Top 10 Things to Do in Buenos Aires on a Backpacker’s Budget
Don’t let the nickname “Paris of the South” fool you. Buenos Aires is very much a Latin city, complete with feisty inhabitants who refuse to pick up their doggy do, curse like drunken sailors, dance like they don’t give a f*ck and still make it in time for Sunday mass. OTP shows you how to get down like a Porteño in Buenos Aires on a backpacker’s budget.
Walk Among the Dead
Photo By: Christian Haugen
Had enough of living, breathing (often bitching) people? Hang out with quiet dead ones for a change of pace. A literal city of the dead housing some of Argentina’s most famous postmortem citizens, including the beloved Eva Peron, Recoleta Cemetery is not a sight to be missed. Each corpse lives in its own elaborate neo-classical-style mausoleum. You can look at all the dead people you want without spending a peso (entrance is free).
Sexy Tango Time
- Photo By: “Dvortygirl”
Birthplace of the tango, Buenos Aires is the prime location for mastering some sultry dance moves. Don’t get suckered into paying a gazillion pesos for one of those “tango show + tango class” combos at a ritzy venue. Instead, head over to a milonga, a tango dance club, where novices and experts come together to make sweet tango love on the floor. All you’ll have to pay for is drinks. Tango Viruta and Tango Cool are also ultra-popular among young locals.
Eat Like a True Gaucho
- Photo By: Phillie Casablanca
Argentina is home to some of the finest beef in the world, thanks in part to its burly gauchos (cowboys). Parillas, or barbecue restaurants, are what meat dreams are made of. Go on a protein binge at La Cholita, where you can order a parrillada completa, a mixed grill of steak, ribs, chicken, sausage, blood sausage, and various organs of a cow, all for 55 pesos ($14). Polish off your meatfest with the included order of fries and take a long nap while all the animals play in your stomach.
If you manage to stick to being a vegetarian in the land of meat (good luck), go to Ugi’s, where you can buy delicious thin-crust pizza by the slice for 3 pesos. You can also have yourself an Empanada. At La Gauchita, they come in a variety of fillings, from chicken to ground beef but also spinach and cheese. At only 2 or 3 pesos each, these babies will fill your little, grass-munching stomach up proper.
Get Frisky at a Love Hotel
Photo By: "SuperLocal"
Argentines love to get busy, so it’s no surprise that discrete, pay-by-the-hour love shacks (known as telos) can be found on every other corner in Buenos Aires. They range from the cheap and seedy to the luxuriously expensive. For a three-hour session (or turno) at Pink Hotel (featuring Roman baths and Jacuzzi tubs), you’ll pay 80 pesos ($20). To get the most bang for your buck, check in after midnight and you’ll have the room all night (good luck lasting that long). Split between two (or more) people, it’s cheaper than staying at a hostel.
Party Like a Porteño
Photo by: "YoTuT"
Buenos Aires has a well-developed party reputation in South America. If you plan yo go out, be prepared to stay out until morning. Saturdays are all about the outlandish club Pacha, where big DJ names spin heart-stopping beats all night. Clubs like Zizek and Asia de Cuba will let you and your amigos in for free if you e-mail them a guest list and manage to show up before 2 AM. By the time the sun rises, most Porteños will be on their way to an after-party; follow them to continue the good time.
Go Out on the 9th of July
Photo by: Germán Póo-Caamaño
Avenida 9 de Julio (the 9th of July is Argentinean Independence Day) is the widest street in the world, spanning 22 lanes of traffic. To get an adrenaline rush, see if you can cross the entire street in one light without becoming road-kill. In the heart of the busy Av. 9 de Julio stands the phallic Obelisco, a major landmark that’s a popular venue for special events and celebrations such as soccer victories and concerts. On AIDS Awareness Day, the Obelisco was decked out to resemble a condom-covered penis. That’s a whole lot of rubber.
Barrio Hop
Photo By: Pablo Dodda
Buenos Aires is comprised of 48 barrios (neighborhoods). Each has its own unique traits, so part of the fun in exploring the city is finding your favorites. Palermo is the hippest, with lots of trendy nightclubs, music venues, and fashion-forward boutiques. Recoleta is exclusive and glamorous, boasting the most expensive real estate in the city. San Telmo is all about bohemians, with its cool cafes and street performers. Put some miles on your sneaks; checking out each barrio’s unique vibe is worthwhile.
Parade Around the Plazas
- Photo By: Beatrice Murch
There are tons of plazas throughout the city; perfect places for checking out the locals, eating delicious street food and snapping some awesome photos. Located in the heart of the city, the Plaza de Mayo, facing the Casa Rosada (where the president’s office is located) is the site of a weekly demonstration by the Madres de Plaza de Mayo. If you prefer prostitutes to protests and presidents, check out the hell-of-a-lot-grittier Plaza Once. Another good option is thePlaza Dorrego, where on Sundays you’ll find a giant flea market with hundreds of booths selling everything from expensive antiques to shitty souvenirs.
Wine Yourself
Rob & Lisa Meehan
As any good drinker knows, some of the world’s best vino comes from Argentina. Take advantage of the cheap prices and drink until your liver organizes a protest. A decent bottle of wine will cost you around 16–20 pesos ($4–$5), but you can get them as cheap as 4 pesos if you’re not a wine snob. Beers are super cheap as well, running about $1–$2 USD for an entire liter. In the mood for something stronger? Try a Fernet (a spicy, herbal spirit) with Coke. To make your drinking money go farther, hit up bars like Gibraltar and The Shamrock during happy hour.
Lose Your Mind at a Soccer Match
Photo by: David Reibenberg
On a shoestring budget, scoring tickets to an Argentina national soccer (a.k.a. football) team match is probably out of the question. To get your Argentine soccer fix without breaking the bank, go to a Boca Juniors game instead. They’re the most popular soccer club in Argentina and home to one of the most legendary, controversial players of all time, Diego Maradona. Boca Junior supporters are some of the craziest, most die-hard soccer fans in the western hemisphere. Get your tickets at the stadium’s ticket office the morning of the match, paint your face blue and yellow and brace yourself for an insanely rambunctious time.
OTP Tip: Whatever you do, don’t mention “River Plate,” their biggest rivals, unless it’s attached to a string of curse words!
Confess Your Sins
30 ft. tall Animatronic Jesus@Tierra Santa, Photo By: Brian Allen
After a crazy weekend of partying and debauchery, any good Porteño knows it’s time to make right with the man upstairs. Christian or not, behold Buenos Aires in all its Catholic glory and marvel at the Metropolitan Cathedral or the Church of Nuestra Senora del Pilar. If you’re feeling really pious, ride god’s rollercoaster at Tierra Santa, the world’s first religious theme park, for a cool $20 pesos.
Buenos Aires is your ticket to meat-loaded, tango-dancing, love hotel-renting freaky, good times. Just don’t puke out that side of ribs aboard god’s special rides and you’re in the clear.
A sassy, spunky, and spontaneous globetrottress taking the world, one passport stamp at a time.
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Have my babies Connaroo! You rock! Why can’t we all be *so* cool. . .
Loved this! Great photos, too. We’re in BA in April so will have to check these options out!
Really cool stuff!! This really gives a great idea of the city and Argentinian culture. Ya me voy amigo!! Gracias!!