Port guide: Buenos Aires, Argentina

You don’t have to look hard for a good time in Buenos Aires, a city passionate about tango, football, political demonstrations and juicy steaks.

Who goes there

Buenos Aires is a fulcrum for ships sailing down from the Caribbean and onwards on Patagonian cruises that often finish in Valparaiso (Santiago) on the other side of the continent. Holland America, Oceania, Ponant, Silversea, Royal Caribbean and Viking are among the variety that visit. Big ships might also take in Antarctica, but be warned – these are only scenic sailings sometimes cancelled by the weather, and passengers don’t disembark.

Puerto Madero skyline from Buenos Aires Cruise Port.Credit: iStock

Sail on in

The silt-filled, coffee-coloured Plate River estuary is so wide that you’ll see neither Uruguay on one side nor Argentina on the other as you sail in from the South Atlantic. As you approach Buenos Aires it puts its most modern face forward, since you’ll see glittering Puerto Madero waterfront redevelopment.

Berth rites

Ships dock conveniently near downtown Buenos Aires in a shabby, rusting port. Benito Quinquela Martin Passenger Terminal (named for a 20th-century artist) is a cavernous warehouse for the functional processing of passengers, and devoid of decoration but for a stirring socialist fresco of manly dockworkers. Expect a cafe and a few souvenir shops. You have to get a shuttle bus from cruise terminal to ship through a busy working harbour.

Before and after

A night or two is enough unless you have a particular interest such as tango. Esplendor Buenos Aires is well located near shopping drag Calle Florida and has an art-hotel vibe. If you’re into nightlife, try Home Hotel or other boutique digs in trendy Palermo district.

Going ashore

Spanish-colonial Plaza de Mayo is dominated by the pink presidential palace, Cabildo (town hall) and cathedral. Head to upmarket Recoleta for its fabulously ornate, horror-movie cemetery, stuffed with eminent Argentine corpses including that of Eva Peron (Evita). Bohemian district San Telmo features cobblestones, street art, antiques shops and a covered food market.

Don’t miss

The colourful main square of the Camanito in the La Boca neighbourhood.Credit: iStock

Harbour-side La Boca district is touristy, tacky and the focus of many shore excursions. Yet although a cliche, you’ll be seduced by the cheerful atmosphere, colourfully painted buildings and street artists daubing dodgy paintings or dancing the tango. Bombonera soccer stadium, home to Boca Juniors, provides an enthusiastically noisy local cultural experience.

Get active

Buenos Aires is pancake flat and has some good cycle lanes and a public bike-share system called Ecobici which is free, although you have to register as a user. But what better way to get exercise than to take tango classes? Many tango schools offer classes at all levels of experience for about $75. If you already know what you’re doing, then dance the night away at a milonga or tango club.

Best bites

Gorge yourself on empanadas (a variety of pie, most commonly with a beef or cheese filling), choripan (a delicious chorizo sausage sandwich) and pastries rich in dulce de leche caramel. Thanks to the Italian immigrant influence, pasta is great, but there’s no better Argentine dinner than steak and Malbec wine. Trendy Palermo Viejo has many hip restaurants including La Cabrera, perhaps the city’s best steakhouse.

Further afield

Excursions beyond the city take you to the bird-rich Tigre Delta or an estancia (ranch) for a taste of cowboy life. Delightful Colonia del Sacramento just across the water in Uruguay has a World Heritage old town in colourful pastel shades. It’s usually visited on shore excursions from Montevideo but is actually easier and quicker to get to from Buenos Aires on a one-hour ferry ride that you can do yourself, or with a local day-tour company.