Plaza Dorrego (Corner of Defensa and Humberto Primo), San Telmo

Buenos Aires ‘Must Do’

Spending a Sunday in and around Plaza Dorrego is one of the few things that ranks as a ‘must do’ sightseeing attraction for visitors to Buenos Aires. On the seventh day of the week, when the rest of the city is resting, the city closes much of neighboring Defensa street to traffic, and this part of San Telmo explodes into a mass of around 8,000 people, locals and tourists alike. They come to peruse antiques and knickknacks, watch the outdoor tango dancing and other performers, sit for a coffee or beer outside a classic old cafe, or just aimlessly wander around the interesting chaos. This, more or less, is the Plaza Dorrego Sunday market, also known as the “Feria de San Pedro Telmo”.

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Bolivar 1502 (corner of Brasil), San Telmo (Note: Manolo is moving a few blocks away to Bolivar & Cochabamba in December 2006)

Manolo is one of my favorite restaurants in Buenos Aires. It is also one of the cheapest (though not quite as cheap as your outdated paper guide books say – inflation is on the rise in Buenos Aires), and a place where you are assured of getting a true ‘Buenos Aires’ experience.

San Telmo Favorite

Located just a block away from Parque Lezama, San Telmo, the place where Buenos Aires was first founded by Pedro de Mendoza, Manolo (the name of the owner, aswell as the restaurant) has been serving up massive portions of meat (bife de chorizo/rump steak, lomo/tenderloin steak, asado/ribs…etc), pasta and fish dishes for so long that many locals assume he was part of that initial founding party back in 1536. Actually, Pedro de Mendoza could have done with a Manolo on his team back then – that founding failed due to a major food shortage – but Manolo is more than making up for that these days.

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There is no simple answer to this question. It all depends on what type of person you are, and what you want to get out of your time in Buenos Aires. The following descriptions of the main areas to stay in Buenos Aires, Argentina should help you choose. Leave me a comment if you have any questions about a particular Barrio, Hotel or Hostel.

‘Microcentro’ (City Center)

This area is OBVIOUSLY central! For many people this is ideal, and it will put you close to major tourist attractions such as the Obelisk, Plaza de Mayo, the Pink House, the Cathedral, Avenida de Mayo, Congress, Florida Shopping Street, Teatro Colon, Plaza San Martin and a whole lot more. However, in other ways it is not so perfect, because this area is also the most busy with dangerous traffic, polluted, noisy, and lacking in space. You have to weigh up these pros and cons to make your decision. But you do stay in the Microcentro, it is very easy to get around on the ‘subte’ (subway) system, which serves this area well, as opposed to most other parts of Buenos Aires.

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