Top 10 Buenos Aires

Left Teatro San Martín Center Antigua Tasca de Cuchilleros sign Right Centro Cultural Recoleta
Budget Tips
! Cheap Eats
Decent cheap eats
can be had at tenedor
libres (all you can eat),
where a buffet meal for
one costs US$5. Most
are concentrated in
Microcentro; look out for
a tenedor libre sign in the
window. For nutritious
bites, every porteño
neighborhood has its
own bodegón, a familyoriented
steakhouse
which serves large and
inexpensive steak dishes.
Cheap Nights Out
@ Most bars offer happy
hour drinks between 6
and 10pm. Switch to
cheaper local beer after
that, the most popular of
which is Quilmes. Fernet,
a spirit usually mixed
with coke, is equally
inexpensive and popular.
£ Free Parks
and Gardens
Buenos Aires has free
parks and gardens that
are perfect for walking,
sunbathing, and playing
sports. Among the most
popular ones are the
Reserva Ecológica
Costanera Sur, an ecological
preserve to the
east of Puerto Madero;
Palermo’s Jardín Botánico
Carlos Thays (Botanical
Garden); and Parque
3 de Febrero.
$ Free Museums
and Galleries
Many museums and
galleries offer free entry
throughout the week, including
the Museo de
Bellas Artes (see pp16–
17) and the Museo de la
Casa Rosada (see p8).
Some allow free entry
once a week. Discounts
are available for students
with valid ID and people
over 65.
% Free Cultural
Events
“Gallery Nights,” held
from March to November
on the last Friday of the
month, between 7 and
11pm, sees over 60 art
galleries offering entry
for free. The annual
Noche de los Museos in
October sees more than
100 museums offering
free entry. In the
summer months, look
out for free classical
music concerts held on
weekends in Palermo’s
Parque Rosedal, as well
as Carnaval celebrations
in February. d Gallery
Nights: www.artealdia.com
• Noche de los Museos:
www.lanochedelosmuseos.
com.ar
Free Tours ^ The city government
runs free guided visits to
historically important
neighborhoods and
buildings, and themed
tours on personalities
such as Evita and
Borges. Check the official
tourist website (see
p102), which also has
downloadable city-audio
tours in English and
Spanish. For more free
guided tours, contact
Cicerones, a nongovernment
organization
that works with over 70
bilingual guides. Simply
fill out the online form.
d www.cicerones.org.ar
Cheap Stays & Hostels are your best
bet for cheap stays.
Many have double and
twin rooms available at
modest rates. You will
also benefit from the use
of the kitchen, fridge,
laundry, and lounge areas
(see p117).
* Launderettes
Launderettes are very
cheap and ubiquitous,
found everywhere along
side streets off main
avenues. A same-day
service for a large bag of
clothing typically costs
around US$4 to wash
and tumble-dry. Ask at
your hotel reception for
the nearest launderette.
( Cheap Movies
and Theater
Movie theater tickets
are half-price from
Monday to Wednesday
and for mid-day and
afternoon screenings
throughout the week.
State-run stage theaters
offer discounted entry
once a week.
) Picnics
Buying lunch every
day can be expensive.
Instead, store bread,
fruit, cheese, and cold
meats in the fridge at
your place of accommodation
and pack lunch for
the day. You can safely
drink tap water.
Most parks and gardens in Buenos Aires stay open from 8am to
7pm in summer, closing 1 hour earlier in winter.
Streetsmart 107