Things to do in  The Pampas

With its opulent architecture and fine acoustics, the Colon Theatre (Teatro Colón) ranks alongside Paris’ Opera Garnier and London’s Royal Opera House as one of the world’s most impressive theaters. It’s the premier venue for opera, ballet, and classical music in Buenos Aires, and stepping inside its hallowed auditorium means you’ll be walking in the footsteps of legends such as Igor Stravinsky, Maria Callas, Luciano Pavarotti, and Plácido Domingo.

Despite being just a half-hour drive from Buenos Aires, the provincial town of Tigre is a world apart. Sitting at the mouth of the Tigre Delta along the Río de la Plata, local life here centers around the water, whether paddling along willow-fringed canals or cruising around the islands and stilted houses. Popular with day-trippers and porteños (city-dwellers), laid-back Tigre is known for its handicrafts market, museums, and riverfront theme park.

While it may seem odd that one of Buenos Aires’ principal attractions is a cemetery, this is no ordinary graveyard. Recoleta Cemetery (Cementerio de Recoleta) is one of the world’s most exquisite necropolises—home to more than 6,400 tombs, mausoleums, and monuments laid out in formal tree-lined avenues, including the grave of Eva Perón (Evita).

Home to the Casa Rosada—where Eva Peron famously stood on the balcony—and the Metropolitan Cathedral, Pope Francis’ former church, Plaza de Mayo is the historic and political heart of Buenos Aires. Named for the May 1810 revolution, the square’s centerpiece is the Pirámide de Mayo, an obelisk commemorating Argentina’s independence.

Puerto Madero, once a lackluster cargo port, is now one of Buenos Aires’ most fashionable districts, teeming with upmarket restaurants and glitzy nightclubs. Marooned from the mainland by the Rio de la Plata estuary, the largely pedestrianized island is celebrated for housing some of the city’s most architecturally stunning buildings.

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.

The beloved Boca Juniors soccer team plays its games at the Alberto J. Armando stadium, affectionately known as La Bombonera (Spanish for “the chocolate box”), which is also home to a museum and behind-the-scenes tour opportunities. With a capacity of 49,000, the stadium is known for vibrating when fans start jumping about—either out of excitement or frustration—as well as for its unusual shape.

Buenos Aires’ largest barrio, the northeastern district of Palermo is one of the city’s most affluent and fashionable neighborhoods. Known for its beautiful parks, grand monuments, and art museums, Palermo is whereporteños (locals) come to eat, shop, and party, with a buzzing nightlife and some of the city’s top restaurants, bars, and cafés.

The striking salmon-pink façade of Argentina’s presidential palace—the Casa Rosada (Pink House)—is one of the capital’s most iconic sights, presiding over the historic Plaza de Mayo square. Home of the Argentine President and government offices since 1862, it’s been the backdrop for some of Argentina’s most important political events.

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.

The central barrio of San Telmo is one of Buenos Aires’ tango haunts. Formerly an upmarket residential area, the area’s “old mansions and faded glory” vibe set the perfect scene for the artists and musicians who now call this enclave home. The streets here are picturesquely cobbled, and the fascinating little shops are well worth a browse.

The dramatic centerpiece of the Plaza de las Naciones Unidas—the park that bridges the Palermo and Recoleta neighborhoods—is the Floralis Generica. This gigantic, 18-ton metallic flower sculpture has become one of Buenos Aires’ most instantly reboldcognizable landmarks.

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.

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.