The ultimate guide to the neighborhoods of Buenos Aires

Argentina's capital is a vibrant, buzzing metropolis that storms the senses and quickly gets under your skin, but there's more to Buenos Aires than swanky Recoleta and fashionable Palermo. This is a city to discover slowly, roaming from district to district to soak up the vibe.

It can be hard to know where to begin in this sprawling city, but there's at least one neighborhood that's a perfect match for your travel tastes. Buenos Aires is officially divided into 48 barrios, and each has a distinctive atmosphere and personality. Getting from barrio to barrio is easy by bus, subway or taxi.

Spending time in different areas of Buenos Aires offers a big payoff, as the city’s true character is slowly revealed. Here's the inside track on where to head for daytime sightseeing and where to go to experience Buenos Aires’ legendary restaurants and nightlife.

1. Palermo

Best neighborhood for shopping and nightlife

Buenos Aires’ largest neighborhood is Palermo, a fashionable district known for its shops, restaurants and lively nightlife, where locals come to keep up with the latest trends. It's an excellent option for those who want to be close to the action, with plenty of accommodation options ranging from pocket-friendly hostels to cool boutique hotels.

Almost everyone who comes to Buenos Aires spends time in Palermo, and the neighborhood is subdivided into several smaller communities. To the north of Avenida Juan B Justo is Palermo Hollywood, an area full of music venues, media companies, and cafes where media types come to sip flat whites.

To the south is Palermo Soho, an area packed with boutiques, cocktail bars and restaurants. For some of the city’s best steak, try Parilla Don Julio at Guatemala 4691. The Subte (subway) runs to the city center from Plaza Italia and to the east are several large, family-friendly parks, the respected MALBA art museum and the Museo Evita, a museum dedicated to Argentinian icon Evita Perón.

2. Recoleta

Best neighborhood for architecture

Spend time in swish Recoleta and you'll quickly understand why Buenos Aires is sometimes called the Paris of the South. Stroll the streets of this upmarket neighborhood and gawp at the French-influenced architecture of grand mansions such as Palacio Duhau (now a swanky hotel), many of them built by wealthy cattle ranch owners in the early 20th century when Buenos Aires was one of the richest cities in the world. Avenida Alvear is a good place to start.

A day in this neighborhood wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the neighborhood's magnificent cemetery – it sounds macabre, but admiring the elegant tombs is one of the best free things to do in Buenos Aires. Be sure to stop for an ice cream at Persicco or Rapanui.

3. San Telmo

Best neighborhood for antiques and street tango

San Telmo’s history can be seen in the crumbling mansions of the city’s early residents, which by the late 19th century had been repurposed as tenement housing for the poor. It was in the shared courtyards of these buildings that the tango first emerged. The tango's mix of European and African influences reflects the neighborhood’s rich diversity.

On Sundays, the neighborhood fills with tourists and locals who come to browse the craft and antiques stalls at the Feria de San Telmo street market, which runs along cobbled Calle Defensa. In Plaza Dorrego, street performers dance the tango next to the outdoor tables of old-school cafes such as Bar Plaza Dorrego.

Though there's a high tourist footfall here, the barrio retains a down-to-earth feel, with plenty of the edgy street art that Buenos Aires has become known for. The historic Mercado de San Telmo is an atmospheric place to shop for groceries before moving on to the excellent bars, restaurants, live music and tango venues that make San Telmo such a popular traveler base.

4. La Boca

Best neighborhood for soccer fans

The working-class neighborhood of La Boca is famous for its soccer team, Boca Juniors, who play home games at the legendary La Bombonera stadium. Tourists snap photos of the colorful houses of El Caminito, an open-air art installation representing the traditional shacks of the Genoese port workers who immigrated to the city in the late 1800s.

Nearby are two worthwhile art galleries, the Museo Benito Quinquela Martín and the Fundación Proa; if you visit the latter, head to the rooftop cafe for views of the river. For safety reasons, tourists should visit during the day and not stick around after dark.

5. Almagro

Best neighborhood for a thriving arts scene

Almagro is a residential neighborhood with a thriving arts scene and some of the city’s best restaurants. It's also a good nightlife destination, with old-time bars such as soccer-flag-covered El Bandarín, and lively tango venues, including the bohemian La Catedral.

Timeless cafes such as Las Violetas are local landmarks, and there are some cutting-edge arts venues, cultural centers and theaters here – all good reasons to visit for an evening out. Almagro makes a great place to stay for those planning a longer stint in the city.

6. Microcentro

Best neighborhood for sightseeing

The district informally known as the microcentro (city center) is not in the geographical center of the city, but is considered the city’s heart. This is the center of government and finance and the place from where the city’s main avenues emerge and branch out into the surrounding neighborhoods.

The official barrios that form the district are Monserrat and San Nicolás. Every visitor to Buenos Aires will want to see Plaza de Mayo, where so many of Argentina’s most important historic events took place, and the famous balcony of the Casa Rosada presidential building from which Eva Perón addressed the crowds gathered below.

From here, stroll down elegant Avenida de Mayo and cross the 12-lane-wide Avenida 9 de Julio – passing the iconic Obelisco – to see the legislative buildings and nearby Palacio Barolo. There isn't much nightlife here; it's best to come during the day.

7. Chacarita

Best neighborhood for foodies

Many tourists don’t make it as far as Chacarita, but there's so much here to explore. The neighborhood is home to both long-time residents who watch the world go by from the sidewalks and the younger porteños who fuel Chacarita's vibrant cultural life.

Look out for street art, and be sure to check out the neighborhood’s up-and-coming restaurants – Chacarita has an excellent emerging foodie scene. Don’t leave without sampling a greasy, doughy slice from the classic pizzeria El Imperio de la Pizza at Avenida Corrientes 6891.

The neighborhood’s most worthwhile sight is the atmospheric Cementerio de la Chacarita, which contains the mausoleum of tango singer Carlos Gardel. Outside the cemetery gates sit a number of flower sellers with colorful stalls of fragrant bouquets.