Culture: Buenos Aires
With 400 years of history and influence, the capital is the perfect place to soak up some of the past.
If you are talking culture then where better to start but the capital, Buenos Aires. At the heart of Argentina for more than 450 years, Buenos Aires is a cultural and economic melting pot where influences from all over the world can be seen. For those that are interested there is an absolute wealth of activities and areas to take in and we would recommend in the region of a week to see them properly.
For a more in depth view of all of the famous districts of this large city, please take a look at our city guide for Buenos Aires. To start things off, however, we have selected a few of our highlights of their culture…with the tango having its own section altogether!
Teatro Colon
Until the building of the Sydney Opera house in the late 70s, the Teatro Colon was the largest and most impressive opera house and theatre on the Southern Hemisphere. Today, it is just as impressive and certainly worth a look. It has just been totally renovated in time for the bi-centennial celebrations in March ’10 and so is very much back to its best. We can arrange to purchase tickets for any of the performances, or, alternatively, take one of the superb tours.
La Boca
La Boca can mean two things in Argentina….it may mean the district, which is famous for its brightly painted buildings and street tango, or it can mean football. For more information on the district please head to our Buenos Aires city guide, but for football, read on….Argentina is a nation in the grip of football in a big way and there is no football team with more supporters than the infamous Boca Juniors. Home of this famous stadium, a trip to the Boca district can be a real treat for some and there is absolutely nothing like being in the crowd at a game when they are playing there arch rivals, Plate, who are based on the outskirts of the city.
Casa Rosada and the Plaza de Mayo
This large square is probably the most important political and historical spot in Argentina. The Casa Rosada is the pink home of the president in sitting and it overlooks this historic square and original centre of Buenos Aires, marked by the Piramide de Mayo, a small obelisk marking the first year of Argentine independence from Spain. On its north side, it is also worth noting the impressive Banco de la Nacion, which was built in 1939 and is the work of the Argentine architect, Alejandro Bustillo.
Recoletta cemetery
This is a must see in Buenos Aires, if only to see the final resting place of Eva Peron (aka Evita). Set in the Recoletta area, this famous cemetery holds the remains for many of Argentina’s most famous and most powerful people.
Palermo
Again, more on this fantastic district can be found in the Buenos Aires guide, but, none the less, it is worth another mention as, if you are looking to get a taste of what the city is about, head to one of the small bars of cafes towards the end of the day and you will see the place come alive.
