Buenos Aires, Capital city in South America, Argentina
Buenos Aires is the federal capital of Argentina, sitting on the western bank of the Río de la Plata estuary and divided into 48 neighborhoods. Broad tree-lined avenues cross through residential quarters where buildings in French and Italian Revival styles sit next to glass towers while public squares filled with purple jacaranda blooms separate street blocks.
Spanish explorer Pedro de Mendoza set up a small outpost in 1536 but the settlement collapsed after repeated conflicts. Juan de Garay returned in 1580 to refound the colony and European immigration waves in the late 19th century brought millions who reshaped the streetscape and social fabric.
Neighbors meet in corner cafes to share a gourd of mate and talk about how their football team played last Sunday. Weekend dinners often start late at grills where families spend hours eating slow-cooked meat and chatting between courses.
Trains, buses and six subway lines run from dawn until midnight with rechargeable cards sold at corner shops and station machines. Many shops close between midafternoon and evening while museums and galleries tend to shut their doors on Mondays throughout the year.
The city holds one of the highest concentrations of bookshops per capita anywhere on the planet and many stay open past midnight to serve night readers. The widest avenue in South America crosses through the center and takes at least three separate traffic signal phases to walk from one side to the other.
Location: Argentina
Inception: June 11, 1580
Elevation above the sea: 25 m
Part of: Greater Buenos Aires
Shares border with: Buenos Aires Province
Address: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Website: https://buenosaires.gob.ar
GPS coordinates: -34.60757,-58.43709
Latest update: December 2, 2025 19:54
Photo license: GFDL
Photo license: CC0
This collection features the ten most populous cities in South America, which account for more than half of the continent's population. São Paulo leads with 12 million inhabitants and serves as Brazil's economic hub, while Lima extends along the Pacific coast and Bogotá develops at 2620 meters above sea level in the Colombian Andes. Buenos Aires, Argentine capital known for its cuisine, borders Rio de Janeiro with its beaches lined by hills, and Santiago, nestled at the foot of the Andes. These large cities are the main political, economic, and cultural centers of their respective countries. Brazil alone has five metropolises in this ranking, including Brasília, the federal capital known for its modern architecture, as well as the coastal cities of Salvador and Fortaleza in the northeast of the country. Caracas in Venezuela and Lima in Peru complete this panorama of South American urban geography, each offering a different face of city development on the continent.
Buenos Aires reveals a patrimonial wealth that goes beyond the usual circuits. This collection gathers places that tell the story of the Argentine capital through its architecture, green spaces, and cultural institutions. From the XVIIIth-century tunnel network of El Zanjón de Granados to the 22 stories of Palacio Barolo, these sites reflect the city's urban evolution. The itinerary includes diverse sites such as Palermo's Japanese Garden with its ponds and pavilions, the Museo de Arte Español Enrique Larreta showcasing works from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, and the moving Floralis Genérica sculpture whose petals open at sunrise. Neighborhoods like San Telmo, Barracas, and Colegiales offer architectural discoveries such as 19th-century passages, facades decorated with mosaics on Calle Lanín, and the Mercado de las Pulgas filled with Argentine antiques. These locations allow exploring Buenos Aires beyond postcards and observe how the city has preserved its history while growing. Each site provides a different perspective on porteña culture, from Carlos Gardel’s tango to European and Asian influences shaping the city’s identity.
In Buenos Aires, climbing a few floors is enough to change the pace of the city. Up there, the racket turns into background noise, the lights turn on one by one, and the air feels lighter. The rooftops of the capital have become meeting points, suspended pauses where people come for a cocktail, a smile, or simply to watch the city breathe. In Recoleta, Palermo, San Telmo, or on the shores of Puerto Madero, each terrace tells another side of Buenos Aires: the modern, the bohemian, the romantic. In the evening, conversations blend with music, glasses clink, and facades light up to the horizon. These perched bars are more than scenery: they are part of the life above, one that is savored slowly, with the wind and the Southern light.
Mas Monumental Stadium
7 km
Obelisco de Buenos Aires
5.1 km
Movistar Arena Buenos Aires
1.8 km
Casa Rosada
6.1 km
Colón Theater
5 km
Libertadores de América Stadium
9.2 km
Recoleta Cemetery
4.6 km
Plaza de Mayo
6 km
Cabildo of Buenos Aires
5.8 km
Luna Park Stadium
6.3 km
National School of Buenos Aires
5.8 km
Puente de la Mujer
6.6 km
Barolo Palace
4.7 km
Buenos Aires Cathedral
5.8 km
National Museum of Immigration
6.4 km
Kavanagh building
5.9 km
José Amalfitani Stadium
8.3 km
Elefante Blanco Building
8.7 km
Palace of the Argentine National Congress
4.1 km
Navy Petty-Officers School of Mechanics
8.1 km
Floralis Genérica
4.9 km
Caminito
7.7 km
Libertad Palace, Domingo Faustino Sarmiento Cultural Center
6.2 km
Palace of Running Waters
3.9 km
Villa 1-11-14
4.8 km
Caseros Prison
4.8 km
National Museum of Fine Arts
4.8 km
El Ateneo Grand Splendid
4.1 kmReviews
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