Question 1

Buenos Aires on Your Own

Accepted Answer

Buenos Aires is a big city, and the sights are a taxi ride from the cruise terminal rather than a walk, so an independent day means picking one or two neighborhoods. Pair Plaza de Mayo with Recoleta, or San Telmo with La Boca, rather than trying for all four. Getting a safe taxi: Book ahead where you can, or hail only a radio taxi with a clearly visible logo on its doors, and make sure the meter is running. Plaza de Mayo: About 20 minutes by taxi, the square is lined by the Cathedral and the Casa Rosada, the seat of the national government. Recoleta: The cemetery, also about 20 minutes away, is open daily from 08:00 to 18:00. La Boca: In La Boca, stay inside the Caminito tourist area, where police patrols are easy to see. Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own, and the taxi times above stretch in traffic. Paying by card: You may need to show your passport when you pay by credit card, so keep a copy of it somewhere safe.

Question 2

Getting Around

Accepted Answer

Book a taxi ahead where you can, and if you hail one in the street, take only a radio taxi, marked with a clearly visible logo. Make sure the meter is running. Buses and the subte, the subway, use the SUBE card, sold at kiosks and subway stations and topped up with cash. The subte runs from about 05:00 to 22:00, starting at 08:00 on Sundays. Keep bags close and valuables out of sight at the cruise and ferry terminals and in busy areas such as San Telmo, La Boca, Florida Street and around the Obelisco.

Question 3

Food

Accepted Answer

Asado, the Argentine barbecue, is the meal to plan around, and it usually comes with chimichurri, a sauce of herbs, garlic and vinegar. Empanadas and a milanesa are the quicker options. Before the main cuts, a grill meal often starts with provoleta, provolone grilled with oregano, and choripán, a sausage sandwich. Empanadas are folded pastries whose crimped edge, the repulgue, tells you the filling. A milanesa a caballo is breaded meat topped with a fried egg. Alfajores are cookies sandwiched with dulce de leche or fruit paste. Café Tortoni, in the historic center, is a classic stop for coffee and medialunas, though there can be a line.

Question 4

Tipping and Currency

Accepted Answer

Tipping is not required in Argentina, but it is customary in restaurants and cafés, where leaving about 10 percent is considered polite. Some restaurants add a table charge instead. If the bill already includes a cubierto, a charge for table service, a tip is not expected. Staff often prefer the tip in cash, even when you pay the bill by card. Taxi drivers do not expect a tip, and tipping bartenders is not customary.

Question 5

Recoleta and La Boca

Accepted Answer

Recoleta Cemetery is open daily from 08:00 to 18:00, and more than 90 of its tombs are national historic monuments. Caminito in La Boca is a short street of brightly painted houses that works as an open-air museum. Eva Perón's tomb is among the most visited in Recoleta. Free guided tours of the cemetery in Spanish start at 11:00 and 14:00 from Tuesday to Friday, and at 11:00 and 15:00 on weekends and public holidays. In La Boca, stay inside the Caminito tourist area, where police patrols are easy to see. The Tourist Police, who wear flags on their uniforms for the languages they speak, patrol the main tourist areas and can help if you lose your passport.

Question 6

A Brief History

Accepted Answer

Buenos Aires was founded, abandoned and founded again in the 16th century, became the seat of a Spanish viceroyalty, and led the break with Spain in 1810. Immigration in the 19th century shaped the city you see today. First founding, 1536: Pedro de Mendoza founded Buenos Aires on 2 February 1536, but attacks by Indigenous peoples led to the settlement being abandoned in 1542. Second founding, 1580: Juan de Garay founded it again, for good, on 11 June 1580, after sailing down the Paraná River from Asunción. A viceroyalty: Under King Charles III of Spain the city became the capital of the new Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. The May Revolution, 1810: The revolution of May 1810 removed the viceroy, Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros, and began Argentina's War of Independence. A federal capital, 1880: In 1880 the city was federalized and separated from Buenos Aires Province. The Cabildo: The old town council building on Plaza de Mayo was declared a national historic monument in 1933 and opened as a museum in 1938. Caminito: After a railroad line closed in 1954, the painter Benito Quinquela Martín, who lived nearby, spent three years painting the walls along the abandoned street, and by 1960 it had a stage at its southern end. To learn more ashore: The museum in the Cabildo of Buenos Aires, at Bolívar 65 facing Plaza de Mayo, is about 20 minutes from the cruise terminal by taxi.

Question 7

Accessibility

Accepted Answer

Puerto Madero is generally easier going for wheelchair users and slow walkers than the older districts. In San Telmo, La Boca and parts of Recoleta, expect cobblestones and uneven sidewalks. Those older districts also bring crowds and changes in curb height. Ask museums, cafés and tango venues about a step-free entrance before you set out, and leave extra time. Every sight is a taxi ride from the terminal, so book a car that suits your needs before you go ashore.

Question 8

Shopping & Local Markets

Accepted Answer

San Telmo is at its busiest on Sundays, when its weekly street fair and flea market draw residents and visitors alike. Argentina's currency is the peso, so check the current exchange arrangements before you travel. Bring your own water to the fair, because it is expensive there. You may be asked to show your passport when you pay by credit card. Exchange offices, called cambios, line Florida and Lavalle streets and the banking district known as La City, and they ask for your passport.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

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