Travel Guides: All Countries / South America / Argentina / Buenos Aires
 |  | Travel Reviews : Buenos Aires |
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| | | | Land of the tango
From the Mail on Sunday
The brightly pastel shaded houses that line the quayside of the La Boca barrio in Buenos Aires these days attract afternoon strollers and evening revellers to their neighbouring bars and cafes.
But they used to be bordellos that served the sailors returning home from the sea at the end of the last century and it was here that the tango was born.
Wherever you are in Buenos Aires, you are never far from some representation of the music and movement of the tango. The dance can be melancholic or joyful, threatening or flirtatious, but it has an hypnotic effect on the Latin soul. Its appeal has also spread across the oceans in recent years with tango clubs popping up from New York to Tokyo.
The tango actually started as an all-male affair as a machismo display ritual with three, four or five guys taking the floor to compete in demonstrating their masculinity.
Then the girls got in on the act and, through its whorehouse associations, the dance was condemned as immoral in the early decades of this century and practised only among the lowest orders of Argentinian society. Spanish and Italian immigrants particularly identified with its most plaintive aspects which reflected their sense of loss of homeland and anxiety for the future.
It was not until a charismatic tango singer called Carlos Gardel swept to fame that the dance became respectable, largely through the force of his wholesome personality. Gardel's winning smile still beams down from posters and photographs in every club and bar in Buenos Aires.
Then came Rudolph Valentino, with his smouldering interpretation in The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse movie and the rest of the world woke up to the emotional intensity of the work.
Travel guide: Buenos Aires
It takes one to tango
Don't laugh at me Argentina, tra la la, but I've caught tango fever, really badly, and have fallen madly in love with Buenos Aires.
I am besotted by La Boca, the city's most vibrant quarter by the River Riachuelo where tango first took off.
The houses here are built from wood and corrugated tin painted dazzling pinks, purples, yellows and blue, with dilapidated balconies and terraces where washing flaps and locals play tango music 24 hours a day.
El Caminito is one particularly colourful street where Argentine artists sell their paintings and the exteriors of houses and cafes are a riot of vividly painted bas-relief fruit, flowers and figures.
A large glass of wine at one of the al fresco cafes costs two pesos (50p) and, if you don't mind looking a bit foolish, you can try to tango while the bands play and impossibly lithe ladies in high heels and slashed skirts slink and slouch seductively across the pavements with their brilliantined partners.
OK, I did look silly in my Scholl sandals and Bhs jog pants, but in my heart I was a tango temptress nimbly shifting my posterior to those hot rhythms.
My base was The Sheraton Hotel, in a room on the 24th floor overlooking the murky brown River Plate(the world's widest) and the night lights of a buzzing city.
Wherever you walk, you find exquisite parks and squares with lush flower beds, tall palms, fascinating sculptures and, in spring, blossoming jacaranda trees.
One such square is the Plaza de Mayo, with the rose-coloured presidential palace, Casa Rosada, where Eva Peron made histrionic promises to the workers and Madonna posed to sing Don't Cry For Me, Argentina in the film Evita.
This square is also where - on Thursdays - mothers gather to demand news of sons missing since the 1976 coup. Only a handful come, aware that their quest is hopeless.
But if you enjoy a stroll, beware. Buenos Aires has the world's longest zebra crossings. The fearsome 13-lane Ninth Of July Avenue cuts through the city and to cross it involves taking a deep breath and stepping out - fast - onto what seems like suicide alley.
Once across, you find enticing side streets, shops, cafes, basilicas, stately boulevards, an Irish pub (honest), convents, churches, murals and grand fin-de-siecle architecture.
And, of course, there are the fantastic shopping malls. La Recoleta is the posh district with more parks, giant rubber trees and red carpets laid along the sidewalks for wealthy shoppers.
The cemetery is a must-see - wide avenues of ornate mausoleums roamed by hundreds of skinny grey cats. They slink about the necropolis as if they own the place.
Travel guide: Buenos Aires
Vibrant and friendly
Buenos Aires is a vibrant, friendly city. The restaurants are staffed by people who care. They make a difference by being friendly and attentive and, more importantly serve wonderfully cooked food.
We stayed in the Recoleta region of the city in an apartment block called Anchorena Plaza. They were beautifully kept and the concierge, although he spoke little English, was most helpful.
The taxi system is the most efficient and speedy way of getting around. We did travel to La Boca on a bus which was quite brave for three ladies but did not find it a problem.
We will return one day.
Travel guide: Buenos Aires
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| | | | From dance to football
In modern Buenos Aires, the dance crosses all cultural, social and age divisions. At the feria de mataderos on the edge of town, a weekly market cum fair where gaucho cowboys show off their horse riding skills by galloping wildly through the streets, a bandstand had been erected beneath massive plane trees. The crowd that kicked up its heels to the music included stiff backed matrons in full length skirts, girls in trainers and jeans and gnarled veterans in braces and shirtsleeves.
Nightclubs that specialise in tango are known as malenga and at the Club Almagro, just off the 16 lane Avenida de 9 Julio, which carves its way through the city centre, the briefest of miniskirts and tightest of pants were being flaunted.
It was gratifying to see how many of the dazzlingly attractive young girls had brought their fathers. Or seemed to have done.
The professionals who demonstrate the art of tango gather in a few select cabaret houses and the standard is nowhere higher than at El Viejo Almacen, among the antique shops and outdoor cafes of the San Telmo district.
Football and tango are the twin passions of Argentina and, while relations may be regularly strained between our country and theirs on the soccer pitch, the dance floor is the place where all differences are automatically put aside.
And there is no more intimate or intoxicating introduction than the stylised seduction of the tango.
Most famous resident
Recoleta's most famous resident is Eva Peron. She rests, allegedly, in a modest vault covered in fresh flowers, marked by a plaque.
However, the fact that her embalmed remains were spirited out of the country after the military coup in the Fifties and not returned until 1976 leads some to suggest she's not at Recoleta at all.
The unstable Argentine economy has calmed down, and the days when a loaf doubled in price between the store shelf and the check-out are over. The result is bargains for tourists.
Eating out is fantastic value. A steak, fried potatoes, salad and a glass of Argentine red costs about £5. But veggies should steer clear - Buenos Aires is meat heaven.
The highlight of my trip was the night show at the Alamacen Tango Hall. This small, 1890-built theatre has a horse-shoe-shaped balcony overlooking a tiny stage.
The tango dancers were all dips and splits and legs darting dangerously between partners' knees. This is what you'd call joined-up dancing. Sexy? You bet.
Three hours of phenomenal music, dancing and champagne, all for £15 including transport, with the biggest round of applause for sultry tango chanteuse Virginia Lugue, still belting them out at the age of 84.
Must be all that beef.
TRAVEL DETAILS:
Val Hennessy stayed at the Sheraton Hotel, Calle san Martin. Tel 0054 1143 189000. BA flies direct from Heathrow to Buenos Aires.
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| | Destination Guide : Buenos Aires |
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| | | City of sophistication |  | Why go on holiday to Buenos Aires?
Argentina's capital is a thronging city, either renowned for its sophistication or derided for its absorption of neo-European culture — depending on your point of view.
Many Argentinians are educated in Europe, and it shows. Buenos Aires, in particular, has self-consciously emulated European cultural trends in art, music and architecture.
How much does it cost?
A two-week bed and breakfast package including Buenos Aires, Patagonia, Peninsula Valdes and the Argentinian Pampas costs from £2,500. A sample return flight from London to Buenos Aires cost £672. Shop around, prices can vary considerably.
Buenos Aires is an expensive city - a hotel room costs about £70/£100 for a single/double, but it is possible to stay in the centre of things regardless of budget.
Congreso is good for inexpensive lodgings, while mid-range hotels are concentrated on Avenida de Mayo.
When should I go?
Buenos Aires is worth visiting year-round, although for those from the northern hemisphere the thought of two summers a year make December to February very attractive.
Buenos Aires is a humid city with a mild winter and hot summers (up to 30C/86F but feeling hotter in the humidity).
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| | | Popular cafe culture |  | What should I do when I'm there?
Buenos Aires has plenty to keep visitors happy. The compact city centre houses many art museums and galleries, as well as a vigorous theatrical community.
What is there for a culture vulture?
Classical buffs will enjoy the spectacular Teatro Colon, a world-class facility for opera, ballet and classical music, while worthwhile museums include the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Museo del Cine, and Museo Historico Nacional.
The Cathedral Metropolitana contains the tomb of Jose de San Martin, a hero of Argentina's struggle for independence, and the Cementario de la Recoleta provides a reminder of the national passion for death.
How do the locals relax?
There's a thriving cafe society, and Portenos (the name for locals) love nothing more than to set the world to rights socialising and relaxing over a coffee, or something stronger, in one of the capitals many cafes and bars. Bookstores doubling as cafes are popular.
What about my sweet tooth?
Forget Mr Whippy - Buenos Aires is the home of exquisite ice cream in luscious flavours (anyone for white chocolate with chocolate-covered almonds?). There are "heladerias" all over town - try a branch of Freddo, or Saverio.
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| | | Dance the tango | | Where's good for nightlife?
The nightlife in Buenos Aires leans towards the pricey - they're fond of exclusive dance clubs where drinks are incredibly expensive.
You can find cheaper places, especially near the university. Catch a tango show - or better still join in and take a lesson in one of Argentina's most famous exports.
What's the food like?
There's a wide range of eats to suit all budgets from delicious takeaway pizza (BA is big on Italian grub) to wallet-busting gastronomic blow-outs. Unlike in much of Argentina, vegetarians do get a look-in - there's a range of meat-free eateries around.
Food bargains are to be had in the suburbs of La Boca and San Telmo, while in the centre Lavalle and Avenida Corrientes are the places to go for pizza, or coffee with BA's intelligentsia.
What should I buy?
Buenos Aires is a shoppers' paradise! Best buys are leather goods, including shoes and jewellery. Away from the ritzier shops, you can have a root around at San Telmo's fabulous flea market (every Saturday and Sunday on the Plaza Dorrego).
What is there for children to do?
Check the local press for a good mixture of cultural events for kids; otherwise there are plenty of parks and playgrounds in the city.
Tourist office
Argentine Embassy, Tourism Section, 65 Brook Street, London W1K 4AH. Tel. 020 7318 1300.
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| | Fact File : Buenos Aires |
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| | | Buenos Aires | | Did you know?
Inhabitants of Buenos Aires are known as 'portenos' - 'residents of the port'.
Language
American Spanish plus 17 indigenous languages. English is widely spoken, also some French and German.
Visas
You don't need a visa but you must have a return ticket.
Getting there
Some airlines fly direct from the UK but it's often cheaper to fly via Miami or New York.
Flying time from London
18 hours
Getting around
On arrival in Buenos Aires, you'll think it looks enormous, but in reality the city centre is small enough to negotiate on foot. The city has its own underground called the 'subte' which consists of five lines labelled A to E. There is a flat fee of 50 centavos.
Currency
Peso
Costs
Litre of petrol 68p, bottle of beer about £2, roll of camera film £3.50, moderately priced restaurant meal with wine £10, four-mile taxi ride £7. All prices will vary.
Weather
Summer (Dec-Feb) 33C (92F) Winter (Jun-Aug) 8C (46F).
Time difference
Three hours behind GMT.
International dialling code from the UK
00 54 1
Voltage
220V AC, 50Hz
Opening hours
Business usually kicks off at 8am, until midday, when there's a 3-4 hour siesta, and then the working day re-commences until about 8pm or 9pm. However, government offices and some businesses in Buenos Aires have taken up the more traditional 9am-5pm approach.
Health - Before you go
Inoculations against typhoid, malaria, hepatitis A, plus tetanus and diphtheria boosters are recommended (especially if you plan to travel off the beaten track) but not compulsory. Travel insurance a must.
Health - When you are there
Although the water in Buenos Aires is perfectly safe (if a bit chemical-tasting), help yourself avoid stomach upsets by keeping an eye on what you eat and drink.
Warnings
Be wary of bag snatching in the street and on trains.
Emergency
Police 111. 101 for 24-hour English helpline for victims of crime in Buenos Aires. British Embassy, Dr Luis Agote 2412/25, Buenos Aires 1425. Tel: (00 54 1) 803 7070
Customs
It is usual for men in Buenos Aires to kiss each other on greeting.
Pets
Would have to go into quarantine to return to the UK.
Tipping
10% is customary in restaurants.
Tourist office
Argentine Embassy, Tourism Section, 65 Brook Street, London W1K 4AH. Tel. 020 7318 1300.
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| | Available rental properties in Buenos Aires |
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| |  | | Renovated & Sleekly Designed Studio in Recoleta
• Studio with attached kitchen, bathroom
• 310 square feet / 29 square meters
|  | | Luxury Studio, Azcuenaga & Vicente López
• Studio with attached kitchen, bathroom, terrace
• 380 square feet / 35 square meters
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1-bedroom with living room, separate kitchen, 1.5 bathrooms, balcony
570 square feet / 53 square meters
Recoleta, near the corner of Uriburu & Vic
|  | | Avenida Corrientes
Apartment of 2 main room furnished and equipped for 4 persons, very bright and wide. With clothes of bed, set of dishes , tv for cable, music, heat
|  | | Teresita B&B in Buenos Aires
Beautiful guest house run as a bed and breakfast in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We now offer Cooking Classes of Latin American Cuisine.
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Holiday Rentals in Buenos Aires |
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