Buenos Aires needs to go on the top of your travel list for Argentina! As the country’s capital city, it has so much to offer. Charming neighbourhoods, a rich history, lively nightlife, amazing food, beautiful architecture, and the list goes on. Buenos Aires is a cosmopolitan city located on the western shore of the Rio de la Plata, across the water from Uruguay. It is the most visited city in South America, and is a top tourist destination for travellers from around the globe. Being a very multicultural city, Buenos Aires is a melting pot of diversity, and is a very welcoming place. It’s an incredible travel destination for LGBTQ+ people, due to its very progressive laws and positive attitude toward the community. We found it to be a safe place for lesbian women and couples, and had a wonderful experience enjoying our time there. If you’re looking for a lively city with amazing gay culture and a never-ending list of things to do and see, keep reading for our lesbian guide to Buenos Aires!
What To Do
Visit the Plaza de Mayo
An absolute must when in Buenos Aires, is a visit to the Plaza de Mayo! In the centre of the city, this historic square is where the Casa Rosada, the executive mansion and office of Argentina’s president sits. Overlooking the plaza you can also see the Catedral Metropolitana de Buenos Aires, the main Catholic Church in the city.
Go Shopping on Florida Street
In the city’s business district, Florida street is a popular pedestrian zone. Take a stroll through this area to see plenty of shops, vendors, and street performers.
Spend Some Time in Recoleta
The Recoleta neighbourhood of Buenos Aires is a downtown residential area known for being more affluent and posh. The architecture is beautiful, and it’s definitely worth spending some time exploring this part of the city. There is a weekend market in this neighbourhood held in Plaza Francia, with amazing local artisans. Another popular attraction in this part of town is the Recoleta Cemetery. Here you can see the ornate graves and mausoleums of many notable people, including the very famous former First Lady, Eva Peron.
Discover Puerto Madero
This dockside area of Buenos Aires has become a very popular destination, and features converted buildings with modern restaurants, breweries, and steakhouses. It’s also home to new high-rise construction, with many office buildings and hotels going up with beautiful waterfront views. In Puerto Madero you will also find several art galleries and museums including the Ernesto De la Carcova Museum, the Amalia LaCroze de Fortabat Arts Collection, and the Faena Arts Centre. As well, the Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve offers plenty of walking and running trails. Be sure to look for Puente de la Mujer, a pedestrian suspension sway bridge that has become a popular landmark.
Visit La Boca
This Buenos Aires neighbourhood is home to the famous Boca Juniors Soccer team, situated near the Riachuelo River. The most popular spot to visit here is el Caminito, a lively pedestrian street with brightly painted buildings, colourful houses, street performers, tango artists, steakhouses, cafes, street markets, and local shops.
Spend Some Time in Palermo
The trendy Palermo neighbourhood of Buenos Aires needs to go on your list! It’s the largest neighbourhood in the city and is full of chic restaurants, fashion shops, sidewalk cafes, and late night bar and club venues. This area is very popular with tourists and young Argentinians, and has a very bohemian vibe. Be sure to spend some time discovering Palermo both during the day and at night!
Tour the Teatro Colon
Considered one of the top ten opera houses on the globe, and one of the best five concert venues in the world, this theatre is a prominent landmark in Buenos Aires. It was beautifully refurbished between 2006 and 2010, and hosts classical music, operas, and ballets. If you’re not able to catch a show while you’re visiting, you can book a tour of the theatre to admire the stunning architecture.
Check Out El Ateneo Grand Splendid
While we’re talking about beautiful theatres in Buenos Aires, this former theatre was converted into a bookshop! First opened in 1919, the theatre was transformed in the 2000’s and was named “the world’s most beautiful bookstore” by National Geographic in 2019. You can find it on Sante Fe Avenue and it’s definitely worth a visit!
Enjoy all the Green Space
Buenos Aires has many amazing parks in the city, and they should absolutely go on your list. Parque Tres de Febrero is in the Palermo neighbourhood, and offers 400 hectares of green space with four lakes and a beautiful rose garden. Another park worth visiting is the Jardin Japones. The Japanese Gardens have koi ponds, a plant nursery, and a sushi restaurant, and is one of the largest Japanese Gardens in the world outside of Japan. Another option is the Buenos Aires Botanical Garden. The Jardin Botanico Carlos Thays, features rare plants and even offers guided tours. As well, the Paseo El Rosedal is worth a visit, offering 18,000 roses, and a beautiful lake.
Spend Some Time in San Telmo
This neighbourhood of Buenos Aires is known for its quirky street art, late night venues, and huge Sunday market that takes place in the Plaza Dorrego. You’ll find cafes, antique shops, street performers, and tango dancers! This is the oldest neighbourhood in Buenos Aires, and is full of historic colonial buildings. Don’t miss the San Pedro Telmo, and be sure to wander down the cobblestone streets looking for colourful art murals.
Catch a Tango Show
You can’t visit Buenos Aires without seeing a tango show! There are shows happening all over the city in both small, intimate venues, and larger theatres. We opted for a show at Tango Porteno, which included a tango lesson and dinner before the performance! The lesson was a lot of fun and nobody seemed to mind that we danced together. The show was wonderful and we would highly recommend it!
Visit Plaza Italia
This city square is located in the Palermo neighbourhood, and is a popular landmark in Buenos Aires. Next to it is the entrance to the city zoo, as well as the Botanical Gardens and the Expo Centre.
Check Out the City Museums
Buenos Aires has many art and history museums that are worth visiting. Some of the most notable are the Museo Evita, the Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo, the Museo Historico Nacional, the Centro Cultural Recoleta, and the Museo de los Ninos Abasto (a children’s museum).
Shop for Unique Finds at the Weekend Markets
Buenos Aires is known for its weekend markets (or ferias). Almost every neighbourhood has an artisan fair that takes over the plazas every weekend and holiday, and each is incredibly distinct. The Feria de Artesanos de Plaza Francia in Recoleta is known for its top notch hand-made arts and crafts, the Palermo markets at Plaza Serrano and Plaza Armenia are more geared toward clothing and fashion, the San Telmo market is well known for it’s extensive collection of antiques, and the lesser known Feria Puerto Madero is more of a flea market.
Where to Stay
So much of the experience you have in Buenos Aires is based on where you stay. There are many neighbourhoods to choose from, and each have their pros and cons.
Retiro
Staying in Retiro will have you right in the action! There are many big hotel chains that have properties near Florida street and around the financial district. If you stay in this area, you will be close to the Plaza de Mayo, Puerto Madero, Teatro Colon, and more. The downside of staying here, is that it is very touristy, and you’ll find shops and restaurants to be more expensive and less unique.
Recoleta
The Recoleta neighbourhood is located between Retiro and Palermo, and is close enough to the action, but far enough away that it’s much quieter and has more of a neighbourhood feel. If Retiro is like New York City’s Times Square, then Recoleta is more similar to the Upper East Side. The streets are quiet, there are plenty of adorable small businesses, the French inspired architecture is gorgeous, and every apartment building has a doorman. Recoleta is very upscale, but you can find Airbnbs in the area at a very reasonable price!
Palermo
Palermo is a very large area of Buenos Aires, and is divided into smaller barrios. There are many neighbourhoods in Palermo, and each has its own quirky appeal. For a full break down of Palermo, check out this handy guide. The areas that we’d recommend staying in for an experience different than Retiro or Recoleta, are Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood (named for being home to many television and radio studios). These two areas of Palermo are young and trendy, full of cool breweries and nightclubs, and home to the majority of the vegan restaurants we found in BA. If we’re comparing Buenos Aires to NYC, then Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood are like New York’s Soho, and the East Village, respectively. There are many fantastic Airbnbs in both these neighbourhoods!
San Telmo
This area of BA is one of the oldest, and that’s part of its charm. The cobblestone streets are narrow, and the architecture is historic and beautiful. San Telmo has received a bit of a makeover in recent years and is becoming much safer and more tourist friendly. There are amazing restaurants and independent shops to stroll through, and the smaller, unique hotels and inns are brimming with charm.
Puerto Madero
If you’re looking for an upscale spot that’s close to a lot of fancier restaurants, then Puerto Madero is a good choice. The big chain hotels are located in this area, so it’s a comfortable place to stay. The neighbourhood doesn’t have that authentic grit that other parts of BA have, and it’s close to Retiro, but a little further away from Recoleta and Palermo.
If you’re looking to book hotel accommodations in Buenos Aires, our favourite tool is Hotels.com. It’s easy to search within a certain price range, and filter for the amenities that you like. They also have a great reward system – for every ten nights you book, you receive one night free.
If you enjoy using Airbnb like we do, it’s definitely worth taking a look to see what’s available in Buenos Aires during your stay. We stayed in two different apartments (in Palermo Hollywood and Recoleta) that were private, fully equipped, and priced very affordably! If you’ve never used Airbnb before, click here to set up a profile and save on your first stay!
Where to Eat & Drink
The food scene in Buenos Aires has changed a lot in recent years, and currently offers everything from cheap and casual eats, to experimental fine dining. There is both historic Argentinian cuisine, as well as a range of culinary fusions, and the city has also exploded with plant-based options! We’re both vegan and are always in search of the best plant-based food at cafes and restaurants when we travel. We were so impressed with what we found in Buenos Aires, with Argentinian food typically being so meat-heavy. Some of our favourite spots in Buenos Aires that we highly recommend for vegan options, are Pizza Vegana, a fully plant-based pizza place with several locations around the city. As well as Bio Solo Organico, a long-time vegetarian restaurant in trendy Palermo Hollywood, offering healthy and natural dishes. A must visit is definitely La Reverde Parrillita Vegana, the only traditional vegan steakhouse in Argentina! They serve vegan choripan, seitan sandwiches, and vegan empanadas with plant-based cheese. If you’re looking for more vegan comfort food, you also shouldn’t miss Estilo Veggie. This fully vegan spot has all your faves and even hosts a happy hour with tapas, don’t miss it! Other casual spots worth hitting up are Buenos Aires Verde, Veganius, Green Eat, and Sattva Vegetariano, and a fully vegan bakery in Belgrano called Sablee Vegana! Plant-based pastries and vegan versions of traditional Argentinian baked goods is more than we could have ever asked for! If you’re an omnivore, there are endless options for dining in Buenos Aires. If you’re a meat-eater and you want to try authentic choripan, be sure to visit Chori! If you’re looking for steak, be sure to visit La Carniceria, where the authentic dishes serve meat that is all free-range and grass fed. Other popular parillas include El Pobre Luis, La Brigada, and Don Julio. For authentic Argentinian pizza, check out 1893, and Pizzeria Guerrin, for empanadas head to La Cocina, and go to Tegui for upscale dining. There are plenty of amazing options in Buenos Aires, you’ll be sure to discover something you love!
For drinks, there are endless options. Buenos Aires has a buzzing nightlife scene, and people go for dinner and drinks late at night. Our favourite spot for cocktails is definitely Milion, an old mansion with a garden courtyard and upstairs and downstairs bars. For more casual spots, head to Palermo in the evenings and you’ll find trendy bars on every corner with laid back patios and great drink lists. For cool speakeasy vibes try Bar 878, and if you’re looking to drink wine (which is always a good idea in Argentina!) head to Vico Wine Bar. If you’re a beer drinker be sure to check out Draft Brewery Co, On Tap, and Peñón del Águila.
Since Buenos Aires has some Italian influences, you’ll find amazing espresso at many of the cafes in Recoleta, however, if you’re looking for top notch single origin roasts, check out LAB for coffee. Speaking of hot beverages, when you’re in Argentina you must try Yerba Maté! You can buy the tea bags at every grocery store, but the most traditional way to have it is from a gourd. Read more about Argentina’s signature hot drink here.
Lesbian Friendly
The laws regarding LGBTQ+ people in Argentina are some of the best in the world, and Buenos Aires is a very lesbian friendly destination to visit! Click here for more on how lesbian friendly the country of Argentina is. The city is welcoming of travellers, and has an impressive local gay scene. Same-sex marriage is legal in Argentina and has been recognized since 2010, and there is discrimination protection in place in Buenos Aires. It’s a safe and comfortable city to visit as a lesbian traveller or couple, and we had an excellent experience! The LGBTQ+ scene in Buenos Aires is amazing. There is plenty of local gay culture, and the city is a big recipient of regular LGBTQ+ tourism. The city hosts an annual Pride Parade called the Marcha del Orgullo LGBT de Buenos Aires, taking place on the first Saturday in November, and throughout the rest of the year there are plenty of LGBTQ+ events and parties. The regular gay nightlife scene isn’t strictly based in one neighbourhood. You’ll find gay and gay friendly establishments in the Palermo District, as well as Recoleta, San Telmo, and Barrio Norte, and also spread through the rest of the city. Along with the well known gay neighbourhood bars like Bach Bar, and Flux Bar, and clubs like Amerika, there are also plenty of regular LGBTQ+ weekly parties to attend. Fiesta Jolie happens weekly and is popular with a female crowd, and Club 69 (the most famous queer party in Buenos Aires) features live performances and awesome late night party vibes. Another regular party is Fiesta Plop, another late night event featuring performers. Feliza is a queer bar and cultural centre in Buenos Aires that is definitely worth a visit. It attracts a mixed crowd and offers a welcoming community space with live music, drinks, and food. A great casual daytime spot is Pride Cafe in San Telmo, located near Plaza Dorrego and San Telmo Market. Another place worth visiting is the Sante Fe subway station which was renamed after Carlos Jauregui, an LGBTQ+ rights activist. The station features LGBTQ+ art murals and a rainbow staircase! If you’re looking for other fun things to do in the gay community, try a lesson at Tango Queer! They welcome same-sex couples, or you can go as a single person and dance with anyone and everyone. As you can see, Buenos Aires is an amazing destination for lesbian women and couples. We felt very safe travelling there and had absolutely no issues showing affection in public, holding hands in the street, or taking couples photos together. We booked Airbnb accommodations with a local host as a married couple, and our host ended up being a gay man who was happy to give us plenty of recommendations on the local gay culture. Same-sex relationships feel very normalized in Buenos Aires, and the locals treated us kindly and respectfully. We never felt the need to hide our relationship and it felt so wonderful to visit a destination that is so inclusive of our community. If you’re looking for somewhere that you can feel safe, while also experiencing some local gay culture, then Buenos Aires is the lesbian friendly spot to visit. If you’re looking for a lively South American city with a great gay scene, be sure to add Buenos Aires to your travel list!
How to Get Around
Walk
The different areas of Buenos Aires are very walkable. We did a lot of exploring on foot and found that it was a great way to experience the city! If you’re able, be sure to spend some time walking around all of the amazing neighbourhoods to get a true feel for this destination. Some of the neighbourhoods can be quite far from one another, so it’s definitely worth taking a taxi/Uber or public transit in between them, and then exploring in depth on foot.
Uber
Uber is gaining popularity in Buenos Aires, despite backlash from taxi drivers. We used it quite a bit when we were there because we wanted to avoid getting scammed, and it was a good way to save our cash. The biggest thing to consider when using Uber in BA is discretion. Taxi drivers who suspect a car is an Uber could become aggressive, so it’s best to be discreet when getting in and out of the car, and always ask the driver if they’d like you to sit in the front seat. Occasionally we got a car that had heavily tinted windows and those drivers didn’t mind if we sat in the back together, but most of the time one of us sat up front.
Taxi
When arriving to Buenos Aires by plane, you’ll likely fly into Ezeiza International Airport. When you exit the baggage claim, there will be plenty of people asking if you need a taxi, but it’s best not to get a ride from one of these drivers. Just past this crowd on the left, there’s a kiosk for the official airport taxi. At the kiosk you will be quoted a price for where you’re going, and you will pay upfront with the agent. The driver will then walk you out to the taxi and you’ll be on your way! You can also opt for a Remis, which is a private car service. There are kiosks for Manuel Tienda Leon or World Car, both of which are reputable. The Remis will cost more, but the hour long drive into BA will be quite comfortable.
Taxis in the city are plentiful and very inexpensive, so they’re a great option for zipping around between neighbourhoods. It’s helpful to know some basic Spanish when hailing a taxi, and be ready to tell your driver the address of where you’re going as well as the cross street, as they typically won’t know where the exact numbers are. The taxi drivers in Buenos Aires are typically very friendly, however they have been known to scam tourists. The best way to avoid this is by only taking Radio Taxis, because they register every ride. Also, because taxis are cash only, be sure to count out the money to the driver bill by bill to avoid any ‘confusion’ over how much was handed over. If you need to call a taxi you can use the Cabify app, which will send over a radio taxi and tell you how much the ride will be. Tipping is not very common in Argentina, but rounding up is usually a good rule to follow when tipping your driver.
Public Transportation
The subway (Subte) and bus network in Buenos Aires is inexpensive, extensive, and effective… when the unions aren’t on strike (which is a common occurrence in BA). The subway network is quite old and slow compared to other systems in the world. However, if you’re close to a station and you’re going somewhere that’s right on the subway line, it will likely be the fastest way to get there. To use the subway and bus system you’ll need a SUBE card, which a lot of Airbnb hosts will leave for guests to use. You can load up your card with money or check your balance at any Subte station.
Bike
Buenos Aires has added a vast network of bike lanes in recent years, and cycling around the city has become one of the fastest ways to get around! If you’re a confident cyclist, this could be a great option. Traffic in the city can be pretty chaotic and most intersections don’t have lights, stop signs, or roundabouts, which is something to consider when biking around. There is a free bike share program in the city called EcoBici, and with the use of the smart phone app, is available to residents and tourists alike.
How to Stay Connected
Roaming charges on your cell phone can really add up while travelling. One thing we like to do when we spend an extended period of time in one country, is buy a local SIM card. The pay-as-you-go mobile plans from local service providers are typically much less expensive than roaming plans and travel SIM cards. In Buenos Aires, it’s very simple to get a SIM card and get connected right away. If you fly into Ezeiza International Airport, you will find a kiosk for the national service provider ‘Personal’ when you exit the baggage claim into the check-in area. Bring your passport and phone to the kiosk and select the plan you want. The customer service representative will get you all set up, and you’ll be connected immediately.
Has anyone else fallen in love with Buenos Aires? Let us know in the comments!
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2 comments
You are guys are amazing and when I saw your photos I remembered about my girlfriend. hope I will get a girlfriend here like you both
Thanks so much for reading!