Buenos Aires attracts travelers from all over the world with its exquisite food, exciting nightlife, passionate and hospitable people, and the magnificent landscapes of the surrounding Argentine countryside. Famous for the diehard fans of soccer in Buenos Aires and the tango on the streets of San Telmo, Buenos Aires is a rich cultural capital that provides eye-candy and activities for every kind of traveler. From lively La Boca to chic Puerto Madero, the mosaic of eclectic barrios and the city’s artistic legacy provide an ideal environment to study Spanish and a wide variety of settings to not only learn Spanish in Buenos Aires, but also to apply your new Spanish language skills.
Things to do on a visit to Buenos Aires:
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» Admire a Frida Kahlo painting at the Latin American Art Museum (MALBA)
» Savor dulce de leche ice cream at any one of the upscale heladerías (ice cream shops)
» Take in a tango show and dine on porteño cuisine in San Telmo
» Attend the biannual and highly-anticipated Boca v. River clasico soccer match
» Watch the sun rise over the Río de la Plata at an all-night (and all-morning) dance club
» Spend an afternoon biking in the nature preserve of Puerto Madero and drinking mate, the traditional bitter tea common to the rioplatense region.
» Enjoy Gaucho-style steak and a glass of Malbec wine in a Palermo parrilla (traditional Argentine barbecue)
» Visit the world famous Cementerio de Recoleta, resting place of the controversial Eva (Evita) Perón
Find out more about our activities
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Daily Life in Buenos Aires
The culture of Buenos Aires is still true to its European roots,
especially in regards to its food, music, and warm hospitality. Famous
for its nightlife, porteños generally begin their evenings with a long
and lively dinner around 10PM, often revolving around a main dish of
the world’s finest beef and plenty of rich wine (with pastas and pizza
also figuring prominently among the Italian-influenced Argentine
cuisine). Late nights in Buenos Aires often turn into early mornings;
dinner is regularly followed by coffee and dessert, a drink at a bar, a
dance club, and a sunrise breakfast before heading home. Plenty of
concerts, tango shows, and street performers provide the city’s
backdrop from the afternoons until the wee hours of the morning. The
public transportation system is the engine behind it all; taxis, the
subte (the subway system), and buses transport the majority of porteños
all day long.
History of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires was actually founded twice; the first time in 1516 and then again in 1580, after the first settlement was unsuccessful due to wars between the Spanish settlers and the native inhabitants. Buenos Aires is, and always has been, a large trade port, which contributed to its success as one of the most important cities in South America. Trade goods; however were not the only items arriving in this port; Argentina is considered a country of immigrants due to the large numbers of Mediterranean Europeans who flooded into the country during the 1880s-1920s. The lasting presence of Italian and Spanish culture and cuisine, in addition to the majestic architecture of Buenos Aires, continue to stand out as legacies of this era. In more recent history, the iconic figures of Juan and Eva Perón stand out, along with the military coup d’état and prolonged “Dirty War” of the 1970s and ‘80s, between leftist activist and government hardliners; the “Madres de la Plaza de Mayo” remain to this day a constant reminder of this historical episode. The 1990s and 2000s brought Argentina’s recovery of its positive international image and financial stability, despite brief interruptions during the financial crisis of 2001-02.
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