemingly never-ending flat land known as the Pampas, the vast sprawling conurbation is a true 24-hour city - there is always something going on to fill the senses. The downtown area is as noisy and congested as any other major urban centre, but the city is really a pleasant place to walk around.

Buenos Aires has largely bounced back from the economic crisis of 2001 and there are signs that the Argentine economy is on the mend. Large numbers of people still live in shanty towns (villas miseries) and families of cartoneros (cart people) take to the city streets each evening to rummage through bins for materials to sell for recycling. But despite any lingering financial worries, the porteños continue to get on with life as best they can. There are still great numbers of people who can't afford life's luxuries, but the city's classy restaurants, bars and cafes bustle with people and the city's elite dance the night away in South America's best clubs.

Devaluation has made it a cheap city to explore and enjoy and the division of wealth remains largely invisible to the tourists sightseeing and shopping by day and dancing and enjoying gastronomic delights at night. With several new museums and a continuous agenda of cultural attractions and events, there is much to see and do. Buenos Aires has a mild climate and is a year-round destination, although the city can get very hot and humid during the summer months (December to February). The city can also be quiet during summer as many porteños take their holidays at this time.