Category: Buenos Aires Local Tours Archive

If you have spent any time in Argentina, then you will have not failed to notice that they are very fond of naming things after notable characters in the country’s past. Streets, railway lines, squares and towns can all bear the names of important historical figures. In 1948, President Juan Domingo Perón decided to take that tradition one step further.

Founded about 20km from the centre of Buenos Aires and around 6km from Ezeiza airport, Ciudad Evita, a settlement of 15,000 houses, was of course, named after the First Lady of Argentina, Eva Perón. However, not content with simply applying the name, it was also decided that the town’s layout should be designed to portray an outline of the lady herself.

The surrounding area has been built up since the town was created, but her outline, complete with the characteristic bun at the back of her head can still clearly be seen on Google Maps. So next time you’re heading to the airport (on the motorway on the left of the picture), bear in mind just how close the memory of Evita is.

Whilst travelling abroad, it’s not uncommon to come across some interesting uses of language – either translations into English or occasions when a word is used in the native language but which has a totally different sense in your own language.

I’ve seen several around South America (the Farto chain of pharmacies in Brasil never failed to amuse), but my current favourite is the advert that is doing the rounds at the moment for a University in a town near Buenos Aires. Once you see the name of the town, no further explanation is necessary.

Friday 24th February was a momentous date. Although you may not have noticed anything special at the time, let me tell you, it was indeed special. For on this day, 447 days since Pete from Hawaii turned up in Plaza Italia and got a tour of Buenos Aires that he has probably forgotten all about, I gave my 200th tour. Here are some stats:

• 660 people have come on my tours
• They have been from 34 different countries
• 40.3% have been from the USA, 13.9% from the UK
• Wednesday is the least popular day for a tour, Saturday is the most popular
• People who come on a tour on Friday are the most generous, those on Thursday the least

Thank you to everybody who has been on a tour and supported me on my little adventure and here’s to many more more.

Saw this doing the rounds today – a nicely done short film showing trackless rollercoasters zooming around Buenos Aires. It’s all special effects of course, but it shows the wonderful architecture of this beautiful city off very nicely.

Buenos Aires – Inception Park from Black Sheep Films on Vimeo.

Football has long been part of the visitor story in Buenos Aires, and Buenos Aires Local Tours wrote about both the atmosphere of attending a match and several specific outings that were offered at the time.

What this archive preserves

• See a Futbol Match in Buenos Aires, published July 23, 2011.
• Seeing a Futból Match in Buenos Aires, published January 3, 2012.
• Football in Buenos Aires, first published January 23, 2012 and later updated with a 2019 fixture list.
• Racing vs Tigre, published February 10, 2012.
• Boca Juniors vs Zamora, published April 16, 2012.
• Boca Juniors vs Colón de Santa Fe, published April 23, 2012.

The expired fixture calendars, prices, reservation forms and booking promises have not been republished. Their dates and subjects are recorded here so old links have a truthful historical successor without presenting a former service as current.

Planning a football visit now

Use official club and competition sources for current fixtures, ticket rules and stadium access. For neighborhood context around La Bombonera and Caminito, read the BuenosTours guide to La Boca. For tours currently offered by BuenosTours, see the current tour options.

Who is behind Buenos Aires Local Tours?

Buenos Aires Local Tours was started by Jonathan, a laid-back English guy who, a few years ago,  left his job in Switzerland behind, put a rucksack on his back and flew to Buenos Aires. He travelled round a lot of South America and then settled in his favourite place of all, Buenos Aires.

When he had people to stay he would often show them round the main sites, Recoleta, Microcentro, San Telmo but more often than not the parts they enjoyed the most were just wandering around the less-touristy places. Both parts are important and Buenos Aires Local Tours aims to show you both.

The tours became so popular, with requests for many custom tours in addition to the Daily Tour, that eventually Jonathan called in some friends and other local tour guides to help out. Now Buenos Aires Local Tours is comprised of Jonathan, Ceri, Richard, Jessica, Oliver, Quincy & Penelope (team bios coming soon!). We’re all having a great time helping people to enjoy their time in the city, and passing on our local knowledge.

So you’ll show us the Real Buenos Aires?

No. Simply because we don’t know what that is. Depending on who you speak to the “Real Buenos Aires” could be living on the 32nd floor penthouse in Puerto Madero or it could be rummaging in bins collecting cardboard to recycle. What we will show you is what other tours don’t, areas that will increase your understanding of this vast and complex city.

It’s not just another tour. There are lots out there, companies that do walking tours, companies who’ll herd you round in a big group, show you where the President lives and charge you a whole handful of dollars for the privilege.

Frankly, if all you want to see is Caminito, the Colon Theater, and the Obelisco, then our tour might not be for you. You’ve got the Lonely Planet, there are walking tour routes in there – go for it! You’d probably have a great day, but you’d be missing so much!

If, on the other hand, you want to see some major sites like that and you want to take a local bus, learn about what makes Argentina tick, visit fascinating areas away from the usual tourist trail, learn some useful Spanish phrases and have fun doing then you should come along!

So, sounds great. How much?

The tour is run on a tip-only basis, or better put, you can “Pay What You Want”. However, we need Malbec & steak to survive so tips are more than welcome.

Why not charge a fixed fee? What’s the catch?

Honestly, there is no catch. We love Buenos Aires. We love living in Buenos Aires and love showing people round. It’s true that we could charge a lot for this tour, there are plenty of people who charge lots to show you a lot less than we do, but we genuinely believe that by letting everyone decide what they want to pay, we can share our love for this city with more people, and hopefully help you get the most out of your time here.

How do I book?

If you’re interested (of course you are, who wouldn’t be?), our “Pay What You Want” Walking and Public Transport tour runs on a prior registration-only basis (you’ll find the registration form on this page), to ensure a maximum group size for tour quality and happy guides & clients alike.

Unless otherwise stated, the usual start time is 10am and the tours can take place on any day except Sundays, however if you are a group of 4 or more people and can’t find the date you want, then feel free to request a different day.

With a usual start time of 10am, this 3+ hour tour usually finishes between 1pm and 2pm, in time for lunch. We meet in the City Center (again, unless otherwise stated), near the Plaza de Mayo (home of the Casa Rosada), and will provide the full meeting point details/the address etc after you register.

The tour also ends fairly centrally, on the edge of Recoleta, right by the D Line of the subway and many bus routes along the avenues Cordoba, Callao and Santa Fe, plus with taxis easy to find, and lots of good restaurants, cafes and things to see in the area – come on the tour and we’ll suggest where to go after! 🙂

Can’t I just pay you a fixed fee?

But, of course! We will happily organize a custom private tour for you, with as much or as little input from you as you want to give, our rates are more than competitive – use the form on the contact page for details.

So what else do I need to know?

One of the most important (and unique) parts of your time with us will be catching a colectivo. We do this for two main reasons. Firstly it allows us to see more in less time and secondly it all adds to the experience. Figuring out which bus to catch, where to get on, how to ask for a ticket and where to get off is not difficult once a few simple things have been explained. We’ll show you how and then you’re free to explore the city on your terms all you want!

However, we do ask that you bring as much change (monedas) as you can – buses only accept change.

We’ll see you soon on a tour, and if you have any questions in the meantime, feel free to drop us a line.

One of my favourite Buenos Aires websites is Robert Wright’s AfterLife, an almost impossibly well-researched directory of Recoleta Cemetery and its defunct inhabitants. With nearly 450 posts detailing the highs and lows of Argentina’s finest I’ve spent many an evening lost in stories of life, success, tragedy & death (bet you’re jealous of my exciting life!).

So when I heard that, through his travel startup Endless Mile, Robert had released a Recoleta Cemetery iPhone App, I didn’t hesitate in downloading it and giving it a trial run.

We don’t cover Recoleta on our pay what you want walking tour, but I’ve been many times, on my own and with visitors. I’ve never been on a tour there either, as it has always struck me that simply wandering around discovering new corners and art is half the fun of visiting – if visiting a cemetery can be considered fun, that is.

Before leaving the house I fired up my newly purchased app and was met with a very elegant and minimal menu page which fits nicely with the look and feel of the Endless Mile site. In the Orientation section there are several options including some basic facts, history and an overview of the symbolism which can be found on many of the tombs.

Whilst this section is full of vital and useful information, the main feature of the app, and the one I really wanted to put to the test was the walking route. On entering the route section you are presented with a very clear map of the cemetery, with a dotted path showing you a suggested route along with 25 numbered points of interest. Clicking on each number brings up a photo of the tomb in question, and another quick click on the “i” icon switches to the text, explaining who is buried here.

If it stopped there it would be a useful and interesting companion to a visit, but where this app really comes into its own is in the details it provides for each of the 25 main points. Each one is chock-full of history, dates, scandals (the husband and wife with their backs to each other for eternity), rumours (just how did Evita’s brother die?) and legend (the coffin buried upright behind a hidden wall) along with information about the artist and any decorative quirks.

I spent a good couple of hours following the route and learning more about the fascinating history behind the mausoleums. The app also encourages you to explore on your own which is very easy to do, but I would always return to the route for all the extra information. The convenience of being able to be your own guide at your own speed and having the information literally at your fingertips whilst standing in front the tomb is a massive plus.

Overall the quality of the information, along with the slick look and feel of the app itself make this a must buy if you want to get the best out of the most fascinating places in Buenos Aires.

Pros:

• Great historical and artistic background
• Visually very clear, map section very easy to follow
• Self-guiding, move around at your own speed
• The 25 points of interest are full of fascinating information
• Good value for money compared to a traditional tour

And for the Cons, can’t actually think of any – highly recommended!

Almost as common as the ubiquitous Argentinian flag, the National Coat of Arms can be seen all over Buenos Aires, especially on government and official buildings.

The Coat of Arms (or Escudo de la República Argentina to give its correct title) exists in its current version since 1944 but has its roots in pre-independence Argentina and revolutionary France. Rising at the top is the rising Sun of May, also found in the centre of the national flag, representing the rising of the Argentine nation.

Inside the oval there are two hands shaking, standing for the unity of the provinces. They come together to hold a pike representing their willingness to defend freedom, which in turn is shown by the Phrygian cap on its tip. The cap, worn by freed slaves in Ancient Rome has been a symbol of liberty since the end of the 18th Century when it was adopted by the French as their revolutionary icon. It can be found on the flags of many Latin American countries including Bolivia and Colombia, the state flags of New York and New Jersey and the seal of the US Senate.

The more eagle-eyed amongst you might also spot the Coat of Arms of the City of Buenos Aires as you move around the city. Not as common as its national cousin, it features 2 ships, a dove and an anchor.

The two ships refer to the two foundings of the city, the first in 1536 by Pedro de Mendoza and the second by Juan de Garay in 1580 (the first settlement lasted only 5 years, but did give us the name Buenos Aires). The anchor represents the status of Buenos Aires as a port and the protection given by the Holy Spirit is shown in the dove.

I’ve met Ande a few times at the quiz and a few weeks ago she contacted me to see if I’d mind answering some questions for her Porteño Corner page. I didn’t mind in the slightest, and here are the answers.

Update: And would you believe that in the space of 24 hours, my answers to another set of questions appears somewhere else! Thanks to Stephanie of thetravelchica.com!

Looking some stuff up for the quiz the other day and I came across this NASA photo on Wikipedia of the River Plate and Buenos Aires. The added captions are mine, click for larger view.

With North on the left of the image it gives a good idea of how enormous the River Plate is and how small, relatively speaking Buenos Aires is. Even today you can see how the size of the surrounding Pampa dwarves the city.