Expose: Buenos Aires » Attractions

Square of Enlightenment

Matt — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 01:20:49 +0000

The Square of Enlightenment (Manzana de las Luces) is a square block of a few different historical buildings, located very close to the plaza de Mayo. There are daily tours offered for those interested in an important part of Buenos Aire’s history, which take you through the major points of interest in the Square of Enlightenment. Tours are only offered in Spanish, once per day, and cost around $7 pesos.

The handout offered at the starting point to the tour does a nice job of describing the area:

“Church, Jesuit residence, point of concentration of merchandise from Jesuit missions, school, and after our independence, seat of a number of institutions which contributed to shape the Argentine Republic, the Square of Enlightenment is a beloved part of our city, which evokes the fascinating mystery of its tunnels or the magnificence of the Parliamentary sessions held in the Hall of Representatives. In some ways, this is the cradle of our nation.”

If you aren’t interested in the tour, or aren’t able to make it for the single daily tour, you are still able to see certain parts of the square.

San Ignacio church – construction of this church was begun in 1688, making it the oldest in Buenos Aires. It was built by the Jesuits, and can be visited at any time.

Underground Tunnels – they were many underground tunnels built in Buenos Aires, connecting churches, public buildings, a fort, and perhaps certain residences. There isn’t much factual information about these tunnels, but they are believed to have been used as an escape in case of attack, or perhaps for contraband trading. The tour takes you into a small section where you can see the tunnels, and is one of the highlights.

Velads Virreinales Cafe

Right by the entrance to the tunnels is a large plaza, housing a large building that was originally used to store food, and another building that was the first pharmacy of Buenos Aires. Off to one side of the plaza is a small market selling artisan products, although there are many better places to buy artisan products in Buenos Aires. This plaza can be accessed by anyone, not just people on the tour.

Veladas Virreinales Cafe

Located in the plaza of the Mission’s Law Office is a really nice café that serves a signature hot chocolate – instead of a high tea, they serve a “hot chocolate for 2” that comes with sweets and sandwiches. There are tables outside in the plaza, and inside as well. The atmosphere is great, a pleasant oasis from the chaotic downtown of Buenos Aires. Staff is dressed in old fashioned clothing, and the café is surrounded by old brick walls and a high arched ceiling. It’s the kind of place your Grandma would love, and is definitely worth a visit.

The Hall of Representatives

The hall is viewable only with the tour. This is where many parliamentary sessions took place, and at one point was also the location for many faculties of the University of Buenos Aires.

El Zanjón El Zanjon is, according to the Buenos Aires heritage site,...
Palacio Paz “If Buenos Aires was once Paris, the Palacio Paz is...
Chocolina Cake This is a delicious, simple, and VERY Argentine dessert. Argentines...

Bioparque Temaikén

Matt — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 02:19:39 +0000

Temaiken is Buenos Aires’ most highly touted zoo, located in Escobar (about 1.5 hours from Plaza Italia). The zoo is beautifully landscaped, and very spacious, which is what really sets it apart from the Palermo Zoo. Unfortunately, this also causes it to cost nearly three times as much (currently $58 for adults, and $44 for children under 10). Nonetheless, this makes a great day trip for families, or anyone who enjoys seeing animals. One of the major attractions is the bird park, which houses dozens of different species of birds, all grouped by the continent they come from.

Temaikén in numbers:

59 hectares total space
4.5km to go around the park
5687 animals
40 species of mamals
180 species of birds
24 species of reptiles
56 species of fish
60 % are species from Argentina
40 % are species from other countries

Getting there:

Chartered Bus – there is a chartered bus that leaves from Plaza Italia, right in front of La Rural. It costs $14 pesos and takes about 1.5 hours.
City Bus – the #60 (escobar) goes to Temaikén. It costs $6.50 pesos, and takes about 2 hours. It can be rather uncomfortable, but is the most economical option.
Remis/Taxi – you could take a Remis or Taxi, but it would cost upwards of $300 pesos.

Botanical Gardens The botanical gardens of Buenos Aires are another park designed...
Getting to and from Ezeiza Airport in Buenos Aires Without actually spending time in Buenos Aires and knowing...

The “ARA Uruguay” Museum

Matt — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 14:51:11 +0000

The ARA Uruguay is a small ship, known as a corvette, that is permanently docked in Puerto Madero and can be visited by the public. The boat has a very interesting story – it was built in 1874, a three-mast beauty and was one of the largest ship in South America. At the beginning of the 20th century, it set-out to rescue the survivors from the Swedish ship Antarctic, who were marooned in the freezing Antarctic during the winter months. The Uruguay successfully rescued them, and was able to return triumphantly to Argentina.

This ship and its story can be visited in Puerto Madero, and is well worth it for anyone interested in boats or history. It is cheap, currently only $2 pesos, and you can walk through the majority of the boat. This is also a great attraction for kids, because you get to go under the surface of the boat, and see what the inside of a large sailing ship looked like.

Hilton Hotel Buenos Aires The Hilton hotel is one of the premier hotels located...
Weapons Museum The museo de armas (weapons museum) is located in the...
El Zanjón El Zanjon is, according to the Buenos Aires heritage site,...

Evita Museum

Diego — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:57:20 +0000

The Evita museum was inaugurated in 2002, to portray the life of one of Argentina’s most famous political figures, and a hero for many Argentines. It is located in a stylish turn of the century mansion in Palermo, right near Plaza Italia. The museum shows the different stages of Evita´s life, from her birth in 1919 to her death in 1952. Most people know very little about Evita Peron, and the museum is well-worth a visit to find out more about her, which will also help you gain a better understanding of the Argentine identity.

Guided tours are offered in English from Tuesday through Sunday. For more information, visit: http://museoevita.org/en/

There is also a restaurant/café with a really nice café, perfect for a sit-down after going through the museum.

MALBA – Buenos Aires Latinamerican Museum of Art The Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires is the...
Palacio Paz “If Buenos Aires was once Paris, the Palacio Paz is...
Buenos Aires Tours Like any city that has a lot of tourism, Argentina’s...

MALBA – Buenos Aires Latinamerican Museum of Art

Diego — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 12:41:41 +0000

The Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires is the country´s most important museum for displaying contemporary art from the 20^th century. The permanent collection is mainly made up of works by Argentine artists, and this is the best spot to see Argentina´s most famous contemporary artists. There are also many works from other Latin American artists.

If you have already seen the permanent collection, the MALBA also has temporary exhibits, to showcase modern art from around the world. There is also a movie theatre that is used to show independent films.

Although the museum is not that large, the museum collection is made up of around 400 pieces of art from 160 artists. Just like any good contemporary art museum, the collection of art in the MALBA includes much more than just paintings. There are sculptures, drawings, recordings, collages, and photographs.

For prices and hours, visit: http://www.malba.org.ar/ Wednesdays are 1/3 of the regular prices, and tend to be less busy than weekends, making it the optimal day to go.

Bottom Line: Not a world class museum, but it is the best Argentina has to offer with regards to Contemporary Art. If you like this type of art, it is worth a visit.

National Museum of Bellas Artes The Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Buenos Aires is...
Evita Museum The Evita museum was inaugurated in 2002, to portray the...
Recoleta Cultural Center The Centro Cultural Recoleta is located in one of the...

Planetarium

Diego — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:31:29 +0000

The Buenos Aires Planetarium is located in Palermo, near the intersection of Sarmiento and Figueroa Alcorta. Similar to most planetariums, it is a place where you can go to learn more about astronomy. The planetarium itself is quite old and has seen better days, but this doesn´t take much away much from the shows, other than the fact the seats are somewhat uncomfortable (and some are broken).

The most popular reason that people attend the planetarium is for the shows, where they talk about something related to astronomy while projecting images/films on the roof of the domed planetarium. These shows are ok; the information is interesting, but can often drag on. They also have small exhibitions, and throughout the year, the planetarium is open on weekend nights for star gazing, dependent on weather. This is well done, and can be a great experience for children (and adults) who are interested in looking into space. If you are from the northern hemisphere, you may enjoy the opportunity to learn more about what you see in the sky from the southern hemisphere.

Also on weekend afternoons is a theatrical production of The Little Prince, which combines the technology of the planetarium with theatre to tell the story of the Little Prince. It is a fun show for children, and well-worth watching.

Unfortunately, if you do not speak Spanish, there isn´t much point in visiting the planetarium. All events are done in Spanish.

Bottom Line: Only worth visiting if you speak Spanish and have children, or you really want to learn more about astronomy.

Av. Sarmiento y Figueroa Alcorta
4771 9393
http://www.planetario.gov.ar

No related posts.

El Zanjón

Diego — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:43:12 +0000

El Zanjon is, according to the Buenos Aires heritage site, the most important archaeological project in Buenos Aires. It was a huge house built during the first settlement in Buenos Aires back in the 16^th century, and has changed ownership numerous times in its centuries long history.

A tour through the Zanjón gives you a cross-sectional look into the archaeological history of Buenos Aires, which also explains many important parts of the city´s history. The building has been beautifully restored, and as you go below ground, you will see how the building has changed throughout the centuries, and also the entrance to a number of underground tunnels.

Tours are 1 hour long (30 min on Sundays) and are offered in English. Tour guides are very knowledgeable, and are able to answer all sorts of questions not only pertaining the Zanjon, but also to the history of city Buenos Aires.

Bottom Line: This is well worth a visit for anyone interested in archeology or in the history of Buenos Aires.

For more information, visit: http://www.elzanjon.com.ar/

El Zanjón de Granados
Defensa 755 – San Telmo
turismo@elzanjon.com.ar

Palacio Paz “If Buenos Aires was once Paris, the Palacio Paz is...
Square of Enlightenment The Square of Enlightenment (Manzana de las Luces) is a...

La Rural

Diego — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:11:55 +0000

La Rural is a massive events center, with over 5,000 m2 of indoor space, and another 10.000 m2 of outdoor space. It hosts some of the most important South American festivals and events, such as the Book Fair, Arte BA, and the Vinos and Bodegas expo.

It is located right off of Plaza Italia, making it very easily accessible, and also has a large parking lot for those who want to drive. This is also a main vein for many of the buses that go the Buenos Aires provincial.

You can find out all the events that take place in La Rural by visiting their homepage.

La Rural is also home to the Opera Pampa, a gaucho dinner show. This is an event that combines dancing, theatre, and gauchos skills, all into one amazing show.

For show times and prices, visit: http://www.operapampa.com.ar

La Rural Believe it or not, outside the bubble of this urban...
Planetarium The Buenos Aires Planetarium is located in Palermo, near the...
Buenos Aires Book Fair – Feria de Libros One of the largest and most important cultural events of...

El Ateneo

Diego — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:19:30 +0000

Buenos Aires is full of bookstores, and plenty of them are very nice. However, none of them can hold a candle to El Ateneo Grand Splendid, which has been labeled as one of the top 10 bookstores in the world. Once you’ve entered El Ateneo, it is easy to see why.

El Ateneo was built in 1919 by the architects Peró and Torres Armengol, at the request of Max Glücksman, an Argentine Entrpeneur and a pioneer in the music recording industry. He first made his money importing recording machines and records, which he then used to build the Teatro Gran Splendid.

Not only was the theatre home to some of the top music performances of the time, it was also used by Max to broadcast his radio show, and later to record records for some of the tango greats, including Carlos Gardel and Jose Razzano. The theatre was later used as a cinema, before being converted into one of the world’s most beautiful bookstores.

The bookstore still looks exactly like it did in it’s day, other than all the books. There is a beautiful fresco painted on the domed roof, there is an open curtain lining the stage, and you can see all of the mouldings decorating the entire theatre, including the private boxes,where chairs are located so you can lose yourself in your favorite book.

Although the bookstore is quite large, the selection is nothing special, and if you are looking for English books, there isn’t much to go through. However, there is a true feeling of historical grandeur, and wandering through this bookstore can make your mind run wild.

There is also nice cafe on what used to be the stage, where they often have life piano music in the afternoons. The food is not great, but the desserts are tasty, and the coffee is excellent.

Bottom Line: Whether you want to just take a peak or relax in a great atmosphere, this is definitely worth a visit.

No related posts.

Palacio San Martin

Diego — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:45:51 +0000

The San Martin Palace (originally known as the Palacio Anchorena) is another example of the Argentine upper class from the early 1900s. It was built by the architect Alejandro Christopherse at the request of Mercedes Castellanos de Anchorena, to serve as a residence for the anchorena family, one of the wealthiest Argentine families at the time.

Alejandro Christopherse was a famous Argentine architect who spent many years studying at the Beaux Arts de Paris, and as was common at the time, built the Palacio Anchorena using many influences of French architecture. Although not as large or extravagant as the Palacio Paz, the palace nonetheless a remarkable piece of architecture, and gives one a glimpse into the life of upper-class Argentina in the early 1900s.

The palace is only available to be viewed by tours, which are done in both English and Spanish. However, check the website or call first, because the dates and times change frequently, and sometimes a few months can pass where they will not offer tours.

Bottom Line: If at all interested in Argentine history, French architecture, or nice palaces, this is worth a visit.

http://www.mrecic.gov.ar/portal/psm/home.html" target="_blank">Palacio San Martin
TEL: 4819-8092
mail: ana@mrecic.gov.ar

Palacio Paz “If Buenos Aires was once Paris, the Palacio Paz is...
Food and Wine Expo at the Palacion Paz If you can only make it to one wine event,...
National Museum of Bellas Artes The Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Buenos Aires is...