Top 10 Buenos Aires

Around Town – Microcentro, Puerto Madero & Retiro
82
Lunch – Microcentro Style
For people who take a sandwich
back to the computer, the
lunchtime customs of
Microcentro’s workers might
inspire admiration and jealousy.
Workers eat out at a restaurant or
a shady patch of Plaza de Mayo.
A coffee follows at Martínez or
Havanna, and in good weather, a
short nap under a palm. Two
hours later, it is back to work.
% Puente de la Mujer
When opened in December
2001, Spanish architect Sergio
Calatrava’s Puente de la Mujer,
so called for the streets in
Puerto Madero bearing names of
famous Argentinian women, was
intended to herald the city’s
entry into the 21st century. However,
the government’s collapse
stole the bridge’s headlines. Its
striking form cannot be denied
though, evoking a male dancer
pressing into his female partner
in clear, elegant homage to the
tango. d Map G2 • Dique 3
Reserva Ecológica ^ Costanera Sur
A network of gravel paths wind
through this stupendous ecological
reserve. High marsh
grasses, ombú trees, and
The elegant Puente de la Mujer
flowering bushes play host to
seabirds, lizards, and songbirds.
Shaded picnic areas, popular on
warm days, afford unimpeded
river views. Check the website
for guided moonlit tours.
d Map H1 • Avda. Tristán Achával
Rodríguez 1550 • 4315-4129 • Open Apr–
Oct: 8am–6pm Tue–Sun; Nov–Mar: 8am–
7pm Tue–Sun • www.buenosaires.gov.ar
Basilica Nuestra Señora
& de la Merced
This 1779 basilica set amid
Microcentro’s bustle is the third
Our Lady of Mercy on this site,
the first dating back to 1604.
Baroque and gilded, its altars are
some of the city’s finest. Also
notable is its façade’s politicized
relief, depicting General Belgrano
(1770–1820) offering victory
trophies to the Señora, earned in
battle against the Spanish. d Map
F1 • Calle Reconquista 207 • Open
8am–7pm daily
* Museo Mitre
Reopened in 2008 after
restoration, the former residence
of mid-19th-century president
Bartólome Mitre presents a
detailed view of how he lived
the semi-retired life amidst
Microcentro’s madness. His
formidable library and reading