10 Places to visit in Buenos Aires in the Spring

In Buenos Aires, starting at the end of August, the days become more pleasant. Mornings are still cool, but the temperature begins to rise around midday and cools off again at night.

This is the best time of year to engage in diverse activities since it is not cold like in winter nor too hot like in summer (which is humid with temperatures up to 35 or 40º centigrade).

Buenos Aires is a city with a lot to offer, both during the day and at night. In this article, we will recommend ten activities to be done in springtime Buenos Aires.

1- Enjoy the green parks
Without doubt, one of the lungs of Buenos Aires is the Palermo Woods (as the Tres de Febrero Park is known) with its different varieties of trees, rose gardens and three lakes. Here you can sit on the grass and soak up some sun, eat something (pack a classic picnic), walk around the lakes, run, ride a bike, exercise, or take a boat ride on the lake.
+ Address: Ave. Libertador and Ave. Sarmiento - Palermo.

   2-      Visit the Japanese Garden (Jardín Japonés)

The Japanese Garden is part of the Tres de Febrero Park. The entrance fee is not expensive. It is a great garden with different oriental plants and trees, a greenhouse where you can buy the famous bonsais, a cultural center, a library, and, in the center, a large lake. The harmony and attention to detail in every corner will relax you. You can walk, feed the beautiful carp in the lake, take an origami class, sit down to an oriental tea or buy some crafts.
It is a place full of symbolisms: the stones, the water, the bridges and the fish (they represent strength and courage)
+ Address: Figueroa Alcorta Ave. and Casares Ave. – Palermo. + Every day from 10 AM to 6 PM.

   3-      A cup of coffee in the sunshine

When the days are beautiful, an afternoon in a Buenos Aires’ bar is highly recommended. Seated at a table on the sidewalk in the spring sunshine, you can have a cup of coffee with a delicious piece of cake or a fruit drink and toast (if you are watching your waistline) while you watch the people go by-or you can enjoy a sidewalk show or just read a book.
When choosing a place, you should consider Plaza Serrano in Palermo (J.L. Borges and Honduras), Plaza Dorrego in San Telmo (Defensa and Humberto 1º) or Puerto Madero.

   4-      Open Air Markets for All Tastes

If you want to visit markets, you have lots of options in Buenos Aires:

- Artisan Markets offer artistic creativity in original works of art. You will find interesting objects in Plaza Francia in Recoleta (Ave. Pueyrredón and Ave. Del Libertador, weekends and holidays from 11 AM to 8 PM), Paseo Humberto 1º in San Telmo (Humberto 1º and Defensa, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays), Parque Centenario in Caballito (Ave. Díaz Vélez 4800, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 10 AM to 10 PM).

- Antique Markets, are the ideal places to marvel at objects from the past or find a childhood toy, a magazine you thought you had lost in time, the impossible-to-find coin or the bijou that will give you a retro look. No doubt that the best of the antique markets is the San Telmo Market with more than 250 stands in the street as well as commercial shops. You can find it at Humberto 1º and Defensa on Sundays from 10 AM to 5 PM.

- Book Markets offer new and used books at reasonable prices. You can also exchange books and magazines. The shop owners are experts and specialize in finding for their clients books that are unique or difficult to locate. You could also visit the markets in Plaza Italia in Palermo (Ave. Santa Fe and Uriarte, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, 10 AM to 10 PM) and Parque Rivadavia (Rivadavia and Beauchef, from Tuesdays to Sundays.

    5-      Zoos of Buenos Aires

Visiting the Buenos Aires’ Zoo is a good option when the climate is right.
It’s a good time to come into contact with nature, breathe pure air and enjoy the children enjoying the animals. You can find the Buenos Aires Zoo in Palermo and the Temaiken Zoo in Escobar. You could also go to La Plata to visit that city’s zoo.

    6-      Do you know about the Ecological Reserve? On Buenos Aires’ south coastline you will find the Ecological Reserve, another of the city’s lungs, with a great variety of trees, herbs, plants and shrubs typical of the delta and the shoreline of the Río de la Plata. Its lagoons are inhabited by birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians.
+ Address: 1150 Tristán Achával Rodríguez Ave. + April to October 8 AM to 6 PM and November to March 8 AM to 7 PM.

   7-      Outlets: Find a Bargain

Who doesn’t like to buy designer goods without spending a lot of money? We suggest you go to the outlets on Córdoba Avenue as well as the ones on Aguirre Street, where you will find well-known brands of clothes and shoes at great prices; you will also find sale articles and discontinued items at large discounts.

Soak up some sun, walk, save money and forget about being shut up in a shopping mall.

+ Address: Córdoba Ave. from 4400 to 4800, Palermo. Aguirre St. from 600 to 900, Palermo. From Monday to Sunday, 10 AM to 8 PM.

   8-      Tigre and Delta de Paraná Excursions

A green oasis is only an hour’s distance from the big city. It’s an occasion to take a boat trip, perhaps visit the Tigre Art Museum, buy something at the Fruit Port (it offers plants, clothing, furniture, decorative objects and artisan and craft objects as well as fruit and vegetables).

   9-      Buenos Aires on a Bike?

Are you brave enough to travel around the city on a bike? Buenos Aires has bike paths and “ciclovías” or bike lanes from Monday to Friday, from 7 AM to 9 PM, the left lanes of the avenues Belgrano, Corrientes, Rivadavia, Independencia and Juan Bautista Alberdi).
Even though the people of Buenos Aires are not used to sharing the streets with cyclists, these lanes have signs and are protected so that car and bus drivers will respect them (in an attempt to make Buenos Aires a more ecologically friendly city).

   10-   Caminito, in La Boca

Caminito is considered to be the first pedestrian open air museum in the world. This one hundred meter street is full of different street entertainers: tango singers and dancers, artisans and “Fileteadores” . You can visit the conventillos (immigrant housing), now open to the public as museums that show what life was like for the first immigrants to the Boca.
+ Address between Magallanes and Lamadrid, La Boca.

Recommendations:

- Take your camera with fully charged batteries and replacements.
- Don’t forget your mp3 or Ipod. Music can be great company when you are walking.
- Wear comfortable shoes.
- Bring sunglasses.
- Use sunscreen, especially if you’ll be out and about for several hours.
- Take good care of your valuables (purse, camera, laptop, Ipad).
- Watch where you walk. Unfortunately, in Buenos Aires not all dog owners are considerate about disposing of what their pets leave behind.
- Take insect repellant if you go to the Ecological Reserve.
- To save money, ask about specials in the bars and restaurants you visit.

Source: Buenos Aires Hostels + www.ba-h.com.ar is the best known source for hostels in Buenos Aires. Created in 1999, it offers a wide choice of hostels, apartments, bed and breakfasts and universitary residences in Buenos Aires’ principal neighborhoods: Palermo, Recoleta, Barrio Norte, Belgrano, San Telmo, La Boca, etc.

The Buenos Aires Zoo, Palermo, Argentina

A good place to visit in Buenos Aires is the Buenos Aires Zoo, located in the Palermo neighborhood.
The Zoo is over 120 years old and has always been home to a great diversity of animals. In the last few years, besides being a source of entertainment, the Zoo also carries out research, conservation and educational projects.
Thanks to its leafy trees, the park is one of the city’s green lungs. Here we can take a break from asphalt and cement. Palermo is always bustling and busy, but as soon as we enter the Zoo we feel we are breathing  fresher air, more pure than the air outside.

+ Days, Hours, Schedules
The Zoo is open from Tuesdays to Sundays, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM (ticket offices close at 5:00 PM).
Tickets are reasonably priced. For children under 12, retired people and people with disabilities, entrance is free. The rest of the public has the choice between two passports: the best buy passport costs 27 pesos (less than $7.00 dollars). It includes a boat trip, aquarium, subtropical forest, and snake house. The general passport costs 18 pesos (a little more than $4.00 dollars), but it does not include the attractions.

 
+ The Animals, the Superstars
Zoo managers have replaced bars and cages for more comfortable spaces where the animals enjoy greater freedom of movement. For example, trenches now separate the lions and bears from the public and glass and acrylic separate the monkeys and tigers. Some animals (ducks, geese, and peacocks, for example) are allowed to roam freely.

 

 
Thanks to these changes, it is easier to appreciate the animals and take pictures without ugly bars to block our view.
As we walk around the Zoo, we will find all sorts of species (the park has around 2500 specimens).
Lions are in a special place because they are among the public’s favorite animals. We can see them in the underbrush, enjoying each other’s company.

The elephants, like the lions, have been freed from cages, and are also favorites. A security moat separates them from the public. They walk around and eat under the delighted eyes of children and grownups trying to snap their pictures.

 
Children love the monkeys. The Buenos Aires Zoo has a large variety of species and many examples of each (cai monkeys, spider monkeys, mandrils and orangutans, to name a few). The chimpanzees are very amusing and friendly, and often entertain people with their antics.

 
Giraffes have their own space. They often reach heights of 6 meters (20 feet) and are in direct contact with the public. You can put food directly into their mouths.

 
One of the most beautiful animals is the polar bear; he swims in his icy water pool that duplicates his natural habitat.

 
The highest cage belongs to the condor. His wingspan can reach 3 meters (10 feet) and he can live to be 50 years old.
The Zoo has a space dedicated to reptiles. You can see different serpents, vipers, lizards and turtles (including gigantic ones).

 

The aquarium has a great variety of fish and sharks as well as a sea lion show.

 
In the Subtropical Forest you will find parrots, toucans, lots of other birds and terrifying spiders.

+ How to Get to The Buenos Aires Zoo
The zoo is in front of Plaza Italia, on Sarmiento and Las Heras Avenues, located in an area with a lot of different transportation options. You can get to the Zoo by:
- Bus:  10, 12, 15, 21, 29, 34, 39, 41, 57, 59, 60, 64, 67, 68, 93, 95, 111, 118, 128, 141, 152, 160, 161, 188 and 194
- Metro (Subway):  Plaza Italia Station (D Line and its combinations)
- Train: Palermo Station-Metropolitan Railroad General (Gral.) San Martín

+ Recommendations
The park is huge and there are very many animals. That’s why we recommend:
• Bring your photo or video camera with lots of free space as well as an extra battery
• It will take you several hours to see everything so be aware of opening and closing times
• On weekday mornings schoolchildren often go on guided visits and on weekends the Zoo may be packed. If you want to avoid crowds, avoid these days and times.
• It’s good to stop and eat, at a fastfood restaurant within the park  (where food and drinks are more expensive than on the outside) or with your own pre-packed picnic lunch that you can carry in you backpack.
• You can feed the animals, but only with the food that is specially prepared for them and which is sold in the park. Do not give them any other food (no crackers, bread, or peanuts).

+ Where to Stay in Palermo
You have several options, depending on your budget. If you prefer total privacy, your best option is to rent an apartment. If you prefer to be in contact with other tourists, share experiences and save money, you are best off in a Hostel in Palermo. A less economical option is to stay at a Bed and Breakfast. Here you can find all these options in Lodging in Buenos Aires.

+ More Pictures of The Buenos Aires Zoo

 


Source: Buenos Aires Hostels + www.ba-h.com.ar the principal reference for Hostels in Buenos Aires. The website was created in 1999 and offers an ample selection of hostels, apartments, bed and breakfasts, and university residences in the principal Buenos Aires neighborhoods: Palermo, Recoleta, Barrio Norte, Belgrano, San Telmo, La Boca, etc.