There are a number of different neighborhoods in Buenos Aires to stay in when you come to visit. We had the opportunity to stay in three distinct ones during our time here and we explored many others to understand the vibes and attributes of each of them.
There are individual reasons to stay in each neighborhood and we hope to provide the information that can help you find the best location that fits your personality and goals of your trip. This article discusses how we picked accommodation type that worked best for us.
They are each safe for tourists with easy access to public transportation to get to all of the most popular tourist destinations. (Read more here about transportation through Buenos Aires here). Here are our thoughts:
Palermo Soho, Buenos Aires
This neighborhood is a favorite for tourists, and it’s easy to see why. Its cobblestone streets, boutique shops, restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and weekly street market make it a quaint place to stay and tour in Buenos Aires. We loved the overall vibe and the neighborhood and, if you’ve been to Soho in New York, the cobblestone streets and boutiques will definitely show you why this neighborhood is named after it.
We spent our time wandering through the streets to window-shop and admire the murals and art throughout the neighborhood. For a short visit/vacation, I would definitely choose this neighborhood again. However, for a longer stay, there are other neighborhoods in Buenos Aires that might be better suited for you. The restaurants and cafes here are more expensive than in other areas and it was harder to find some local quick conveniences that we needed as short-term renters rather than vacationers (like a quick bite to eat during a work day).
That being said, it is a truly LGBTQ+ friendly neighborhood. (To get more information about traveling the LGBTQ+ experience in Buenos Aires, you can read more about it at this blog by Nomadic Boys, a gay couple who have written about their experience traveling around the world.) We were here for the start of Buenos Aires’s pride week, with a huge party being held in Palermo Soho.
Because this neighborhood has such a strong nightlife, make sure to pay attention to lodging reviews regarding noise. Nightlife can last until 6 in the morning in Buenos Aires on the weekends!
Recoleta, Buenos Aires
This is the neighborhood that gives Buenos Aires the nickname of Paris of South America. While it is considered the wealthiest of neighborhoods in Buenos Aires, we did not find it to be out of reach using short-term lodging. (Hotels may be more expensive as this is where many of the high-end hotels are located. But this is also where you’ll find many of the hotel brands that you may have an alliance to in the United States)
It was our favorite neighborhood so far. Many affordable restaurants and coffee shops were within walking distance to our lodging. In every direction, we found parks with activity at all times of the day with people drinking mate, walking their dogs, reading, etc.
The streets are lined with high-rise condo balconies full of plants. From our own balcony, we could hear people reacting to the action of a televised soccer game and decided to follow it on our own tv to be part of the action. (The local team unfortunately lost.) It’s these experiences that really brought this neighborhood alive for us.
Villa Crespo, Buenos Aires
This is the last of the neighborhoods in Buenos Aires that we had the opportunity to stay in. It has a more affordable price tag (as long as you aren’t booking your lodging the same week as a Taylor Swift concert unintentionally.) This neighborhood does not have hotels or hostels. As a result, the vibe of the area feels very local. This is the neighborhood that was recommended to us by a local tour-guide.
The restaurants and bars here are more up-and-coming so you can find some delicious options at a better price. A concentration of Jewish-Argentines live here so you can find plenty of delis. And if you want something a little more upscale or want to go to a nightclub, you are just a 20-30 minute walk from the restaurants and clubs of Palermo Soho.