Buenos Aires, Porteña Culture & Society

Culture is in the fabric of the porteñan way of life; from amongst its cobbled streets and ancient trees we can take a journey down the years, with coffee house anecdotes and long nights at the bar… here the history of Buenos Aires has been and continues to be written, filled with art and the avant-garde.

In the capital we find the bars that represent the old guard of porteñan life. From the café Tornoni in Avenida de Mayo, la Girarlda  and la Paz in Corrientes, el Británico in el Parque Lezama and Las Violetas on Medrano and Rivadavia… All of them have kept that magic, that je ne sais quoi; with their coffee bar myths & legends, quick drinks, stories, get-togethers… here you can find the genesis of the porteñan character… stubborn and noisy, but warm and always available to help their friends.

The stories of many of these bars were forged and shaped by some of the great personalities of porteñan society; in “el bar de los notables” sat, amongst others, Quinquela Martín, Alfonsina Storni, Carlos Gardel y Federico García Lorca… to have a stroll around the coffee bars in the capital is to be reminded of busy streets, of that porteñan humidity and of that unmistakable accent, which all together gives us this incredible city placed on the bank of the Rio de la Plata.

There are exhibitions of paintings, photography, sculpture and digital art.  One can also see works of art on show in public, from classic sculptures to those with a Tango motif in Caminito (La Boca) and in el pasaje Jean Jeaurés (Abasto).

Caminito warrants its own special paragraph… it represents the essence of Buenos Aires itself; both a museum and a traditional street, it reflects the porteñan spirit… cobbled streets, the river on one side, houses almost on top of each other like they had been built as if in a jigsaw, methodically painted in lively colours with picturesque balconies that symbolize a barrio, a passion… tango, asado, football… Caminito is its people, it is Buenos Aires.

Buenos Aires, a city that doesn’t sleep

Recoleta is our first destination. This wealthy barrio is an area of wide historical and architectural interest, it is an important tourist and cultural focal point within the city… Recoleta asks us to walk round its streets, to experience the tango and to appreciate its museums, such as the national museum of fine arts in the cultural centre of Recoleta or the Palais de Glace.

Another alternative is Puerto Madero… the old port of Buenos Aires was restored in its totality and now has a slick appearance, excellent restaurants, modern offices, “el Puente de la Mujer”, the fountain de las Nereidas, university faculties, bars, a casino and plenty of other attractions.  This ancient port has transformed itself into a porteñan classic by the Rio de la Plata.

At night time, San Telmo moves into its own. It’s another almost compulsory destination when you are organizing your time in Buenos Aires… it is one of the most unchanged areas in a Buenos Aires which is always changing. San Telmo is famous for its colonial mansions and its street traders. On Saturday afternoons and on Sundays all day, la Plaza Dorrego is transformed into a beehive of people… a huge mix of different colours and songs… both old and young can enjoy the tango shows, puppeteers, live ‘statues’, carnival dancing and plenty more… at dusk, a cold beer in the square… amongst the music and the jugglers, the street art, the magicians… Buenos Aires gives us so many happy memories.

At nighttime a candlelit dinner in Las Cañitas… by day it is a very peaceful area with little traffic. Near the polo club, Las Cañitas looks like a tranquil place of wealth and style… by night it is another story… the large number of bars, restaurants, pubs and nightclubs make Las Cañitas the place to be if you want to party the night away.

Here we end our long journey around the capital city, there are so many attractions and great places that we always forget something. There is inevitably something unsaid… but ultimately we simply love Buenos Aires in all its glory, the memories that you take away are inextinguishable. They will be with you forever...