The Paris of the South
The tango. Just that one word has likely already put a picture in your mind and that picture embodies everything that is Buenos Aires, Argentina. With Air New Zealand flying direct from Auckland to Buenos Aires, South America has never looked so appealing. The food, the culture, the history…everything about the city calls out to the intrepid traveller who is in search of something new and unique.
The city itself is rich in history; known as the Paris of the South, it is a city filled with an eclectic mix of Europe and Latin America both architecturally and culturally. Around thirteen million people call the greater Buenos Aires region home, a lot of which were immigrants (or descendants) from Europe travelling into one of the largest ports in South America. Its grand buildings once stood tall in the capital city in what was one of the wealthiest nations in the world. Things have changed since then, but there are various ways to pay homage to the city’s past.
One of the best ways is by touring the Casa Rosada Museum. The building dates back to the second founding of the city in 1580. First built as a fort to protect the city from invasions, it was later converted to a customs house named Aduana Taylor making it the first major public building in Argentina. Today the museum houses 200 years worth of Argentine history in its artifacts and over 400 years worth in the remains of the old brick walls. Recoleta Cemetery is another tribute to the past (literally) and the resting place to many famous Argentinians. Despite the somber atmosphere, the paths are lined with over 6,400 coffins, tombs, statues, and sarcophagi making it a labyrinth of the dead. With dark tourism on the rise it’s becoming a popular stop. In our itineraries, we are able to offer some great walking tours that may start or finish at the cemetery. Since there is so much to see, this way you can get a great overview from a guide and then go off explore more on your own (if you’re not too scared to be wandering alone in a cemetery)!
Outside of the wonderment of the city, it’s only a short 2 hour flight to the UNESCO world heritage Iguazu Falls where you can view the collection of 275 waterfalls from either the Argentinian side or the Brazilian side. It’s a great add-on that you will not regret!
Today, Buenos Aires beautifully intertwines history with modernity and with the conversion of the New Zealand dollar to the Argentinian Peso, your dollar will go a lot further. Have a few days to spare, why not hop over for a short break? Or are you looking for somewhere to break up your journey on the way to Europe? Air New Zealand and the Lufthansa group offer Buenos Aires as a standard stopover meaning that you’re not going out of your way. Click here to take a sneak peek at just a sample itinerary that we have put together to whet your appetite.