Few places in Buenos Aires are photographed as frequently as Caminito Street. The main artery of the waterfront La Boca neighborhood is a jumble of old buildings, brightly painted facades, and street-side market stalls, with hawkers, buskers, and tango dancers adding to the atmosphere.
Encompassing a colossal 566 square miles (911 square-kilometers), Argentino Lake (Lago Argentino) is the largest lake in the country. El Calafate, the UNESCO-listed Perito Moreno Glacier, and the Upsala Glacier are all perched on its shores, so the lake serves as the gateway to some of Patagonia’s most impressive glacial landscapes.
With 14 cascades tumbling over 260 feet (80 meters) into a cloudy mist as they hit the frothing water below, Devil’s Throat (Garganta del Diablo) is easily the star of Iguazú Falls. The tallest of Iguazú’s 275 waterfalls, Devil’s Throat is evenly split across the border of Argentina and Brazil, making it easy to visit no matter your starting point.
Barrelling through the center of Buenos Aires, the grandiose Avenida 9 de Julio boasts some of the Argentinian capital’s most recognizable landmarks. The giant Obelisk reigns supreme over the thoroughfare, which is bordered by other big hitters such as Colon Theatre (Teatro Colón) and Avenida Corrientes, and was modeled on Paris’ grand Champs-Élysées.
El Puente de la Mujer (“Woman’s Bridge”), the first Latin American work by the renowned Catalan architect Santiago Calatrava, is one of the most distinctive symbols of the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Puerto Madero. Appropriately for its Argentine setting, the gleaming white structure was designed to represent a couple dancing tango.
The narrow Beagle Channel, separating Argentina's island chain of Tierra del Fuego to the north from remote Chilean islands to the south, serves as a waterway for the world's southernmost city, Ushuaia. It’s also one of the most important bodies of water in South America.
An elegant residential district just north of downtown, Recoleta is Buenos Aires at its most polished—think luxury apartments, upscale boutiques, and perfectly manicured parks. The grand centerpiece is Recoleta Cemetery, a mini city of marble mausoleums and ornate crypts, where Eva “Evita” Perón was laid to rest.
The Buenos Aires Obelisk (Obelisco de Buenos Aires), among the city’s most iconic landmarks, towers over the intersection of two main thoroughfares. Erected in 1936 to commemorate the quadricentennial of the city’s founding, the pencil-like column stands a striking 220 feet (67 meters) tall and marks the spot where the nation’s flag was first flown.
Nowhere captures the sultry and sexy beauty of Argentinian tango quite like La Ventana, one of Argentina’s most famous tango halls. In La Ventana’s intimate setting, guests can enjoy an evening of Argentine tango and live music, with more than 30 performers on stage.
Tango Porteno, housed within a former movie theater, stages one of the best tango shows in Buenos Aires. The art deco theater is the perfect place for a trip back to the 1940s, considered the golden age of tango in Argentina. The show mixes clips of old tango footage with a live orchestra, sensual dancers, and elaborate costumes and settings.
Retiro is a study in contrasts. The barrio got its start as one of the capital’s wealthiest neighborhoods, evidenced by the belle époque embassies, 5-star hotels, and high-end retailers scattered throughout. It’s also one of Argentina’s busiest transportation hubs and home to the overcrowded and under-serviced Villa 31.
Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse is often mistaken for “The Lighthouse at the End of the World,” made famous by novelist Jules Verne. Verne was actually inspired by the San Juan de Salvamento lighthouse, further east, but it’s a fitting description nonetheless: Les Eclaireurs is the last landmark many sailors see as they sail south to Antarctica.
With deserted beaches, rocky isles, and glittering waters, and bordered by the snow-capped peaks of the southern Andes, Lapataia Bay serves up some of Patagonia’s most enticing views. Located at the very end of the Pan-American Highway, it’s one of the many highlights of the Tierra del Fuego National Park.
El Cabildo, a modest, two-story colonial building along the edge of Plaza de Mayo, once served as Buenos Aires’s original city hall. Today, it’s one of the few colonial structures still standing in Buenos Aires. The facade now houses a small museum showcasing paintings, furniture, antiques, and costumes from the colonial period.
With its intimate shows (only 100 seats, gourmet cuisine, and lavish surroundings, Rojo Tango is arguably the most luxurious venue to experience Argentina’s sultry dance—the tango—while in Buenos Aires. The venue, inside the Hotel Faena, enlists some of the nation’s best dancers, singers, and musicians for its tango performances.
Watched over by the mighty peak of Aconcagua Mountain—among the highest peaks in the world outside of the Himalayas at 22,837 feet (6,961 meters)—Aconcagua Provincial Park is a dream for hikers, with remote valleys, glacial lagoons, and towering peaks, all with sweeping views of the Andes Mountains.
This glacial lake in the south of Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego National Park entices outdoor enthusiasts with its fishing spots, Patagonian forest hikes, and shoreline campsites. Crossing the border into Chile, where it becomes Lago Errazuriz, the area is also a convenient launch point for wider Andean adventure.
Presiding over the grand Plaza de Mayo, the Metropolitan Cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana) is the seat of the Roman Catholic Church in Argentina. This 19th-century neoclassical cathedral is the church where Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio—now Pope Francis—performed mass before he was elevated to the Vatican in 2013.
South America’s largest glacier, in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Los Glaciares National Park near El Calafate, measures 35 miles (56 kilometers) long and 6 miles (10 kilometers) wide. Upsala Glacier is among seven glaciers feeding Lake Argentino, where boats dodge icebergs the size of small islands en route to the wall of ice.
Surrounded by snow-capped peaks, the humble mountain town of Uspallata had its 15 minutes of fame back in 1997—the area’s similarity to the Himalaya saw it used as the filming location for Seven Years in Tibet. Lying along the road to the Chilean border, the oasis town also makes a strategic spot from which to explore the Andes.
Red wine and red-hot tango are two of Argentina’s top exports, and few places do both as well as El Querandi, one of the most famous tango venues in Buenos Aires. The historic restaurant and wine bar is popular with tourists, who frequent the legendary dinner tango shows, and serves up an acclaimed menu of Argentine cuisine and local wines.
The cultural heart of the historic San Telmo barrio, Plaza Dorrego is the second-oldest square in Buenos Aires. Today the colonial square remains a lively hub of bars and cafés, with many historic venues holding tango shows and live music. On Sundays, the plaza hosts the vibrant San Telmo antiques market.
One of the biggest tango shows in town, Señor Tango is a much glitzier affair than the more traditionalmilongas (dance halls) of Buenos Aires. It’s a sizzling show featuring dance routines and visual effects combining light, color, and sound. With dinner served beforehand, it also makes for a complete night out.
With a legacy dating back to the 1890s, Café de los Angelitos is one of the most historic and atmospheric tango venues in Buenos Aires. Once a favorite hangout of tango legends Carlos Gardel and José Razzano, the café was immortalized in their 1944 song “Café de los Angelitos.”
With a history dating back to 1969, El Viejo Almacen de Buenos Aires is one of the city’s oldest tango shows. An atmospheric 18th-century building, the intimate venue hosts nightly performances featuring a cast of 20 tango dancers, live musicians, and a variety of tango styles.
Get acquainted with the vibrant café culture in the Argentinian capital of Buenos Aires at one of the city’s most iconic cafés: Café Tortoni. Opened in 1858 by a French immigrant, the café became a popular haunt of tango singers and literati, and even today you can catch a live tango show in the evenings.
The Latin American Art Museum of Buenos Aires (Museo de Arte Lationoamericano de Buenos Aires, MALBA) is Buenos Aires’ leading modern art institution. Since opening in 2001, the museum has amassed a varied collection of paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs, and installation works by artists from all corners of Latin America.
One of Buenos Aires’ oldest public squares, Plaza San Martin is a pocket of greenery, shaded by ancient jacaranda and magnolia trees. This area bridges the gap between the central Retiro train and bus station and the lively shopping hub of Florida Avenue.
Potrerillos is a town with an artificial lake outside of Mendoza that is a destination for rafting, kayaking, hiking, and fly-fishing. Visitors can also opt to go horseback riding or do some mountain biking. Surrounded by snow-capped mountains and cypress forests, Potrerillos is a particularly scenic location for an outdoor adventure.
With its tree-lined walkways, pretty gazebos, and weekend handicrafts market, Lezama Park (Parque Lezama) offers a welcome respite from the busy streets of downtown Buenos Aires. Marking the border between San Telmo and La Boca, it’s a scenic spot for outdoor activities and picnicking on a sunny afternoon.
