Kicking off a week's worth of articles on the city famous for tango and Evita, but offering a whole lot more.
There are many flattering things to say about Buenos Aires, not the least of which is that it is rightly considered the Paris of South America for its architecture, cafe culture and romance. It has a dramatic history (thanks, Eva Peron), artistic and creative bona fides and city-wide dynamism.
One unflattering thing about BA is that it is loud, one of the noisiest cities on the planet, according to the World Health Organization. But there is a rhythm to that noise — a beat, a municipal pulse that resonates in the city’s soul. You can either try to dance to it or try to escape it as much as possible.
For Buenos Aires week, the line-up of articles gives you this very choice. Stories like “A perfect day in Buenos Aires” by Declan McGarvey is largely a walking tour in step with the city’s pulse and “Top 10 Buenos Aires experiences” by Bridget Gleeson is something of a dance card, with highlights worth checking off, whether it is your first visit to the city or your 10th. Once you are fired up to start really dancing, “Anyone for tango?” by Ms. Gleeson is your primer on how to get down with the famous and traditional dance, currently having a renaissance.
If you want escape the noise, read (and then visit) “The Recoleta Cemetery: Silent theatre and city of the dead” by Mr. McGarvey , about the quiet terminus of luminaries like Evita herself. And if you really want to get out of Dodge but still have an Argentine adventure, “Where have all the cowboys gone?” by Ms. Gleeson, details the fun in visiting the dude ranches just outside the city.
In Buenos Aires, the joys need to be sussed out rather than readily handed to you. The city has lots to offer, but on its own terms, by its own rules. Here is your rule book:
Monday: Top 10 Buenos Aires experiences and photo gallery of the city.
Tuesday: Anyone for tango?
Wednesday: Where have all the cowboys gone?
Thursday: The Recoleta Cemetery: Silent theatre and city of the dead
Friday: A perfect day in Buenos Aires
More on Buenos Aires from the archives of the BBC
Buenos Aires – geography and history
Silvia Alderoqio, a teacher and writer of schoolbooks on Buenos Aires’ history and geography, conducts a tour of the city’s centre.
Argentina’s tango contest has international flavour (VIDEO)
In Buenos Aires, hundreds of couples have gathered in the hopes of bringing home tango’s biggest prize.
Power nap siesta hotel opens in Buenos Aires, Argentina (VIDEO)
A new hotel has opened in Argentina that claims to be South America’s first dedicated siesta zone
Argentina’s art boom is here to stay (VIDEO)
While many economies are still struggling to recover, Latin America’s art scene is thriving once again.
World Service: Buenos Aires (AUDIO)
Argentina’s urban heart
On This Day: 1952 – Eva Peron dies
Eva Duarte de Peron, wife of the president of the Argentine Republic, has died from cancer, aged 33.
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