I spent 2 days in Buenos Aires before my Antarctic expedition—something I almost always try to do before a big trip in case of flight delays and to adjust to the time change. It also gave me a chance to wander and experience a city I’d never visited before heading south to icebergs and penguins. (You can read more about my time in Antarctica here.)
Like many travelers, I was using Buenos Aires as a gateway to Antarctica before flying south to Ushuaia, where most expedition ships depart.
I liked the city almost immediately — messy, bold, colorful, and full of contrast. One moment you’re passing a crumbling building covered in vines, and the next you’re standing in front of an opera house.
One of the things I noticed right away was how different each neighborhood felt. Recoleta has a polished, European feel, La Boca is bright and full of energy, and Palermo is more relaxed, with cafés and street art around almost every corner. Even in just two days, moving between them made Buenos Aires feel much bigger than it looks on a map.
Vegetarian Tip: Palermo has plenty of vegetarian-friendly cafés and restaurants, making it one of the easiest neighborhoods in Buenos Aires for meat-free dining.
Don’t Miss: If you’re traveling to Antarctica, give yourself at least two days in Buenos Aires before your expedition. The city deserves more than just an overnight stop.
I started the day with a tour of Recoleta Cemetery. It feels like a small city of crypts and mausoleums — angels, iron gates, and marble everywhere. Some tombs are polished and pristine, others cracked and half-covered in vines. Many well-known Argentines are buried here, including Eva Perón, one of the country’s most recognizable figures, whose tomb I eventually found tucked into a narrow corridor and covered in plaques and fresh flowers.
Once inside, it was easy to see why it’s one of the city’s most visited attractions. The maze-like layout had me doubling back more than once, curious to see what was around the next corner.
Some of the mausoleums felt almost theatrical — elaborate statues frozen mid-gesture, domes stained with age, iron gates curling into intricate patterns. Narrow walkways led past family chapels that looked more like miniature churches than graves. Every turn revealed a different style — neoclassical columns, glass-fronted tombs, crumbling domes, and statues watching from above. It felt less somber than you might expect — more like walking through an outdoor museum.
Just outside the cemetery sits Iglesia del Pilar (Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar), a white colonial-era church with orange marigolds blooming out front — a simpler contrast to the cemetery.
Later, I wandered into Mercado de Pulgas, a quirky flea market housed inside a large hall with soaring metal ceilings and long indoor aisles. It was filled with mismatched chairs, dusty mirrors, strange figurines, and the occasional life-sized pelican statue. Vintage lamps, old suitcases, record players, and stacks of framed artwork spilled into the walkways, making it feel more like a treasure hunt than a traditional market.
One of the highlights was El Ateneo Grand Splendid, a former early-20th-century theater on Avenida Santa Fe that has been transformed into a bookstore. I’d seen pictures, but seeing it in person was on a whole different level. The red velvet stage curtains are still there, balconies curve around the space, and the domed ceiling is covered in painted scenes.
Books now fill what used to be orchestra seating, and there’s even a café set up on the old stage. I wandered slowly from level to level, leaning over railings and taking photos. I ended up staying longer than I’d planned.
I’d been warned to only use official taxis or apps like Cabify. Some local cab companies are known to overcharge tourists, especially near hotels and busy areas. I was careful — until I wasn’t.
Running late for a meeting with the Lindblad Expeditions group at my hotel, I grabbed the first cab I saw instead of waiting for a ride through the app. It didn’t take long to realize I’d made a mistake. The route felt unnecessarily long, the driver insisted on payment in U.S. dollars, and I ended up paying about $20 for what should have been a quick $5 ride. Lesson learned — about $15 too late.
Once the meeting was over, I grabbed a bite to eat at the hotel and headed back out.
One thing Buenos Aires does especially well is hidden bars. You’ll find them behind flower shops, through unmarked doors, even tucked inside pizza places.
I went to Florería Atlántico, which from the outside looks like a neighborhood flower shop. Buckets of roses and eucalyptus fill the front room, and shelves of wine line the walls. In the back, a refrigerator door opens to a narrow staircase leading down into a dim, vaulted space that feels more like a cellar than a bar.
My cocktail arrived cold and herbal with a faint smoky edge — the kind of drink you sip slowly because you’re trying to figure it out. It felt slightly theatrical, like being let in on something not everyone walking past outside knows is there.
Buenos Aires is full of places like this. If I’d had more time, I would’ve easily found a few more.
The next morning, I went straight to La Boca — one of the city’s most colorful neighborhoods. El Caminito, its most well-known street, feels like stepping into a painting. Bright reds, yellows, blues, and greens cover everything — balconies, doors, lamp posts, and sometimes even the people.
There were tango performers in the plaza, artists selling paintings, and mannequins on balconies frozen mid-wave. It’s definitely touristy, but it’s still a fun place to wander.
The bright colors aren’t just for show. La Boca has strong Italian roots, especially from Genoa, and early residents used leftover ship paint to color their metal homes. That patchwork look stuck.
I spent the rest of the afternoon exploring Palermo, which has a completely different feel, which has a completely different feel — leafy streets, cafés, boutique shops, and murals scattered throughout. It’s the kind of place where you can wander without much of a plan and still end up somewhere good.
Street art is everywhere in Palermo. You don’t need a tour to find it—I kept stumbling across huge murals simply by turning down random streets. One moment it was Frida Kahlo framed by oversized flowers, the next a brightly painted owl covering an iron gate. Every few blocks seemed to reveal another unexpected piece of art.
Some pieces were polished and clearly planned; others felt more layered, with tags and fading paint. It gave the neighborhoods a lived-in, creative energy. Walking around turned into a kind of scavenger hunt —never knowing what would appear next.
People lingered over coffee in sidewalk cafés, others worked on laptops beneath the trees, and the neighborhood had an easygoing pace that made it hard to leave. It was also one of the easiest places I found to grab a good vegetarian meal.
I wrapped up my short stay in Buenos Aires at Plaza de Mayo, standing across from the Casa Rosada, the pink government building where Evita once addressed the crowds.
Before this trip, Buenos Aires was simply where my Antarctica adventure began. Two days didn’t give me time to fully understand the city, but they were enough to make me appreciate it for much more than a convenient stopover.
From wandering the maze-like paths of Recoleta Cemetery to colorful streets, hidden bars, and one of the most beautiful bookstores I’ve ever visited, Buenos Aires surprised me at every turn.
If you’re flying through on your way to Antarctica—or really anywhere else—I’d encourage you to give yourself a little extra time here. There’s far more to the city than many travelers realize.
I would’ve happily explored a few more hidden bars, taken a food tour, or simply spent another afternoon wandering without much of a plan.
But it was time to head south—to trade city streets for open water and spend a little time with penguins.
