La Recoleta Cemetery should be considered a must-see by any visitor. The ornate monuments are more than fascinating enough to occupy an afternoon, and many of the city's most famous residents lie in rest here. Still, most tourists are seeking the tomb of Evita. Her mausoleum can be hard to find, but eavesdropping and tagging along behind a tour group will do the trick. More La Recoleta Cemetery...
Every Sunday since 1970 some 10,000 people descend upon Plaza Dorrego for the Feria de San Telmo. What began as an antique fair has grown into 270 vendors selling almost everything under the sun. It is much more than an open air market, it is a happening. More San Telmo...
David, who calls himself a "circus bear attempting to balance on a ball" when it comes to dancing, was surely not going to indulge Veronica's fantasy of learning to tango during our stay in Buenos Aires. But the clumsy bear proved to be full of surprises when he booked us at the Complejo Tango. This tango complex includes not only a school, but also nightly shows, and even hotel rooms where we stayed backstage next to the dancer's dressing rooms. The place breathes tango. More on tango in Buenos Aires...
Buenos Aires is famous for these establishments. Parrilla simply means grill, and a huge grate of roasting meat is the centerpiece of any good one. La Estancia may be the big Kahuna, filling the tables of awestruck carnivores with enormous silver trays sizzling on their very own beds of coals, but our favorite was a little neighborhood joint called El Litoral. Nothing fancy, just bodacious portions of phenomenal flame broiled beef at a price that made us think we must have been given the special friend's discount. More about Parrillas...
WATCH: Let the Meat Sweats Begin: Eating at an Argentine Parilla
Buenos Aires is a city fueled by meat, and Mataderos is the barrio, that traditionally supplied that fuel. To celebrate that tradition, and preserve many of the customs of the gauchos, who we would call cowboys, a huge event known as the Feria de Mataderos is held each weekend. Thousands come from miles around to enjoy the food, music, dancing, crafts, and particularly the feats of horsemanship demonstrated by the gauchos. More Feria de Mataderos...
WATCH: Amazing gaucho action & Veronica joins in the traditional dances
Perhaps no barrio, or neighborhood, in the city captures quintessential Buenos Aires better than La Boca. Shops and restaurants line the colorful streets, with inventive artwork, live music, and tango dancing spilling out on to the sidewalks. More La Boca...
We found this remarkably easy to do, just hop on a ferry across the river to Uruguay. The delightful town of Colonia del Sacramento lies right across the Río de la Plata, so after a 45 minute ride on the Buquebus we stepped into another country, and what felt like another place in time. More Colonia, Uruguay...
David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com