Where to stay

While the city stretches for miles along Argentina's coastline, the real heart of Buenos Aires is a his-toric downtown neighborhood around the Plaza de Mayo. It's home to numerous museums and the Casa Rosada, the Pink House which is the office of the President and from where Eva Perón famous-ly addressed supporters. Book a hotel here to attend an orchestra or ballet performance at the impres-sive Teatro Colón opera house. Stay in San Telmo to see a tango performance, take a class for begin-ners, or join an informal group dancing in a neighborhood park. Accommodations in Recoleta are close to the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, with an excellent collection of Latin American art. Stay on the eastern edge of Palermo to visit MALBA, a modern art collection in a contemporary architec-tural structure.

Within the very large city of Buenos Aires, parks and green public spaces provide areas to enjoy walking and other outdoor activities. Stay in Palermo to visit an eco-park and large botanical gardens, with pretty Japanese and rose garden sections and paddle boating on a lake. The huge sculpture Floralis Genérica, an animated silver flower which "blooms" every day, is nearby. Boutique hotels in Recoleta stand amid the tree-lined residential streets near the Recoleta Cemetery, where graves of well-known figures such as Eva Perón draw tourists to the peaceful space. Retiro and Microcentro are good neighborhoods to stay to enjoy the quiet of leafy Plaza San Martín. Book accommodations in Puerto Madero to walk along the artistic El Puente de la Mujer, or Woman's Bridge, and enjoy bird-watching at the huge nearby ecological reserve.

Puerto Madero is a beautifully redeveloped area along the eastern edge of Buenos Aires, on the banks of Rio de la Plata. Stay nearby to choose from a long row of restaurants offering fresh seafood, grilled beef, red wine, and other appetizing choices. Accommodations in San Telmo and La Boca are convenient for trying authentic Argentinean food such as Spanish omelets, calamari, and empanadas. Pizzerias line the sidewalks of Avenida Corrientes, just north of Almagro. Walk through any of the city's neighborhoods and look for a sign announcing panadería or confitería, a bakery or sweet shop that sells alfajores and other delectable treats.