Free Things Everyone Should Do in B.A.

For those of you who don't know me, I'm a planner. I plan everything - despite the fact that you just can't possibly account for certain things. I'm also a big fan of doing everything humanly possible when I travel and thankfully these planning skills come in handy.


Over the past 5 months, I've (re-)discovered some awesome activities that everyone should do if WHEN they visit B.A. :-) Since students and tourists are constantly pouring into the country, I thought I'd share a few...


..in no particular order..

• 9 de julio and the obelisk - walk across the widest street in the world and take a picture with the famous obelisk

• Reserva ecológica and the costanera sur - take a walk down on the trails by the river and forget that you're in the city. You'll be surrounded by a variety of trees, grasses, birds and other species
• Floralis generica - the giant metal flower that opens during the day and closes at night is a must-see!

• B.A. Free Tours - the best way to see B.A. is to walk and what better way to learn about a city than to go on a free walking tour! One covers everything from congreso to the casa rosada and the other focuses on aristocratic B.A. (Don't worry, they are English tours.)
• La Casa Rosada - on the weekend, take a tour of where the president works and see where Evita once lived

• Cementerio de Recoleta - wander the city's first public cemetery, where you can see the burial grounds of hundreds of famous Argentines... don't miss out on the short tour for some of the highlights
• Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (MNBA) - Home to the largest collection of Argentina’s national fine arts, however you can also see a great number of European pieces
• La Boca - see the colorful neighborhood on the edge of the city, where the houses are painted bright colors. Don't miss out on the caminito (its most famous street)

• Teatro Colon - attend a free function every month. It's an awesome way to experience the theater. (They also offer cheap tours...)
• Ferias - San Telmo and Plaza Francia are two big ferias (craft fairs) in the city that you should visit on the weekend, but you can undoubtedly find others throughout the city - Belgrano, Palermo (Plaza Serrano), Parque Centenario

Feria de San Telmo

• Florida - not the state, but rather the street that is filled with shops, street venders and tango shows -- rain or shine
• Puerto Madero - a clean, modern neighborhood filled with tall office buildings, ships and the puente de la mujer bridge. A good place to eat an asado or get coffee with some friends 

Asado