Buenos Aires is an impulsive city, famous for its diversity, especially in architecture, and its passion when it comes to dancing and it offers nearly everything a travelers heart could desire.

One is always accompanied by tango and the rhythm of the Porteños. For example, on the wonderful and multifarious fair in Recoleta or while walking along the Florida Avenue and even in the Subte (Subway). The city reaches out for you and wants you to experience her for every single minute. Go to the barrios (neighborhoods) in the north and you will find a variety of designer and second hand shops in Palermo; a lively neighborhood with a lot of bars and nightclubs. And for a more relaxed atmosphere there is a great forest nearby, called the Bosques de Palermo. The Palermo Woods are the biggest park in Buenos Aires with small lakes and a great forest. The botanic garden and the Zoo can be reached within walking distance from the Subway station Plaza Italia (Line D).

A nice option for those who need to renew their tourist visa in Argentina, and for those who are looking for a nice day or weekend trip just outside Buenos Aires, is to cross the ‘Río de la Plata’ by ferry, and visit the city of Colonia, in Uruguay.

The city of ‘Colonia del Sacramento’ was founded in 1680 by the Portuguese, and in the 17th century it was an important centre for smuggling British goods across the Río de la Plata into the Spanish colonies.  It is now an attractive and quiet place, with a nice historic center and beaches that are worth a visit.

Argentina is world-renowned for its fine wine and meat, offered to visitors at bargain-basement prices unimaginable in the north of the Americas or in Europe. While the quality of traditional Argentine foodstuffs is high throughout the provinces of this vast country, there are other items which vary dramatically with geographical location. For example, European visitors spending extended periods of time in Buenos Aires tend to lament the lack of tasty chocolate on offer in the city (although it should be said that the Argentine sweet and cake alternatives are numerous, often filled with lashings of dulce de leche similar in flavour to caramel but slightly richer as an alternative to chocolate!) Furthermore, Quilmes, the ubiquitous Argentine staple where cervezas are concerned, whilst extremely cheap, leaves lovers of beer and ale decidedly underwhelmed.

For these reasons, lovers of chocolate and beer shouldn’t bypass the opportunity to sample the gastronomical delights on offer in the south of Argentina and the region of Rio Negro specifically. The city of San Carlos de Bariloche (more commonly referred to as just Bariloche) is famous for its chocolate in particular, and the main avenida is jam-packed with shops selling freshly-made chocolates, some of which can only be described as cocoa supermarkets! The chocolates come in all shapes and sizes with a mind-boggling array of flavours and fillings to choose from (the ice cream here is also not to be missed!). While the quality of the products in all the shops is generally excellent, favourite brands for many include Mamuschka (www.mamuschka.com) and Abuela Goye (www.abuelagoye.com.ar).

The lack of “quality” beaches is regularly identified by locals and tourists as one of the few absences in Argentina’s otherwise rich and diverse physical geography. While many porteños migrate to the coastal zones of Buenos Aires Province (Mar del Plata, Pinamar, Miramar etc.) during the exceptionally warm summer months of January and February, the majority concede that beaches in the coastal zones of Uruguay and Brazil are far superior. However, if you look hard enough there are a number of spectacular beaches and coves to be found inland, alongside the lakes of northern Patagonia. These don’t necessarily subscribe to the traditional beach resort model but do offer unique locations to lap up the sun and take a dip in the crystal clear waters which flow from the surrounding mountains of the Andes.

It was a sunny September morning in the great city of Buenos Aires. My friends and I were waking up from yet another night out on the town, Porteño Style. (NOTE- in this city people don’t go out to the bars and discotheques until two or three in the morning–afternoons are the new mornings). As we sipped our Cafe Con Leche, eager to embrace the fleeting day, we decided upon a plan of action: it was time to for La Boca. Unknowing of what was to come, we began our journey.

La Boca, or “the mouth” holds a very special place in the hearts of Porteños. In many ways, it can be seen as a symbol of Argentinean Culture. While you might be thinking that this barrio has been given such a name in honor of its inhabitants–a people characterized by rapid, loud, and incessant talking– this is not quite the case. La Boca is home to the opening or “mouth,” of the Riachuelo River, the first natural port in Buenos Aires. This water way offers a nice beak from the hustle and bustle of the city center. On a clear day you can catch local fisherman and their families taking antiquated sail boats for a ride.

In front of closed doors

Buenos Aires quite rightly holds a reputation for its unrelenting and diverse night life offering countless theatres, clubs, bars and restaurants to keep porteños (people of the port) and visitors occupied. There’s certainly more than enough to do behind the doors of the city’s night-time haunts (for a good resource on keeping up to date with the daily range of events see: www.vuenosairez.com) but there are other more unofficial events taking place on the streets themselves. Indeed, a surprising aspect of life in the city particularly for northern European visitors is the sheer number of people walking the streets after dark. Perhaps most famous amongst these nocturnal activities are when the locals gather in the plazas, seemingly spontaneously, to dance tango and drink mate. Less well publicised and harder to track down are the groups of graffiti artists working their magic on the walls of buildings throughout the city.

Looking to get away from the hustle bustle of colectivos? Grab a train and head to Tigre, a city about an hour outside of Buenos Aires. While peak season (the middle of summer) is packed, fall and spring are very welcoming. The fact that the train costs less than 3 pesos round trip makes it that much better.

Tigre is usually known as a destination for porteños to get out of the city. It has a great amusement park called Parque de la Costa, great boating (catamarans, canoes, kayaks, other river tours), camping, green space, and great restaurants. These are all the things that I encountered in a relatively short trip there one Saturday afternoon. I’m sure there are many more hidden gems to be uncovered.

Are you like many others who think that Monday is the most boring night of the week? Well, if you are in Buenos Aires, you will be sorely mistaken. If you head up to Cultural Center Konex Monday nights will become your favorite night of the week. Your week will begin with rhythm, dance and loads of energy.

This is a tribal party where sounds come mostly from the drums and the added elements of dance music. La Bomba de Tiempo is a tropical cocktail with a mix of Indian, Moroccan, Brazilian, Argentinean and African sounds.

Buenos Aires is a lot more livable than most other big cities I´ve been to, but sometimes you still just need to get out of town. I realized as much last month when the heavy urbanity of the capital started to really weigh on me. Now, I´m a city girl and have only lived in cities. But for me, sane city dwelling must be interjected by quick jaunts to clean air and open skies. And so it was last weekend that I found myself at Retiro station boarding a bus headed for San Antonio de Areco.

It’s a two hour journey to Areco, which is just enough time to watch the scenery turn from concrete urban density to the classically flat green lushness of the Argentine campo. When my husband and I got off the bus, we instantly felt at peace. Walking the few blocks from the bus station to the center we were so pleased to breathe the clear air, and our pace slowed as we released the city rush and accomodated to the much slower rhythm of the pampas.

Aliens, dark memories and folklore in the Cordoban mountains

If you visit Buenos Aires during the hot summer months, the heat and pollution can sometimes be a little too much. Why not then go for a short trip to the mountains near Cordoba for some air a tad cleaner and cooler. This area hosts a number of small towns popular among Argentineans as holiday destinations, and there are a lot of different things to see and do .

The town of Capilla del Monte lies at the foot of Mount Uritorco, reaching slightly less than 2000 meters above sea level. There are hotels and swimming pools in the town, but it is the mountain that attracts many visitors, due to its supposedly extra high levels of energy and that it has been visited by extraterrestrials…Supernatural or not, alien landing site or not, the scenery of the mountain is very beautiful none the less, both to look at from a distance and as an area for hiking. And one may also find the many salespersons and shops offering various new age items such as crystals and talismans quite entertaining as well.