With the energy of New York, the architectural feel of Paris, and the chaotic pace of a major Latin American city all rolled into one, Buenos Aires is in a class of its own. Buenos Aires is also called the “Paris of South America,” for its soaring architecture and rich European heritage. But the city and its people, known as porteños, are a study in contrasts: European sensibilities and Latin American passion; wide boulevards and cobblestone alleys; steamy tango and romping rock and roll; sidewalk cafés and soccer fanatics; bejeweled ladies draped in fur coats and children rummaging through garbage for cardboard scraps. Buenos Aires, which sprawls over 202 square kilometers and has a population of about three million, is a patchwork of distinct, fascinating communities, from the frenetic downtown and working-class tanguero neighborhoods such as La Boca and San Telmo, to wealthy districts such as Recoleta and trendy Palermo, to middle-class barrios such as Belgrano and Caballito.
Visit the historical complex of Plaza de Mayo, surrounded by the Government House, the Cathedral and the historical Cabildo, a beautiful 18th century building. Walk through one of the first avenues the city ever had, the Avenida de Mayo, seeing plenty of architectural samples of the end of the 19th century.
The tour continues south, to the oldest quarters of the city. Arrival to the traditional neighbourhood of San Telmo, with its cobblestone streets and its renowned antique fair, and to the picturesque area of La Boca, a colourful world where local artists show their paintings along the historical Caminito Street.
To the north, the tour visits the lakes in Palermo and its residential area. Finally, in the sophisticated La Recoleta quarter, one of the most exclusive ones, with elegant cafés and restaurants, we visit Our Lady of Pilar Church, said to be the oldest in the city, and the unique Northern Cemetery, to see the grave with Eva Perón's mortal remains.
