Neighborhood Guides

Navigate the pages below to learn about the distinct and vibrate neighborhoods (barrios) of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Each page contains everything you need to know about each barrio. Things to do/see, nightlife, restaurants, etc. Enjoy!

Villa Crespo
Villa Crespo is the barrio just southwest of Palermo, which has resulted in some real estate agents calling it ‘Palermo Queens.’ Whatever the case may be, Villa Crespo hasn’t been Palermofied just yet, making it a great time to stay there, live there, or just go there for a stroll around or a night out. Read on to find out more.

Caballito
The Buenos Aires barrio of Caballito borders Villa Crespo to the north, Almagro and Boedo to the east, Parque Chacabuco to the south, and Miter Villa & Flores to the west. Caballito maintains a pretty low profile, despite being in the exact geographic center of the city…and despite that intriguing name. Caballito means, of course, ‘little horse.’ So what’s up with that – did it used to be the best place in town to get a pony ride?

Almagro
Directly west of the Microcentro, just after Balvanera (informally split into and known as Congreso, Once and Abasto), we find the Buenos Aires barrio of Almagro. It lies between Avenidas Indepencia and Cordoba, and is split in two by Avenida Rivadavia, one of the city’s main arteries.

La Boca
La Boca is famously the place to find two attractions which most, if not all, visitors to Buenos Aires will want to see: the fútbol stadium ‘La Bombonera,’ and Caminito, the colorful artists’ street by the water. Does it offer more than these two attractions? You’ll have to read on to find out!

San Telmo
Blessed with cobblestoned streets, a crumbling, faded grandeur, an amazing weekly street market and many good places to eat and drink, San Telmo is a Buenos Aires barrio that simply cannot be missed.

Barracas
Never heard of the large southeastern barrio of Barracas? Well maybe that’s because this isn’t the 19th century! Back then it was very much the place to be…Then along came the yellow fever epidemic and everything changed. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s delve into the past and the present of this infrequently traveled barrio.

Puerta Madero
Buenos Aires is, famously, a city with its face turned away from the water. So what about the barrio that’s right on the water, Puerto Madero? Well the short answer is: you won’t find an area less like Buenos Aires anywhere else in Buenos Aires. A TGI Friday’s within walking distance of a Hooters…no holes in the sidewalks…say whaaat? Read on for more about this strangest of barrios.

Palermo Soho
Palermo Soho is a chunk of Palermo: specifically, the chunk of Palermo Viejo (which itself is a sub-barrio, specifically the area bordered by Santa Fe, Córdoba, Dorrego and Coronel Díaz) that’s south-west of Juan B. Justo and that contains Plaza Serrano. Littered with cafés, restaurants and boutiques in low-rise buildings, Palermo Soho is trendy, creative, chic, young, cool.

Palermo Hollywood
Palermo Hollywood, is the colloquial name for the section of Palermo Viejo (which, for the map lovers, is the half of Palermo that’s bordered by Santa Fe, Córdoba, Dorrego and Coronel Díaz) that lies between Juan B. Justo and Dorrego. There are a lot of radio and television studios in the area – hence the name – but now it’s more known for its nightlife, which includes some of the best restaurants, bar and clubs in the city.

Recoleta
With its lavish stately homes and plush hotels, Recoleta is considered by many to be the most affluent neighborhood in Buenos Aires. It is also an area of immense historical interest, namely the impressive Recoleta Cemetery.

Nuñez
Nuñez is the northernmost barrio of the Capital Federal zone of Buenos Aires, after which begin the northern suburbs of Buenos Aires Provincia. The neighborhood is well-known for possessing a large following of River Plate Football Club, aka Los Millionarios (The Millionaires).

Belgrano
Besides ever-burgeoning Palermo, Belgrano is one of the largest barrios in Buenos Aires spanning an area of 6.8km. Although not instantly recognizable for its tourist attractions, it is a pleasant neighborhood for walking and admiring the residential homes.

Colegiales
Covering just over two square kilometers, Colegiales is one of Buenos Aires’ smaller barrios and a largely residential one at that. Known for its green spaces, Colegiales is squeezed between Belgrano, Chacarita and Palermo. Although not famed for tourism there are some interesting snippets of local history to discover.

Retiro
Retiro was once known for being one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Buenos Aires and is home to many of the city’s five star hotels. Today, amongst its grandeur, it is recognized as being the busiest overland transportation hub.

Constituciòn
Constitución is somewhat of anomaly amongst the barrios of Buenos Aires. On the one hand it is home to some impressive architecture dating back to colonial times, yet on the other hand its streets are blighted by drug trafficking, sex workers, 24-hour nightclubs and noise pollution.

Mataderos
Mataderos is a large and populous barrio situated in the southwest corner of Buenos Aires Capital Federal district that offers a mix of both city and rural life. Tradition runs deep here and visitors can often stumble across improvised lyric battles, known locally as payadas, taking place in the bars and on the street corners.

Monserrat
Monserrat is the barrio situated directly south of San Nicolas and forms part of Buenos Aires’ business district. It is a neighborhood steeped in local history and home to some of Argentina’s most significant public buildings.

San Nicolás
Often referred to as El Centro, San Nicolàs plays host to a great part of Buenos Aires’ financial district. With major streets such as Avenida 9 de Julio, Avenida Corrientes and Florida passing through it, San Nicolàs is a constantly animated neighborhood and offers many interesting aspects for visitors to the city.

Balvanera
Although one of the official barrios of Buenos Aires, Balvanera is more commonly referred to as three separate sub-barrios: Abasto, Congreso and Once. Balvanera is a heavily populated neighborhood that blends commerce and residential living. It is bordered by San Nicolas and Monserrat to the east, San Cristobal to the south, Almagro to the west, and Recoleta to the north.

Boedo
Boedo is traditionally a working class barrio situated in the mid-east area of Buenos Aires Capital Federal. The barrio is known for its influence in tango culture and its cafes were important meeting places for writers and musicians.

San Cristòbal
Since its early beginnings, San Cristóbal has been the nucleus of numerous important historical events in Buenos Aires. Traditionally, a fusion of local aristocratic families and foreigners, the barrio is recognized for being a cradle of the city’s tango culture. The barrio is bordered by Balvanera, Constitucion, Parque Patricios and Boedo.

Flores
Sprawling across almost 8-sq-km, Flores is one of the largest barrios of Buenos Aires and sits in the centre of the Buenos Aires city area. Classed as part of Buenos Aires Province until 1888, Flores claim to fame is that Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who became Pope Francis in 2013, was born and raised in the barrio.

Saavedra
Perched on the border of Capital Federal and Buenos Aires Province, Saavedra is a quieter city neighborhood and a largely residential one at that. Its main attractions are two large recreational parks – Parque Saavedra and Parque Sarmiento – and DOT Baires, the largest shopping center in Buenos Aires.

Chacarita
Believe it or not, there is a bigger cemetery than the one in Recoleta. It is not in the dead center of Buenos Aires City but in the quiet neighborhood of Chacarita, which is nestled between Colegiales, Palermo, Villa Crespo La Paternal and Villa Ortuzar.

Agronomìa
Agronomía is a small barrio in to the west of the city Buenos Aires. It is bordered by Parque Chas to the north, Paternal to the east, Villa del Parque and Villa Devoto to the south and Villa Pueyrredon and Villa Urquiza to the west.

Villa Urquiza
Villa Urquiza is mostly neglected by visitors to Buenos Aires as it is a highly residential area. But it is worth a visit as it shares some characteristics with Belgrano, being a middle-upper class neighborhood with beautiful old homes and modern apartment buildings.

Nueva Pompeya
Nueva Pompeya is a barrio situated southwest of Microcentro that provides an important transitory link between Capital Federal and the south. Its southernmost border is split between Avenida 27 de Febrero and the Riachuelo river, after which are towns of Buenos Aires Province.

Parque Chacabuco
Parque Chacabuco lies to the southwest of Microcentro and is named after the namesake park that is situated in the heart of the barrio. The barrio shares its borders with Boedo, Caballito, Flores and Nueva Pompeya.

Villa Devoto
Directly west of Buenos Aires Centro and on the border of La Provincia is the barrio of Villa Devoto. A quiet residential barrio, it is locally known as ‘El Jardin de la Ciudad’ (The Garden of Buenos Aires) due to its collection of tree-lined streets. In fact, Villa Devoto famously possesses more trees than any other barrio of Buenos Aires.

Alto Palermo
Although Palermo has been a popular barrio since its modern inception in the 1830s, Alto Palermo is a relatively new addition to the sub-barrios of Buenos Aires’ largest neighborhood. The area takes its name from the namesake shopping mall inaugurated in 1990. The introduction of the mall led to the area becoming one of the busiest shopping districts of the city.

Palermo Viejo
This is the oldest part of the barrio and occupies its southeastern corner. If you haven’t worked it out already, ‘Viejo’ means ‘Old’ in Spanish. The barrio actually incorporates both Palermo Hollywood and Palermo Soho. However, here we will concentrate on the eastern area bounded by Avenida Santa Fe to the north, Coronel Diaz to the east, Cordoba to the south, and Scalabrini Ortiz to the west.

Palermo Chico
Characteristic of Palermo’s many aliases; the barrio is also referred to as Barrio Parque. This is the place of millionaires and ambassadors, local television and sporting celebrities.

Las Cañitas
Las Cañitas is famed for possessing one of the biggest concentrations of bars and restaurants in the city, which give the nightlife of Palermo Hollywood a run for its money. A consequence of this is a large number of expats and vacationers residing in the area.