Which Buenos Aires barrio is for me?

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 should help you choose. 

‘Microcentro’ (City Center)


This area is 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 traffic, noisy, and lacking in space. You have to weigh up these pros and cons to make your decision. But if 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 other further-flung parts of Buenos Aires.

Slightly North of Center – Recoleta, Retiro, Barrio Norte


These are generally the most exclusive areas of the City of Buenos Aires (particularly Recoleta), where you will find high class hotels such the Alvear, Four Seasons, Park Hyatt, Sofitel and the Marriott Plaza. Although they obviously come at a price! In keeping with the exclusivity of these areas, you will also find some of the most upmarket shopping centers, leather shops, cafes, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, art galleries, and parks in Buenos Aires. Also, you’ll be fairly close to the remarkable Recoleta Cemetery, where Evita Peron is laid to rest among many other amazingly decadent mausoleums of the rich and famous. Recoleta and Retiro (mainly near Plaza San Martín) are probably the most pleasantly upmarket areas to stay, if you have the cash required.

A little Further North – Palermo

Palermo is the largest barrio of Buenos Aires, and has several expansive green parks. Among the parks you will find the Rosedal (Rose Garden), Botanical Gardens, Japanese Gardens, the 3 de Febrero boating lake, the horse racing track, and the Buenos Aires Zoo. Palermo Hollywood and Palermo Soho, are full of bars, nightclubs, restaurants, boutique hotels and small designer label shops.


Palermo is served by Line D (Green Line) of the subte system, which conveniently takes you into the city center, or a little further north to Belgrano (which is another nice, tranquil place to stay, although a little bit further out of the way than the other areas mentioned here). The area is great for both families and young couples alike, and is a very popular place for visitors who decide to rent an apartment in Buenos Aires.

Go South! – San Telmo and Monserrat


These adjoining barrios, just south of the Microcentro, are the most ‘historic’ areas of the city. This is where the city was first founded, and is where some of the few remaining Spanish colonial buildings can be found, mixed in with some beautiful art nouveau and gothic styles from the following historical periods, all in a state of atmospheric decaying grandeur. Cobbled streets abound!


The rich of BA used to live in San Telmo until a yellow fever outbreak in 1871, when they first moved north away from the lowland river areas to their current residences in Recoleta and Retiro. These days, San Telmo is the home to modern Argentine Tango in Buenos Aires, where you will find many Tango shows, clubs, lessons, street performers and even Tango hotels. Sunday in San Telmo’s Plaza Dorrego sees the most famous street market (antiques, tango paraphernalia, etc) here, along with the compulsory outdoor Tango dancers and singers.


Adjoining Monserrat has similar architecture, and some of the most interesting churches in the city. However, these areas can be a little sketchy (lots of almost deserted, badly lit streets with little or no police or security presence) at night, so please bear that in mind before deciding on a hotel or apartment in this more ‘atmospheric’ part of town!

Local life: Almagro, Villa Crespo and Chacarita

In the geographical center of the city, the neighborhoods of Almagro, Villa Crespo and Chacarita are wonderful areas if you want to get a taste of local life, particularly if you’re staying in Buenos Aires for more than a few days. These adjoining neighborhoods have leafy streets and plenty of excellent restaurants, bars and milongas (tango dance events) to experience, and are linked to the Microcentro by subte line B (the red line). Almagro is particularly good for tango and alternative theater, Villa Crespo is great for cafe culture, bars and shops, and Chacarita is something of a culinary hotspot, where the city’s up and coming chefs experiment in the kitchens of restaurants on and around Avenida Jorge Newbery.

So there you have it, a list of the main areas to stay in Buenos Aires. Let us know if you have any questions in the comments.

Reader interactions

11 Replies to “Which Buenos Aires barrio is for me?”

  1. Belgrano!!!

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  2. I know…I know….I need to get to Belgrano and some point and take some pictures etc…it will be represented on this blog fairly soon, I promise!

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  3. I stayed in an apartment in Monserrat and the area was great!!! It is not dangerous at all! In fact, a friend of mine stayed in a hotel in Palermo and she was robbed there! Maybe I was lucky… but I had such a great time!!. I do recomend these neighborhoods!

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  4. Hi how is the area near the Zoo and Botanical garden. I am interested in tango and shopping. Thanks.
    Della

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  5. Algo mas tranquilo. Coghlan!!

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  6. I appreciate that you’re planning on writing more about Belgrano, but it sounds like you know quite a bit about it. Could you give a quick thumbs up or thumbs down re whether a first-time visitor would be disappointed staying there? Is it very suburban and off the beaten track, say, like traveling to Manhattan but staying in New Rochelle? Thanks.

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  7. Belgrano is actually a more residential kind of area. It has a very large shopping street, but not much else for tourists to see. You can actually find very busy streets there, but if you move a little far from Cabildo (which is the main street) you can find more laid back areas. It is recommended because it is very close to the subway, and it has much less expensive hotels and rentals than palermo (which has raised to the “fashionable” level by now). The cons is that it is a bit farther away than other barrios, so you will be traveling 30-45 minutes each way, daily.

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  8. Don’t forget “Las Cañitas”, a small enclave within Belgrano, bordering Palermo, often considered a barrio in itself. Here you will find the famous Polo Field as well as some of the hippest bars and restaurants in the city. Undoubtedly one of the best areas to base any stay in Bs As.

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  9. How’s Caballito? I have a friend offering me an apartment (for my vacation)there, but I’m not sure if I should stay there. Would some other barrio be better?

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  10. HI,Alan. I am very surprissed to know than an English guy is showing the city that I grew up and love.
    I am living in New York for many years and I have some American friends that would like to go there and I will recommend you, because they don’t speak any Spanish. What about you? GERRY

    Reply

  11. Hi!! I’ll come to BA and I need to know the possible areas to consider for an appartment close to catalinas plaza.
    Please give me some ideas and help.
    Many thanks
    Mark

    Reply

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