When you move to a new country there are a lot of things you need to do to get yourself established. Find a place to live, get a job, make new friends, learn the language, learn to sidestep the dog poo and holes in the pavement and so on. It’s not surprising that things like exercise and playing sport take a back seat.
On the other hand, look at it this way: if you’re living in Buenos Aires, you’re already on an Atkins diet, why not go the whole hog and exercise as well? When you go home, either for a visit or for good, your trim, muscular physique will be the envy of all your friends.
What are the options for endeavors of a sporting nature in Buenos Aires though? Let’s take a look at four of them.
#1: Yoga and Pilates
Alright these are not exactly sports, but yoga and Pilates are very good for you AND a lot cheaper here than they would be back home (…probably, depending on where home is exactly).
If you’ve ever walked through Palermo (and it would be very strange if you hadn’t), you’ll have noticed that there are a lot of Pilates and yoga studios there. They’re well and truly established in Buenos Aires and if you want to give them a try you’ll find no shortage of options.
For yoga, you might try Buena Onda Yoga. They do classes in Belgrano, Palermo, Recoleta and San Telmo and are constantly well-reviewed by participants. The classes are given by expat women who teach in Spanish and English.
For Pilates, Corporea is a good outfit with many studios. Their classes have a maximum of four people and they have English-speaking instructors. They charge ARG$100 per month for one class a week with machines.
#2: Baseball
Baseball? In Buenos Aires? Believe it or not, it does exist – there are numerous local weekend tournaments, for example the Liga Metro de Beisball, which is run out near the Ezeiza airport.
As for getting yourself into a team, you could a lot worse than checking out Shankees Baseball which is, as you probably guessed, an expat baseball team. They meet in Plaza Italia every Saturday afternoon, and go by shuttle bus to the various baseball fields in Buenos Aires to do battle with local teams.
#3: Polo
Polo is of course stupidly huge in Argentina. Maybe you’ve already been to a match or bought a Kevingston shirt, but that doesn’t really compare to actually trying to learn to play this sport of kings…and sheikhs, princes, millionaires and every other kind of modern royalty.
To get your start in polo if you’ve never played before, you might want to visit an estancia (ranch) outside of Buenos Aires for an intensive crash course. A good choice is La Escondida , which has a polo club that has been running for 20 years. Contact them for further details via the website.
You might also check out the information posted here by a user on the Buenos Aires Expats message boards about a polo club in Cañuelas. It certainly sounds like a good option if you decide you like polo and want to play regularly without paying too much.
#4: Football (soccer)
Why football? Well it IS the unofficial national sport of Argentina, adored by millions of people here and hundreds upon hundreds of millions more worldwide. They can’t all be wrong!
If you decide you want to strap on a pair of boots and hit the cancha (field) but don’t know where to find a team, your best bet may be Buenos Aires Fútbol Amigos (BAFA). And who or what are they? BAFA is a group of local and expat football-lovers. They organize games (and asados) and everyone is welcome to come and play, whether they’re a rank beginner or the next Messi. One blogger describes BAFA as “the oddest assortment of characters since the Cantina scene in Star Wars,” and that’s entirely accurate! Games are played games on Tuesdays and Thursdays in San Telmo and on Saturdays in Palermo (check the website for exact details).
13 Comments on “Playing Sports in Buenos Aires”
MESSI IS A GOLDEN GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
about soccer, it is not the national sport in Argentina. The national sport is ” El Pato ”
go to http://www.en.argentina.ar/_en/sports/C480-pato-argentinas-national-sport.php
to read about
Thanks
Firstly, love the site. Really a ton of helpful stuff on here.
Do you know if there’s anywhere I could get in on a pickup basketball game while I’m down here?
You forgot basketball! I’ll be moving down there in March ’11 and would love to know where I can find some games. Scouted the parks of Palermo with google maps but didn’t find too many courts.
You can play American Football too in Buenos Aires: http://www.faarg.com.ar.
This is an amateur league, but it’s still developing.
PJ: Basketball is a very popular sport here in Argentina. You could check basket clubs if you want to play, you could enter some amateur tournaments 🙂
Any ideas on where to start looking for a public basketball court in Recoleta?
These are two places my friend told me when I asked about basketball courts.
Ateneo de Juventud. Riobamba 165. Tel – 4372-1106
Pick up games are Monday and Thursday nights, and on Saturdays around 3:30. Membership required (daily or monthly passes available)
Sportclub Almargo. Medrano 522. Tel – 4864-5226
Call or ask around for specific times.
Been playing football with BAFA and I love it. Would like to try out the polo one day too, but I think I should learn to ride a horse first. Any cheap spots for that?
Tengo 55 años y quiero saber de un grupo de gente de mi edad que camine en la Plaza de Villa Devoto, sé que los hay, pero no puedo ubicar ningún contacto.Gracias, por fevor contestenme.
If you are into running there a lots of running groups and running trails around the city. There is also the running group with a drinking problem (or is that the other way around!) Buenos Aires Hash House – http://www.buenosaireshashhouseharriers.blogspot.com/
Looking for some spinning classes in the San Telmo area….otherwise I’ll leave my shoes home: )
What about Ultimate Frisbee? I have fallen in love with the sport in the US and will be in Argentina for a year. I hope the sport is played down there.
Hi all — Looking to play some outdoor sports in Buenos Aires — preferably join some kind of a co-ed team (basketball, soccer, tennis, american football, kickball, etc.). Moved to BA a couple months ago (temporarily in Recoleta now, but will be in Las Canitas permanently as of July 1st). Please let me know if you came across anything good! Thanks.