Bustling Av Cabildo, the racing heartbeat of Belgrano, is an overwhelming jumble of noise and neon. Take a bus or train into Nuñez to visit the museums of the Espacio Memoria y Derechos Humanos memorial site. Over on the Costanera Norte are Parque Norte, Parque de la Memoria and Tierra Santa.

• visit the sobering Sitio de Memoria ESMA, now a memorial museum dedicated to the victims of the military dictatorship of 1976 to 1983
• maps
• dance the tango – or watch it – at La Glorieta, the most romantic milonga in BA
• transport
• take a stroll next to the river at Parque de la Memoria on the Costanera Norte.
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities.

Explore Plaza del Congreso, at the heart of this neighbourhood – an easy walk from Plaza de Mayo along the important thoroughfare Av de Mayo. Then head along Callao to Av Corrientes, the city’s traditional theater district.

• peek behind the scenes of Teatro Colón on a backstage tour or catch a performance at this historical venue
• maps
• learn about the symbolic architecture of the Dante-inspired Palacio Barolo and take in the views from the rooftop lighthouse
• transport
• explore the Palacio del Congreso, the home of Argentina’s legislative branch, on a guided Senate tour
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping.

Want to escape the city? This chapter includes the very best excursions from Buenos Aires and they can all be completed in a day. Must-sees include Tigre & the Delta and San Isidro.

• take a laid-back boat ride along the peaceful backwaters of the Paraná Delta: interesting museums and a nearby outdoor market are pluses
• enjoy spectacular river views and visit several worthwhile museums in affluent San Isidro
• explore the serene pampas village of San Antonio de Areco and its historic buildings
• visit Colonia, a pleasant colonial town, lined with cobbled streets and charming old buildings

Coverage includes: Tigre & the Delta, San Isidro, San Antonio de Areco, Colonia .

Blue-collar and raffish to the core, La Boca is very much a locals’ neighborhood. Its colourful shanties are a well-known symbol of Buenos Aires, while El Caminito is the barrio’s most famous street, full of art vendors, buskers and tango dancers.

• stroll the cobblestones and admire the colorful houses of El Caminito, where art vendors and buskers vie for your spare change
• maps
• watch Argentina’s most famous fútbol (soccer) club, Boca Juniors, play in front of an exuberant crowd at La Bombonera
• transport
• catch a concert at Usina del Arte, a spectacular former power station turned arts center
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping.

Most of Palermo’s museums are located near its green parks. They’re spread out over this large neighborhood, so give yourself plenty of time to see them. Museo Evita, Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo and Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA) all have pleasant cafe-restaurants with outdoor areas.

• check out the contemporary artwork at the modern Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires, where you can commune with Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo.
• maps
• cycle, jog and rollerblade around the lakes or just walk along the paths at the attractive Parque 3 de Febrero
• transport
• eat your way around Palermo’s fabulous restaurants, such as La Mar Cebicheria
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities.

This chapter contains the Welcome to Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires’ Top 10, What’s New, Need to Know, Top Itineraries, If You Like..., Month By Month, With Kids, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities and Tango chapters from Lonely Planet’s Buenos Aires guidebook.

Your journey to Buenos Aires starts here. You’ll find the tools to plan your adventure: where to go and when, how much to budget, plus in-depth info on eating, drinking and nightlife.

• tailor-made itineraries, arranged by region, themes and events
• list of highlights and best experiences
• everything you need to know about exploring the city with kids
• user-friendly city overview ensures you won’t miss a thing

Coverage includes: Welcome to Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires’ Top 10, What’s New, Need to Know, Top Itineraries, If You Like: Museums, Historic Places, Free Stuff, Green Spaces, the Offbeat, Unusual Tours, Month By Month, With Kids, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities and Tango.

Put on your most comfortable walking shoes. You can start pretty much anywhere, making a loop around the dikes and stopping at Colección de Arte Amalia Lacroze de Fortabat; or visiting Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur for a shot of nature.

• escape the city’s hustle and bustle with a walk or bike ride through the Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur, where you can spot birds or perhaps a nutria or iguana
• maps
• view the impressive private contemporary art collection at the Colección de Arte Amalia Lacroze de Fortabat
• transport
• see the Puente de la Mujer lit up at night and stroll around the cobbled lanes next to Puerto Madero’s dikes
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Entertainment.

Recoleta’s main attractions are concentrated around the cemetery. Nearby is the impressive Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes and just beyond is the landmark flower sculpture Floralis Genérica. From here you can walk to Palermo’s fancy MALBA museum and green parks.

• wander among the tombs in the astonishing Cementerio de la Recoleta where, in death as in life, generations of the Argentine elite rest in ornate splendor
• maps
• catch a concert, film or theatrical performance or see an exhibition at the excellent Centro Cultural Recoleta
• transport
• indulge in afternoon tea at the Alvear Palace Hotel’s beautiful, flower-filled Orangerie
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping.

Retiro is a compact neighborhood most easily seen on foot. Wander around the Plaza San Martín area or join the crowds on pedestrian Calle Florida and follow it into the Center; Reconquista, another pedestrian street, is perfect for a lunch or coffee break.

• wander around the grand Plaza San Martín and get an eyeful of the impressive surrounding buildings
• maps
• tour the opulent Palacio Paz, once Argentina’s largest private residence
• transport
• check out the amazing silverwork at the under-the-radar Museo de Arte Hispanoamericano Isaac Fernández Blanco
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Shopping, Sports & Activities.

Everyone is drawn to Plaza Dorrego, the heart and soul of San Telmo. It’s a nice leafy place to snag an outdoor table and have a coffee or meal; on Sundays the Feria de Sal Telmo takes over the square.

• jostle with fellow shoppers at Feria de San Telmo, the Sunday fair, where vendors sell all manner of goods, and buskers and tango dancers entertain
• maps
• take a break at the atmospheric and historic Plaza Dorrego – when it’s not Sunday
• transport
• explore the reconstructed tunnels at El Zanjón de Granados
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities.

Villa Crespo is a good area for outlet shopping and excellent restaurants. The main attraction in Abasto is the Mercado de Abasto, one of the city’s most attractive shopping malls. Once is home to hundreds of street vendors selling garments and cheap electronic devices.

• learn about tango’s most famous singer via his old recordings, news clippings and personal items at the small Museo Casa Carlos Gardel located at the very house he used to live in
• maps
• dance it up at Monday night’s drumming parties at the Ciudad Cultural Konex
• transport
• dance tango at la Catedral, BA’s most bohemian milonga (dance hall), after taking a class at DNI Tango nearby
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities.

Stretching from Retiro to San Telmo and encompassing Microcentro and Montserrat, this is the heart and brain of the city. Plaza de Mayo is a good place to start, with the Casa Rosada presidential palace and the Museo Casa Rosada.

• hang out at Plaza de Mayo, BA’s historic heart surrounded by some of the city’s most important buildings
• maps
• catch a concert at the magnificent new Centro Cultural Kirchner, housed in the city’s former central post office.
• transport
• take a tour of the Manzana de las Luces during the day and return on Friday night to dance tango at the atmospheric milonga
• restaurants & bars

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping.

This chapter contains the Buenos Aires Today, History, Music, Literature & Cinema, Art & Architecture, Transportation, Directory A–Z and Language chapters from Lonely Planet’s Buenos Aires guidebook.

All the info you need on everything from history, literature and cinema to flights, public transport, climate, money, the internet... you name it. Get hints on the gay and lesbian scene and tips for women travellers, travelling with kids and travellers with disabilities, as well as handy language guide and glossary.

• a rundown on literature and cinema
• info on music – including tango
• full coverage of the fascinating history of the city
• details on the city’s traditional and contemporary art and architecture

Coverage includes: Buenos Aires Today, History: From the Arrival of the Spanish to the Presidency of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Music, Literature & Cinema, Art & Architecture: Visual Arts, Architectural History and Modern Architecture, Transportation, Directory A–Z and Language.