Things to do in Buenos Aires

So I've been in Buenos Aires for more than a year now. When I first came here I didn't know anyone, I didn't know the city and I couldn't speak the language. It took a while for me to start getting used to the place, but within a month I was already starting to love it here. I liked the idea of being away from the start, but as I learned more about the city and got to know people I really started to love it here. So much so in fact, I took a second year off of work in order to stay. I'm lucky to be in the position to do that. So many people can't, however. If you are at all lucky enough to come here, do it!

Buenos Aires is full of great stuff to do and there is something for everyone. It's a world class city in many regards. The nightlife is great. The beef and wines are amazing. People are social and there are a lot of things to do other than cafes, bars, restaurants and clubs. If you are into the tourist scene you can easily pick up a book and hit the typical tourist spots of La Boca, Recoleta Cemetary, Florida St. and more. If you want to get info from people living in Buenos Aires you can check out a new resource site called BA Expathub. Check out reviews or ask questions on the forum.

Buenos Aires is full of bars and restaurants. They range from the not recommended to awesome experience. When you are going to a restaurant it is best to assume the portions are for sharing unless it is fine dining. If you are unsure, then just ask how big the portions are. See more about eating in my other post Spanish Survival Phrases for Argentina. It's also good to look at some blogs and reviews to get an idea, but also ask some locals and expats. Websites like baexpathub also have good reviews of some lesser known places and some good food blogs include Pick Up the Fork and The Lost Asian.

There are plenty of places to discover when you come to Buenos Aires and some are more hidden than others. Buenos Aires has this whole secrecy thing going on where they really like their underground bars like Frank's or Ferona and closed door restaurants like Cocina Sunae and Casa Mun. Asking people who are here now means you know about all the latest places to go and the new or hidden restaurants. If you can't find something good in Buenos Aires, you aren't trying.

If you want to see a bit of the city with someone who's been here and knows their way around and knows the good spots for food and drinks then it is well worth it to do a tour. personally I hate the large group museum style tours that they run on double decker buses in every city. Boring. I'd much rather walk around or do something interesting instead. No worries here. BA has a lot of different tours to offer.

Photo Tours - Day Clicker Photo Tours offers a variety of tours so you can see the city in a more creative and fun way. The tours range from an intensive 5 hour class to a more relaxed nightlife 3 hour photo tour. Day Clicker now even offers a Bike n' Click tour for all levels and types of cameras so you can get the best of both worlds. This inclusive tour can even be done with an iPhone!

The five hour tour and class begins with instruction in a cafe where you learn about lighting, camera functions and composition. Next it moves on to street photography where you can capture typical Argentine scenes and some unusual characters (check out Chicken Man on the site). The tour wraps up with lunch (included) and a quick post production tutorial so you can learn to perfect your images. Other tours focus on showing you a different side of Buenos Aires so you can get the less "touristy" photos. It's all about taking real pics of Argentina!

While group tours are fun, private tours are a preferred choice for hard core photo enthusiasts. One on one instruction always makes for the best results. All tours are all run by professional photographer Amelia McGoldrick and if you are a client you can ask her about some hidden gems in the city for great food and drinks!

Bike Tours - Biking Buenos Aires has bike tours set up for people who want to get around the city quickly while still enjoying the intimacy of a smaller group and getting exercise. They have 4 main tours ranging from 3-7 hours in duration. Along the way you will stop for traditional mate and have lunch. It's a great way to see the city if you are comfortable on a bike. If you don't want a guide, you can rent a bike for pretty cheap and go on your own. If you like biking, get in touch with these guys. They are reliable, friendly and very knowledgeable.

Walking Tours - Not comfortable on a bike? Try a walking tour to get to know the city a bit. There are all sorts of tours around the city and the free tour comes highly recommended. Why is it free? They work for tips. The philosophy is that they need to impress you to earn money. Usually on these tours the guides are very relaxed and will adjust to accommodate your likes and interests. Remember, you are the client. If you want something just ask instead of sitting through a tour that wasn't what you were expecting. These guides have know the city well and are a wealth of information. They are usually more than happy to change things up and give you something different. I haven't been on the free tour myself, but I know I have heard great reviews from friends.

If you take the tours and want to recommend them help these hard working people out by reviewing them on Trip Advisor.

Like football/soccer? If that's what interests you then you can go see the typical matches of Boca Juniors (south end) and River Plate (north end) and except for el clásico, where they play each other, it is pretty easy to get tickets. Just go to the box office. They go on sale a day or 2 before the match. Avoid buying from scalpers unless they are willing to walk you in. Any legit scalper will walk you in to prove the tickets aren't fake. The scalpers all usually know the security team as well. Beware, there is no alcohol served unless you can get some Fernet and coke on the sly from a vendor. If you go to Boca, try not to take too many valuables. It is not uncommon for tourists to get robbed there.

If you are interested in playing then there are plenty of places you can go to play. Some are just locals while others have expats too. I play with FCBafa. There are pickup games throughout the week, but you need to sign up ahead of time.

I first went to polo because it was close, relatively cheap and just something I had never done before. I loved it. The largest tournament takes place around mid November and goes into early December. It takes place at the fields in Las Cañitas (my hood!).

Polo is a fast and skillful sport that really is intriguing to see. I come from mainly a hockey and soccer background so when it came to watching a bunch of guys on horses smack a ball around I thought it would be boring. I originally just went for the crowds. The whole atmosphere was incredible. The place was packed! Between wandering around to the booths, watching the games and drinking 90 peso Chandon at the bar we had a blast!

As mentioned the main tournament with all the action takes place in mid November. There is an international match between Argentina and England in April and league games (free) at other times. The league games are quiet, but can be a nice way to spend a couple hours in the sun. If polo is happening I suggest you check it out!