Our Top 15 Unexpected Delights of Buenos Aires

Whenever you travel to a new place, there are things you know ahead of time you’re probably going to love. But it’s often the unexpected joys, the ones that catch you by surprise, that end up being truly delightful.

The first stop on our mini world tour was the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires. We loved a lot about our two-plus months in BA: the weather (spring the whole time!), the Sunday flea market and other fixtures in the San Telmo barrio we called home, the people we met, the array of empanada styles and fillings…i

(Less exciting for us, but could be if you’re into it: dulce de leche for days.)

And while most everything was new to us, at least in the context of where we were, there are things we got a kick out of (in one case literally!) that are less likely to show up on Tripadvisor.

Here are the top things we encountered in BA that surprised us, delightfully.

1. Dog walkers

If you love dogs—and we do—Buenos Aires offers much bounty, and it can be enjoyed courtesy of a simple stroll through the streets.

Local dog walkers are known for their ability to handle prodigious numbers of clients (the dogs, that is) at once. It’s common to see a pro sporting multiple pets on one line—two or three is probably typical.

Sometimes more, on the right day.

But if you’re really lucky, you’ll run into a leash-minder of such great skill and audacity that their remit includes upward of 10 dogs.

Here’s a shot of 13—yes, 13—pups waiting for their human to retrieve them at an intersection in the Palermo neighborhood.

—Ray

2. The street art

Buenos Aires isn’t the only city with a rich selection of street art, but it stood out. So much so that we booked a few spots on a local tour run by the woman-owned graffitimundo.

We had many favorites, including this piece by an artist who only paints images, usually much larger, of plants that appear on the block where the art is planned for.

The lower part of this next one was done in connection with an annual music festival (this one, too). Like most street art in BA today, it’s latex paint. But the hybrid creatures up top were done some time before with tar and gasoline (plus some red spray paint), which is a cheaper and still fairly durable technique. The detail is really something.

Our guide shared that the artist, on being informed about a recent act of police brutality against two local teens in the area, added their nicknames to the piece, in commemoration of their lives. —Kristen

3. Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur

Flynn and I headed to the Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve one afternoon, which is made up of 865 acres along the Río de la Plata riverbank in the Puerto Madero section of town. Just a half-hour walk from our San Telmo apartment, it’s a pretty magical place.

It has a bit of a Central Park vibe, with its “disappear inside” feel and high-rises visible at points.

The trail dropped us here, where we both freaked out a little. The sea! With Uruguay about 25 miles straight out.

—Kristen

4. Ping pong in the park

A lot of BA’s parks come equipped with ping pong (table tennis) tables. A couple people in one of the expat-focused Facebook groups I’d joined were looking for match buddies, so we started a little WhatsApp group and organized impromptu matches every other weekend or so.

It was a great chance to meet new people, have fun, get some fresh air and physical activity, and practice a little Español.

Flynn joined me a few times and got his face painted by a local artist who was stationed right next to the tables.

—Ray

5. Free events at the Kirchner Center

The centrally located Centro Cultural Kirchner holds concerts, theatrical performances, poetry readings, and art exhibitions and workshops. All programming is free and open to the public.

One week before we left BA, we went to hear the Sinfónica Juvenil Nacional, including a performance of Julieta Szewach’s incredible El Océano del Aliento Puro. 

This isn’t our video, but it’s from the same performance.

Later that week we checked out the CCK’s Thursday evening tango event. 

The building itself is worth a visit, with its dramatic design flourishes.

We wish we’d known sooner about Kirchner and all the cool stuff it offers. But at least you do now! —Ray

6. Carpinchos

I’d heard of capybaras (or carpinchos, as Argentines refer to them) before, but had never seen one in the wild and didn’t know they were so plentiful in this part of the world.

The more we dug into the carpincho story, the more salacious it became. Because humans have wiped out most of the carpincho’s natural predators, the rodents’ numbers have climbed. Apparently, there’s even been a turf war between carpinchos and gated communities in the upscale Nordelta area—where, as the Buenos Aires Times puts it, “giant rodents are vying with the rich for top real estate in a tale about ecosystems and the environment.”

We all got a kick out of these critters, but Kristen took a special liking. She even got a carpincho tattoo as a goodbye present for herself before we left BA, her first ink in over a decade! —Ray

Hi! Kristen here. Gotta jump in quick with what may be my favorite (translated) news article quote of all time:

The situation is tremendous. … Some love them, but many hate them because they shit the gardens, eat the grass and fight with the dogs. The other day I heard a neighbor who said that they even swim in the pool.

7. Catching the BA Marathon

Ah, Marathon Sunday, which I relish from any location. Though it’s been many years since I last ran one myself, I still feel and love race-day energy so much. 

As luck would have it, the timing of our BA visit coincided with the 2022 Buenos Aires Marathon on September 18. So I talked myself out of bed early and half-bused/half-hoofed it up to Palermo to catch some of the action.

One thing that stood out was all the cyclists riding alongside runners. Haven’t seen that back home. There were so many, and not only with the faster participants. It wasn’t clear to me if this was a pacing, morale, or health thing or something else, but from my vantage it looked like pretty passive support. —Kristen

8. Ecoparque

We took a bus from San Telmo to visit the Buenos Aires Ecoparque on our second weekend in the city. 

Covering 18 hectares in the Palermo area, this sprawling park houses many animals, among them guanacos, koi fish, Patagonian hares, flamingos, and this big ol’ beaut of a camel.

The Ecoparque is free to enter, with optional paid activities like guided tours. It’s also where we learned that the word silvestre in Spanish means “wild.”

—Ray

9. This delightful method of avocado harvesting

On a stroll down one day, we noticed two people hoisting what looked like a 20-foot bamboo rod deep into the upper branches of some even taller trees on the roadside.

As we stopped to investigate, we realized the rod had a blade on the end. They were using it to snip the stems of avocados, which they’d catch before they hit the pavement. (We thought they might have been employees at the cafe next door, grabbing salad fixins.)

The harvesters saw us gawking, and kindly gave Flynn two of their avocados in a paper bag. They ripened up in a few days, and were delicious! —Ray

10. Dog grooming parlors

We couldn’t rest with just one dog-related entry on the list. Where the dog walking crews succeed in delighting through sheer numbers, BA’s dog grooming parlors get there with flair.

Specifically, with a free show of such giggle-inducing delightfulness that we couldn’t quite believe our eyes the first time we encountered one.

The setup is simple: instead of a wall, the front of the parlor is a massive window, with at least one grooming station positioned near the glass for ideal viewing pleasure. See Fido get trimmed, brushed, and pampered, or just lolling about with its tongue out. Bring your lawn chairs.

—Ray

12. Argentinian Pokémon cards

Flynn is our family’s resident Pokemon collector—but we all got a kick out of this next one.

Needless to say, these aren’t official Pokémon cards. But whoever makes them gets major points for not even bothering. —Ray

13. Lunfarda Travel and Buenos Aires for Kids

My introduction to Lunfarda Travel came through the purchase of a delightful kids activity book by LT’s founder Mariana Radisic. We used and loved the book a lot—homeschool social studies curriculum for three months!—and it’s a fun memento of our time in Argentina. 

Based in San Telmo, Lunfarda Travel is dedicated to highlighting the experiences of people whose presence and contributions to the country aren’t widely recognized. This is reflected the many tours they offer, among them Queer BA: The History of Argentine Sexual Diversity + Community, Forging Democracy: Discover the Argentine Fight for Human Rights, Afro Argentine heritage and Jewish heritage walking tours… We were late to learning about these (and it looks like new ones have been added since we left BA) so didn’t do any ourselves—but maybe you could!

LT also has a small retail shop and hosts cool events at its San Telmo headquarters, including, when we were there, a popup highlighting Afro Argentine artists and entrepreneurs.

Btw, “lunfardo” refers to slang/jargon used by porteños (Buenos Aires residents), which is its own interesting story. —Kristen

14. “Foot flingers” and other adult outdoor workout gear

Next to just about any kids’ playground in BA, you’ll find an assortment of workout equipment ostensibly aimed at adults. They’re like outdoor versions of things you’d find at an indoor gym, like a leg press or bicep curl machine.

There’s also this one, which we dubbed the “foot flinger.”

Flynn and Kristen got into some heated fling-offs at the end of many a playground visit. —Ray

15. Cadore ice cream

After sampling a couple of so-so helado spots in town, we were pointed to Cadore. 

And well! I’m not a huge ice-cream person, but when Flynn and I paid our first visit I had to get back in line for seconds.

Delicioso. —Kristen