Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina, the second largest city in Latin America, and the richest. It is home to 13 million people. The neighborhoods of the city are like small towns in themselves, each with distintive character and style. Recoleta, Palermo, Belgrano, San Telmo, La Boca,and the City Center are the most well known of the neighborhoods, and make up most of the commercial parts of the city.
The center of the city revolves around Plaza de Mayo, where independence from Spain was declared on May 25, 1810, and which has been the symbol of political activity in the country ever since. This is where Peron's great crowds gathered to support him and Evita, and where the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo joined together to protest the dictatorship that disappeared their children. Every day, you can see banners and posters from all different political perspectives lining the plaza.
The tango capital of the world, Buenos Aires is famous for its amazing tango music and dance, which tourists can see all over the city. Tango is everywhere is the city, from free street-side displays to expensive dinner shows, and accordion players roam the subway with their melancholy, romantic tunes.
Street fairs, art, music, and culture are ingrained in the city. Elaborately painted buses and signs flaunt their colors and curves, music from classic tango to the newest pop swells out of each little shop, artisans sell their handmade wares in the shady plazas, and there is always a special exhibit, artsy film screening, or strange public sculpture just around the corner.
Argentines boast some of the best meat in the world. Grass-fed and free-range, for the most part, the beef here has a juiciness, a tenderness, and flavour unmatched anywhere else. Try it in their classic empanadas, little meat pies, or on the traditional grill. Add a glass of Malbec, grown in the foothills of the Andes to the northwest, and you'll be in heaven.