How long in Buenos Aires pre-cruise?

If we decide not to fly to Iguaza Falls how long do you recommend we spend in BA pre-cruise?

On our first cruise from BA, we spent 4 nights there. That provided a "recover from the overnight flight" day plus three additional full days in the city before embarking the next day. However, BA is a large city with much to see, so in retrospect we barely started seeing the city on that trip. Therefore, on our 2nd cruise from BA, we did the same -- 4 nights pre-cruise in the city -- and we did not come close to running out of things to see. Admittedly, on the 2nd trip we went back to some of the same places that we wanted to revisit after having been away for a few years.

John

We spent four days there and could have stayed a couple more.

Here is the BA portion of my review.

In planning for this trip and cruise, we decided to take the cruise from Buenos

Aires to Valparaiso, so we could spend some days pre-cruise in Buenos Aires. We had already been to Valparaiso and Santiago on the 2011 trip. Delta had a relatively good rate for the open-jaw flights and that is our preferred airline. After researching what to see in Buenos Aires and hotels, we elected to go with a bed and breakfast in an excellent location. We arrived on January 1 and stayed in El Jardin del Tango, a bed and breakfast. It is just a couple of blocks from two Metro stations and walking distance from Ricoleta and the central district.

Our Bed and Breakfast, El Jardin Del Tango

El Jardin Del Tango has to locations, close to each other. We booked Casa Jasmin and took the option not to share the sole bathroom for the apartment. We had the apartment to ourselves. It had a kitchen, bathroom, living room, two full bedrooms and another small bedroom. Price was excellent. Location was great with easy access to the Metro or walking to many areas in the city. The apartment is located on the sixth floor of an apartment building. It was like staying in a middle class Buenos Aires apartment, which gave us a sense of living there. The refrigerator was stocked with juices, milk, yogurt, melon, eggs and more. There were cereals, coffee, tea and bread. Rachael brought us bananas, since I mentioned that I liked bananas.

We made friends with the owner, Rachael. She was great company. Also, she gave us many tips on getting around the city as well as booking our tango show. She spent much time just enjoying our company and pointing out free walking tours, as well as places to see in the city. She showed us bus 29 which cost 35 cents each to go to la Boca. We felt like we made a friend in Rachel as well as had a more authentic Argentine experience. There were inexpensive restaurants in the neighborhood as well as markets. I purchased two bottles of wine for six dollars.

Rachel introduced us to Mate, a kind of herbal South American drink that reduces appetite. We tried it and Ginny liked it more than I did. It is expensive in the USA, but relatively inexpensive in South America.

I would recommend El Jardin del Tango for a family. We had the entire apartment for $80 per night that would have slept at least 5 persons. It was not a luxury hotel, but it was spacious, comfortable with a great location. Also, Rachel was our friend in Buenos Aires.

BUENOS AIRES

The B&B was walking distance from the center of the city, which included the Casa Rosada (The pink house- Argentina’s White House); the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral; the Obelisk of Buenos Aires on 9 de Julio Avenue, which was once the widest avenue in the World; the Congress building and other historical and important buildings. Also, we walked to Ricoleta the afternoon of the first day.

Other areas of the city were La Boca, which the original port area of the city and has many colorful houses and a pedestrian street. The Caminito is where tango artists perform and tango is performed in the street. Between La Boca and the city center is San Telmo. San Telmo is another area where tango dancing takes place. It is also the site of a famous antiques market. Another area of the city is Palermo, an upscale residential area with many parks, the zoo and botanical gardens. Palermo is not very close to the city center. Retiro is an area between Ricoleta and the Puerto Madero Waterfront. Streets in Retiro include Santa Fe, Córdoba, and Libertador Avenues, pedestrian Florida Street (the shops are a big draw for tourists). The Plaza San Martín is located in Retiro, as well as many top hotels and some embassies. Also, Galerías Pacífico, a fancy modern mall in a 19th Century building remolded in the 1940s is in Retiro. The Puerto Madero Waterfront is next to Retiro and not far from the city center. It is composed of a renovated waterfront area with many restaurants.

Our first day in Buenos Aires was January 1. I am not sure when January 1 arrived on our flight, since the pilot did not announce the New Year (no champagne either). Buenos Aires is two hours ahead of Eastern time, so we had little jet lag, but since we didn’t sleep much on our flight, we were a bit tired, so we took a nap after checking in El Jardin del Tango before walking to Ricoleta, probably about a mile away. On the way to Ricoleta, we saw trees planted along the street with names in memorial. We learned later than we had passed by the site of the terror bombing of a Jewish Community Center in 1994. The bombing has been attributed to Iran or Hezbollah. Some in Buenos Aires think the bombing may be related to the center’s investigations on former ****’s in South America. We were told that Argentina has about a million Jewish people of its 35 million people. Ricoleta was clearly a cemetery for important people. There were many elaborate and stately tombs. Eva Peron’s tomb was a modest tomb for the Duarte family.

After visiting the cemetery, we walked toward the Puerto Madero Waterfront (through the Retiro district). It was filled with expensive hotels and other important buildings. It was hot and we finally found a gas station were we could find some water. Rachel had advised us of many nice restaurants in the Waterfront area, but it took a while to arrive there. We finally found the area and it was a nice area with a canal, boats docked there and restaurants on both sides of the canal. We were hungry and stopped at Il Gatto, which is a chain restaurant in Argentina with Italian style food. The food was reasonably good, although more expensive, probably due to the location of the restaurant. We used my credit card, since I needed to acquire the local pesos. That fact made it more expensive in itself.

The Argentine Peso is suffering from 25% or more inflation, per year and the government has currency controls that have created a huge blue (black) market in the country for US dollars. The official rate for one dollar is 5.6 Argentine Pesos. The blue market rate is almost one to ten. Restaurants and businesses will routinely take dollars at close to or at ten pesos to the dollar (probably not reporting the exchange). There are currency exchanges that operate both openly and somewhat openly. The somewhat open ones are called cuervas and located in areas that can be risky to enter. The open exchanges seem to operate with impunity, but they are raided by the police occasionally. The Argentines tell you that the raids are a joke and for show, since the police are likely bribed to allow the exchanges to operate. In any event, we managed to exchange a fair amount of dollars which save us mucho dinero. If you plan to visit Argentina, use your credit card as little as possible. Take cash and go to some effort to find an exchange and get the blue rate. The currencies of Uruguay and Chile are stable and not a problem, so we used our credit cards there.

We returned to our B&B by taking the Metro. We slept through the night, since we had air conditioning. Rachel told us that temperatures had exceeded 100 degrees for some days prior to our arrival. Sections of the city had lost power (brown outs), some areas for several days at a time. Apparently, brown outs are a routing problem in the city.

Buenos Aires is a beautify city (so called Paris of South America). The city has some beautiful bones, with many magnificent homes with late 19th-early 20th Century architecture. It will remind you of Paris or Barcelona; however it is rough around the edges. We walked extensively in the city in all the areas mentioned before. Most of the city seems to need infrastructure improvements. We saw many sidewalks and streets that appeared to be torn up for the likely placement or repair of subsurface power, cable or water lines, yet filled with dirt or potholes that were safety issues. It wasn’t third world level, but it wasn’t pretty. Also, some of the areas that we walked through during the daytime were not advisable for nighttime. One area that we discovered that was almost scary was the area past the soccer stadium between La Boca and choripan. We started to walk there and decided out of caution to hail a taxi.

Don’t get me wrong, we very much enjoyed Buenos Aires, but the city of 13 million people has a million homeless people. Many live in abandoned buildings. We were shown one abandoned building, with great architecture across the street from the Argentine Congress building that is full of squatters.

The second day, we had planned to 11am free walking tour, but it rained until about Noon, so we stayed until after lunch and then took Bus 29 (near our B&B) for 35 cents apiece to La Boca. Rachel had advised us about this bus (public transportation). The bus was packed with locals, so we had to stand most of the trip, but it was good exposure to local conditions. The people of Buenos Aires are great. We loved the people. They were friendly and while most couldn’t speak English, they worked with my poor Spanish and sign language to be patient and assist us.

La Boca was interesting. It had many colorful buildings, some painted concrete, some with tin painted many bright colors. We enjoyed waking around the area, browsing in shops, watching tango dancers. We had a nice lunch in La Vieja Rotiseria at Magallanes 869 in La Boca. The food was very good and the restaurant had live tango dancing. We each had a fresh salad and a chorizo sandwich, referred to as choripan. After departing from La Boca, we decided to walk to San Telmo, but the area was extremely squalid and we started to be concerned for our safety, so we hailed a taxi and went to Palermo. Palermo is an upscale residential area with parks. It is on the other side of the city center. Taxis are inexpensive in Buenos Aires and we paid about $15 for the ride. We had the taxi driver drop us off near the Botanical Gardens, which we wanted to see. Unfortunately the gardens were closed, due to the rain in the morning. Also, the Japanese Gardens and Zoo were closed due to the rain in the morning. We didn’t understand why the facilities were closed, since the rain did not seem that hard and had stopped hours before. We did see the Botanical Gardens through the wrought iron fence. It included many unusual plants and a lot of cats. We had not seen a lot of cats in Buenos Aires, but had seen many stray dogs lingering in the city. After visiting Istanbul, Ukraine and Greece a few months ago, where we saw cats all over the city, we concluded that Argentines tend to be dog people, not cat people like the Greeks, Turks and Ukrainians.

We took the subway from Palermo (green line-Plaza Italia Station) to the Plaza de Mayo, at the city center and saw the Cathedral, the tomb of Jose San Martin (the George Washington of Southern South America), the Casa Rosada, the building which was the Spanish colonial capitol as well as first Argentine capitol building. We then walked up Avenue de Mayo toward the Plaza of the Republic, were we encountered the wide Avenue 9 of July, the widest in the World (except for a new one in Brazil). We continued walking toward Pasteur Street and our B&B. We ate dinner at a pizza restaurant in the neighborhood for a modest amount.

The third day, we took the Buenos Aires Free Tour (http://www.bafreetour.com/english-home), which started at 11am at the Plaza del Congreso. The tour was popular and over 50 persons were there. We met several persons that were going on our Infinity cruise. Our guide was Maggie and she was an excellent guide. She provided in-depth background on the history and cultural points of the places we visited. We walked over some of the same places that we had seen the previous day, but provided an in detail history or background of important buildings. She did very well, especially considering the number of people on the tour. She explained important background on Argentine historical events, including the background on the protestors called the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo and the Grandmothers of the 300. These groups seek to find about 300 missing children who were generally adopted soon after being born to mothers in prison or camps that were later disappeared during the military dictatorship of the 1976 and 1983 period. The Grandmothers protest every Thursday afternoon in the square in front of the Casa Rosada. A bit of humor, Maggie informed us while on the wide avenue looking at a building that had the image of Eva Peron holding a microphone, that it was not a man eating a hamburger. Apparently, a foreign tourist mistook Eva’s image as that. The tour lasted about 2.5 hours. The walking tour was excellent and free, but I did leave Maggie a nice tip. We had a nice late lunch (great and inexpensive meals are available if you can use the blue market pesos).

During the tour, close to Plaza de Mayo, we saw another demonstration by a union. I think we saw such demonstrations every day we were in the city. Maggie told us they were common and she had seen six demonstrations in one day. Apparently, the unions are seeking to flex their political influence. Maggie said that the government wants to avoid anything that reminds people of the military takeover, when such demonstrations were routinely crushed.

That evening we attended the Tango Porteno show located next to the Teatro Colon (beautiful opera house). Link at http://tangoporteno.com.ar

We had Rachel book us dinner at platea level (seats were excellent, although not as good as the executive seats). The dinner was excellent. Service and food were excellent. Further, our waiter kept filling up our wine glasses before we could empty them. The show did not start until 10:15pm, but that allowed us to enjoy our meal. The show was very professional. The singing, dancing, production and set were superb. I highly recommend Tango Porteno. After the show we walked back to the B&B. Rachel had advised us that the streets were safe, but to use the main street of Avenue Corrientes. It was about midnight and many people were out on the street, visiting clubs, restaurants and enjoying themselves. Argentines are very much night people.

The fourth day, we visited the Retiro area, but walking there from our B&B. We did a lot of walking in Buenos Aires since our B&B was at a good location. We were in search of the El Ateneo bookstore, which is a famous bookstore and coffee shop located in a former theatre called “Teatro Gran Splendid.” The first level seating was removed and in its place book shelves were installed, however the boxes on the higher levels are still intact. We found cook books there for local cusine, as well as more paperbacks to read on our trip. We then walked to the Galerías Pacífico, an upscale shopping mall in an old building with beautiful frescoes on the inside of the central cupola. We found more cookbooks and had a beer. From there we took a taxi to our empanada making experience. It was located in Palermo-Hollywood. We booked the event through viator (see link below), but the event was conducted by “The Argentine Experience.” Our hosts were from Britain and Argentina. The evening was quite a treat for us. We enjoyed making our own empanadas as well as eating them. Also, we had a fantastic steak dinner that was one of the best steaks that I have every eaten. During the event, we had discussions of local customs as well as tips on cooking. We enjoyed meeting and socializing with our table mates. It was a great way to spend the evening in Buenos Aires.

http://www.viator.com/tours/Buenos-Aires/Buenos-Aires-Dining-Experience-Empanada-Making,-Steak,-Wine,-Alfajores-and-Mate/d901-5653EXPERIENCE?aid=se1

Thank you J-D and 4774Papa!

I had already previously read your great recap 4774Papa and was intrigued with your B&B along with all the other great things you did in BA.

I like the idea of spending four nights in BA but doing so would have us flying in on New Year's Eve around 7 PM. Unfortunately according to some other websites transportation is a big challenge that day/night (apparently the buses and taxis "disappear"). It also appears that BA turns into a "ghost town" on New Year's Day. The Recoleta Cemetery looks like it will be open but the Evita Museum is closed. Suggestions for New Year's Day have been limited to the Chinese Quarter and parks (most restaurants and stores are closed as well supposedly). I would like to make sure we have something to do on New Year's Day so that may be the reason we only do three nights and arrive the evening of New Year's Day. Apparently there are some awesome Tango Shows on New Year's Eve but they run about $500 per person.

As you can see I am still deciding.............................................

Thank you J-D and 4774Papa!

 

I had already previously read your great recap 4774Papa and was intrigued with your B&B along with all the other great things you did in BA.

 

I like the idea of spending four nights in BA but doing so would have us flying in on New Year's Eve around 7 PM. Unfortunately according to some other websites transportation is a big challenge that day/night (apparently the buses and taxis "disappear"). It also appears that BA turns into a "ghost town" on New Year's Day. The Recoleta Cemetery looks like it will be open but the Evita Museum is closed. Suggestions for New Year's Day have been limited to the Chinese Quarter and parks (most restaurants and stores are closed as well supposedly). I would like to make sure we have something to do on New Year's Day so that may be the reason we only do three nights and arrive the evening of New Year's Day. Apparently there are some awesome Tango Shows on New Year's Eve but they run about $500 per person.

 

As you can see I am still deciding.............................................

We flew into BA on New Year's Eve. The plane was half full. Had room to spread out.

Of course, we arrived the next day, Jan 1. Rachel had arranged for a cab to pick us up at the airport. Once we checked in the B&B, we headed out walking for a little sight seeing. I will admit that the city was totally offline, but it worked out well, since we went to bed early to catch up on sleep loss from the flight.

Our wonderful tango show was no where near $500. Seems like with the discount Rachel managed for us, it was $110 pp and that included a meal.

The tango shows are apparently super expensive on New Year's Eve EVERYWHERE! We will make sure and have Rachel set it up for us-thank you for your wonderful posts!

We've been to B.A. a couple of times. Your review makes me want to go again! We started using B&B's a few years back and find it usually makes the visit so much more personal.

Again, great review.

The tango shows are apparently super expensive on New Year's Eve EVERYWHERE! We will make sure and have Rachel set it up for us-thank you for your wonderful posts!

Thanks,

Be sure and have some empanadas. Loved them, especially the ones with shrimp and crab inside (we had those in Chile).

I enjoyed your review and have saved it for more info searching for our upcoming cruise.

Casa Jasmin sounds great. Is there a elevator in the building ?

I enjoyed your review and have saved it for more info searching for our upcoming cruise.

Casa Jasmin sounds great. Is there a elevator in the building ?

There is an elevator. The apartment is not luxurious, but clean and functional. It gives you a sense of how Argentine's live. Rachel is wonderful and very helpful in many ways.

Thank you for your great review of yr time in BA. You have given us great ideas for our time there pre Antarctica cruise and where to stay, THANK YOU :)

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Thanks to you 4774Papa we are all set for our four nights pre-cruise at Casa-Jasmin. Rachel is beyond amazing-a true delight!

Thank you very much again 4774Papa for your awesome review!

There is an elevator. The apartment is not luxurious, but clean and functional. It gives you a sense of how Argentine's live. Rachel is wonderful and very helpful in many ways.

Thanks for the info, just what we are looking for

I have read that the port offers shuttle busses in Buenos Aires, was there any offered whilst you were there 4774 Papa?

I have read that the port offers shuttle busses in Buenos Aires, was there any offered whilst you were there 4774 Papa?

I believe that there was a shuttle bus. We didn't use it. We were in port one night before the ship sailed the following PM.

We had done four days pre-cruise in BA and wanted to see something away from the city, so we did an excursion to Tigre, which was good. I would only recommend this if you had already done the highlights of BA.

I believe that there was a shuttle bus. We didn't use it. We were in port one night before the ship sailed the following PM.

We had done four days pre-cruise in BA and wanted to see something away from the city, so we did an excursion to Tigre, which was good. I would only recommend this if you had already done the highlights of BA.

Thanks, I liked the idea of your empenada /steak experience and we have 4 days pre embarkation doing the main things ( city tour / Sunday Market / Tigre Delta / Guacho day / Tango and dinner). Then we have 2 days in BA on the ship, so thought I'd book the Viator trip on one of the ship days :-)