December 25, 2013

Travel: Places To Go & Things To Do in Buenos Aires

: HalloweenHJB / Foter.com / CC BY

We are now approaching the season to visit South America, especially places like Buenos Aires.

We know international travel can be just as daunting as it is exciting but the intimidation of a foreign city shouldn’t keep a traveler from experiencing authentic, non-tourist attractions. Parker Stanberry, co-founder of Oasis Collections and Buenos Aires resident, offers tips on the best places to go and things to do in Buenos Aires for a true local experience. Oasis Collections is a dynamic, full-service hospitality company dedicated to pairing vacation and business travelers with distinctive properties in South America’s most sought-after destinations including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay. Founded in 2009, Oasis distinguishes itself not only with its handpicked, design-oriented portfolio, but also by offering an exceptional level of professionalism, personalized attention and an on-the-ground, insiders’ perspective that comes from years of traveling to and living in its destinations.

1) Feria de Mataderos

Surprisingly you don’t need to leave the city to explore Argentina’s gaucho culture. Colorfully dressed locals perform chacareras (country dances) to the folk music played on stage; and gauchos young and old gallop past the crowds to compete in traditional contests at the most ferocious speeds.

Over 100 stalls sell leather crafts, metalwork, handicrafts, and local foods. The all day BBQ serves up huge chunks of meat and sausages, creating a smoky haze over the rest of the market. You’ll also find ladies dishing up locro, a traditional meat stew, and empanadas with a range of fillings.

Fería de Mataderos is held every Sunday (Saturday evenings in the summer) from 11am – 8pm.

2) Puertas Cerradas
Puerta Cerrada (closed door) restaurants in private homes are popular in Buenos Aires and make a unique eating experience. Our two favorites are:

12 Servilletas: Open Fridays and Saturdays at the home of food journalist and chef Ernesto. His 4 course menu changes every week and is heavily travel influenced with specialties from Peru, India, Italy, Spain, Greece, etc. Capacity is only 25 for the evening and reservations are a must.

I Latina: Top notch Caribbean/Colombia cuisine with excellent service. We recommend you book well in advance.

3) Chacarita Cemetery
The Recoleta cemetery is home to Evita Peron’s gravesite and is possibly Buenos Aires’s most popular tourist attraction. But what many visitors don’t know is that the Chacarita Cemetery is almost 20 times larger and more architecturally stunning than Recoleta.

4) El Galpon Organic Market
El Galpon sneaks up on us in surprisingly green ways complete with a recycling infrastructure run by the homeless.

Under this tin-roofed warehouse you’ll find everything from fresh yogurt, medicinal herbs, freshly picked produce, honey, organic wines, and more. The market is located at Av Federico Lacroze 4171 and is only open on Wednesdays from 9 am – 1 pm and Sundays from 10 am – 6 pm.

5) Patio del Liceo
Home to five new galleries, a photo studio, radio station and more, Patio del Liceo (Santa Fe Avenue 2729) is the epicenter of the city’s young gallery and design scene. It also has become a shopping hot spot and a cult fave for young indie shoppers seeking an alternative to big name brands.