Weekday activities in Buenos Aires

If you have just moved to Buenos Aires, you're in luck. There are plenty of great places to eat, historic sites and plazas to visit and museums to tour. Grab a glass of malbec, set back and relax. Below are some ideas for things to do when you are tired of exploring and shopping, drinking a cafe con leche or looking at the European architecture.

Recoleta Cemetery

The rich, famous and influential out of Argentina's history are buried in Recoleta. Impressive, ornated tombs tightly packed in the corner of Buenos Aires, makes for an interesting place to wander. There is no cost to get in, but you may want to buy a paper-based map to find your way around — and find your way out when you're done. The most visited mausoleum is Eva “Evita” Peron's where people still drop flowers and leave tributes.

Beef and BBQ

Beef and “asado” is a large part of Argentine culture and social life. A little beef and red wine can be found at Don Julio and La Cabrera. But if you have extra pesos, visit the popular Cabana Las Lilas. Remember, “bife de lomo” is tenderloin and ribeyes are “oho de bife.”

Tigre

Want to leave town for a few hours? The train to Tigre is great, especially if you have a whole weekday off from work. Easy to get to and cheap, the train costs about six pesos — around 38-cents— and the trip to Tigre takes about an hour. An artists' market in the main plaza is the attention-getter, but there is also a large plaza and several museums.

Tango the day away

The birthplace of tango, Buenos Aires is a great city in which to learn — or just watch. Book a lunch-and-tango show or go to a “milonga” for the real thing.

Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes

Buenos Aires' Museum of Fine Arts is world-famous. South American and local artists are joined by big names like Van Gogh, Degas, Monet and Picasso. Put your wallet away because the museum entrance is free.

Cafe Tortoni

Opened in 1858, Cafe Tortoni still has the 1800s interior with dark, wooden walls, black-and-white checkered floor and the waiters wear bowties. Cafe con Leche, medialuna and a submarino are just three items on the menu.

“Frank Sinantra of Argentina,” also known as Tango dancer and singer, Carolos Gardelo, turned this into a meeting place for famous scholars and artists. Slightly more expensive than the typical Bueno Aires cafe, Tortoni's is an excellent place to spend time in a historical fixture for about the price of a coffee.

 Good to know:

American stars Robert Duvall and Matt Damon, both of whom married Argentine ladies, frequent Tortoni's when they are in town — which is often.

Plaza Serrano

Enjoy a beer in this popular plaza located in Palermo Soho. Almost anywhere in Palermo Soho is a great place to grab a litre of Quilmes and people-watch.

Looking for a craft beer? Maybe something with a more international flair? A few blocks from Plaza Serrano is The Temple Bar, and next door is Antares. Both have wide selections.

Polo matches and horse racing

Besides the beef, Argentina is known for horsemanship. If you come between September and November, the Campo Argentino de Polo park is open and busy. Across the street is the Palermo Hippodrome where horse races can be seen through the course of an afternoon. Grandstand tickets are cheap, and betting is allowed.

Empanadas

Not a place, but the quintessential Argentine snack, these pockets of meat, cheese, onions, spinach or chicken, are sold everywhere from corner kioskos to bakeries and even sit-down, full-service restaurants — including Tortoni's.

Grab a few from Na Serapia, a hole-in-the-wall place in Palermo which adds a spicy dip to their selection. When you have finished paying homage to Evita in Recoleta, La Cocina's is just a few blocks away and offers carry-out so you can eat your snacks in a nearby park.

Plaza de Mayo and La Casa Rosada

Plaza de Mayo is Buenos Aires' major park and is the front yard of La Casa Rosada. Besides feeding the pigeons and people watching, the plaza is the epicentre for protests which happen frequently.

The plaza is also where “Las Madres de Plaza de Mayo” hold their weekly march to maintain awareness of the 30,000 people who had “disappeared” in the military junta of the 70s and 80s.

La Casa Rosada, ‘The Pink House,' is kind of like America's White House. However, the nation's president doesn't live there but about 10km away, in Olivos.

The Pink House contains Executive Branch offices only. There are tours available during the week. Be sure to see the gold, silver, precious stones and artwork. Much of it was stolen from the Jews in 1930ss and 40s German and later used to pay Juan Peron for safe passage to Argentina.