Buenos Aires vacation advice

Travel through the streets and back alleys during your Buenos Aires vacation and you'll find the population boasts all sorts of colourful characters such as the unknown artist pictured below gracing the city with an enchanting melody back in 1990.

A flight to Beunos Aires will take you to a very European city, whether you enjoy your vacation in a hotel, hostel or a bed and breakfast.

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Buenos Aires is the third largest city in South America. It is a sprawling metropolis with a rich history and an exciting culture of art, music and fantastic spots for nightlife. The city blocks are crammed with cafes and sophisticated shops that can provide a vacation shopping bonanza.

The Buenos Aires nightlife can be exhausting so it's a good idea to imitate the locals by enjoying an afternoon siesta to make sure you have enough energy. This is a 24 hour city that never sleeps.

The sophisticated character of the Buenos Aires population is at odds with the stereotype vision of South American jungles and swamps.

The city's European heritage means travellers from western countries can usually blend in comfortably as soon as they step off their flight at Beunos Aires Airport to begin their sghtseeing vacation.

Buenos Aires itself is a bit like Paris at its centre. The focal point is the Plaza de Mayo, which is situated near the world's widest thoroughfare, Avenida 9 de Julio.

Many areas of Bueonos Aires nowadays have a neglected character with roads in disrepair and buildings with peeling paint or otherwise poorly maintained. The city can also be fairly smoggy and if you're brave enough during your sightseeing vacation to hire a car to tackle the local traffic... good luck! There are road rules but every driver seems to have a unique interpretation.

Compared to regional towns in Argentina, Buenos Aires is an expensive city in which to spend your vacation.

However, the country's economic downturn in recent years has seen the value of the peso plunge, creating a smorgasbord of cheap holiday pleasures. Take note, however, that the downturn has also led to frequent protests in Buenos Aires and the country's high unemployment rate is evident in the streets with many people obviously looking for work or a tip. Hawkers have become fairly common despite such trade being illegal.

Argentina has enjoyed some economic recovery with data showing the country's poverty rate had fallen to 23.4% in 2007. Unemployment dropped to a 15 year low of 8.5% in the second quarter of 2007, down from 21.5% in 2002. The inflation rate in 2007 was above 8%.

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Travellers on a shoestring vacation should check Congreso for cheap hotel bookings. The suburbs of San Telmo (around Plaza Dorrego) and La Boca are where you're most likely to get cheap food.

A huge meal can usually be enjoyed at a cafe or restaurant in Buenos Aires for US$7-8.

A bed and breakfast in Buenos Aires will usually cost from US$30 per night for a single room. A hostel can be found with dormitory beds around US$5 per day and single rooms from US$15.

Buenos Aires was settled in 1580 following years of clashes throughout the country between Indian groups and the Spanish invaders, but was a settlement of little consequence until the late 1700s.

Revolution won Buenos Aires its independence from Spain in 1816 but it wasn't until 1853 that the liberal Unitarists based in Buenos Aires held sway and established a constitution that effectively federated the various provinces of Argentina, sparking a wave of national growth and prosperity fuelled largely by agricultural development, foreign investment and European immigration.

However, the liberalised economy remained fragile and was a shambles by the 20th Century with mass unemployment, much of Argentina's wealth remaining in the hands of the corrupt and conservative elite.

Civil unrest led to a military coup in 1943 and dictator Juan Peron won the presidency in 1946, ruling hand in hand with his famous wife Eva until the military deposed him in 1955.

Direct and indirect military rule dominated Argentina till the 1990s, various administrations having overseen the brutal killing of civilians, the Falklands War with Britain and ongoing stagnation of the nationalised economy.

Democratic rule returned in 1983 but ongoing economic reform and corruption have sparked at-times violent street protests which forced another change of government in 2001.

The country has been calmer since then and the country's economy has been gradually improving with significantly reduced poverty and unemployment leading into 2008. It remains easy to find cheap rates for hotel, bed and breakfast or hostel accommodation, and it's easy to bargain for a cheaper rate.

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A vacation in Buenos Aires demands caution as theft is fairly common.

The Buenos Aires population is just over six million people (13 million including the greater Buenos Aires). Almost without exception, they are courteous and friendly to strangers.

The average temperature in Buenos Aires is 17 to 29 degrees Celsius in January and 6 to 14 degrees Celsius in July. The Buenos Aires climate is temperate and mid-winter days tend to be crisp but sunny.

Buenos Aires has an average 950mm of rain each year.

This city has been dubbed the Paris of South America. However, it throbs to the Latin beat of Argentina.

A flight to Buenos Aires will land you in the home of the tango and it's not unusual for a stylish couple to publicly indulge in this sexy dance - often to the delight of passers-by.

Buenos Aires is divided into 48 barrios, or neighbourhoods, each with its own character and history. To the north are the fashionable areas of Retiro and Recoleta where cafes, designer shops and some of the city's most fashionable restaurants line the streets.

Travel south and you'll find artists' studios and antique markets in the bohemian barrio of San Telmo - also considered the heart of classical tango in Buenos Aires. The Plaza Dorrego is particularly vibrant on Sundays and boasts numerous antique shops.

Perhaps the most vibrant barrio in Buenos Aires is the working-class La Boca, settled by Italian immigrants and mostly an industrial area that is home to much of the city's poor population. La Boca is notable for its abundance of colourful tin workers' cottages.

If you want to picnic in Buenos Aires, Palermo is the district of botanic gardens, parklands, the plantearium and the zoo.

The bus service in Buenos Aires is fairly complex and should be studied carefully before use. The subway is usually crowded and taxis are recommended for most short trips in the city. Fares are cheap but few taxi drivers speak English.

If you travel to Buenos Aires, your best tourist buys are leathergoods, jewelry and crafts from Patagonia, woven rugs and tapestries, clay pottery and Argentenian wines and chocolates.

Shops in Buenos Aires are usually open from 10am to 7pm, seven days a week.

The suburb of San Telmo has more antique stores than any other Buenos Aires suburb. The famous Feria de Antiguedades de San Telmo is a massive antique fair that takes place every Sunday from 10am to 5pm at Plaza Dorrego, featuring various hand-made arts and crafts as well as antiques.

Many tourists enjoy a guided tour of Buenos Aires' world-famous opera house, the 3500 seat Teatro Colon, which has hosted performances by Maria Callas, Enrico Caruso, Toscanini and Stravinsky.

The English-language Buenos Aires Herald publishes exhibitions and other tourist information in its weekend editions.

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The Buenos Aires population was largely spawned by a 19th Century influx of Italians, French, German, English and Irish immigrants.

Eighty five per cent of Buenos Aires residents are of European descent and a Buenos Aires local is known as a "porteno".

Poverty and prestige rub shoulders in the streets of Buenos Aires, meat dishes are the staple diet, and travellers should be moderately cautious.

Despite many people living in apartment blocks from 10 to 40 storeys, there is a huge number of pet dogs in Buenos Aires. Large dog breeds are favoured. Travellers will sometimes spot a paseaperro, or dog walker, walking the streets with as many as 20 of the animals on a leash.

A flight to Buenos Aires will reward you with a cheap but exciting vacation with some great sightseeing spots.

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