BAires Apartments Blog

In prior posts, we discussed the benefits of renting an apartment rather than staying in a hotel while visiting or studying in Buenos Aires.  Some of these benefits included the freedom of living on your own (like a true porteño), saving money by cooking meals in your own kitchen, and the ability to split accommodation costs when traveling with multiple people rather than paying for multiple hotel rooms.

Buenos aires vacation rentals are the preferred choice of both veteran globetrotters and those visiting the port city for the first time.  Fueling this new trend are the myriad advantages, not to mention savings, gained by staying in your own residence.  In some occasions, renters have saved nearly 90% over hotel rates and averaged between 40%-70% savings, depending on the length of their stay and other factors.

Incase these savings aren’t enough to convince you to rent with BAires Apartments, we’ve highlighted what we believe are the prime advantages of renting an apartment while in Buenos Aires.

-A vacation rental gives you the option to cook your own meals.  Rather than spend money and time in a restaurant every time you want to eat, our fully equipped kitchens allow you to cook what you want, when you want it, cutting costs at the same time.  Have breakfast at your apartment while still in your pajamas!

-Vacation rentals are a great option for families and groups traveling together.  When traveling with a number of people, hotel stays require multiple rooms, each at their own price.  An apartment offers ample space for multiple people at one price.

-Renters enjoy greater privacy.  Coming and going from your apartment is a breeze, and you can even invite a few guests over–something never allowed in a hotel.

-With an apartment, you have more than a few square meters of living space; you have your own home.  Living in an apartment provides more space and more comfort than the confines of a hotel room.  After a day of site seeing and excursions, retire to your own residence and relax in comfort.

-Vacation rentals are perfect for longer stays.  If you plan on staying for more than just a few days in Buenos Aires, which is a necessity if you truly wish to explore this amazing city, an apartment will cost much less than most hotels.  And if you plan on staying for months or years, the choice should be clear.

-Apartment rentals offer a range of accommodations that can fit a variety of budgets and needs.  Here at BAires Apartments we have a wide selection from low budget apartment rentals to Buenos Aires luxury apartments, allowing you to choose the option that best fits your needs.

So before your next trip, be sure to consider your particular needs and desires while traveling.  If would like to lower the costs of traveling expenses, increase the comfort and privacy of your stay, and enjoy the freedom of a home away from home, please check out our site BAiresApartments.com

Feel free to leave any comments or questions that come to mind!

Buenos Aires has seen a steady increase in tourism over the years.  However, one group in particular floods into the city on a regular basis: Students.

More and more, university students flock here to take advantage of the city’s many colleges while getting a taste of porteño life.

In the past few years, Buenos Aires universities have become very popular among college students not only from South America but also Europe, the United Sates, and Canada as well.  Here students study many of the most popular graduate and undergraduate degrees of today–advertising, marketing, graphic design, and others.  This new wave of visitors will stay in Buenos Aires anywhere from 3 months, for a short study abroad program, to the 4 years of a complete university course.

Due to their longer than average stay, students have particular needs when it comes to looking for a place to live.  We consider students a very important part of our cliental and are familiar with the particular requirements their living situations demand.  From working with long time frames, to requiring specific locations within Buenos Aires, to the necessity of living on a budget, we are ready to help.

We encourage students, or travelers, to contact us and check out our selection of budget low rate buenos aires apartments.  Many of our apartments are eligible for a significant discount when rented for over a long period of time, allowing students to select the apartment of their choice for a very special low price.

If you are a current, former, or future student, please leave us a comment on your experiences or expectations about Buenos Aires.  We have helped countless students in the past and would love to continue this relationship.

Argentina has become the favorite travel destination for travelers around the world.  And while most visitors come through Buenos Aires, which we have discussed in previous posts, there’s so much more to see in Argentina than just the beautiful neighborhoods of Recoleta, Las Cañitas, Belgrano, San Telmo, and Downtown.  The country stretches for 3,900 km (2,400 miles), from the middle of South America to its southernmost end, and contains countless natural wonders and charming cities.

Below, we’d like to highlight a few of the top Argentine destinations everyone should know about.

IGUAZU FALLS:

The Iguazu Falls are some of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world.  Depending on water levels, they consist of up to 300 small falls and a few giant ones, including Garganta del Diablo (the Devil’s Throat) where half of the river’s water falls 269 feet.  The Iguazu river marks the border between Argentina and Brazil, cutting through the thick vegetation of tropical rainforests.

The simplest way to travel to Iguazu from Buenos Aires is by plane.  Flights leave everyday, and a 2 to 4 day package will provide ample time to take in this amazing sight.

At the falls you will find a visitor center where tickets are sold for about $10 USD each.  Included in the price of the ticket is a train and boat ride that will take you to San Martin Island.  To get to the main gate of the park from Puerto Iguazu, you can catch a bus from a variety of points: Downtown Puerto Iguazu, Hito Tres Fronteras (the main hotel area), the main bus station, and ruta 12.  The bus runs every 45 minutes and costs about $1 USD per person each way.

Iguazu Travel Packages

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EL CALAFATE TOURISM

Located deep in Patagonia, the small town of El Calafate serves as the gateway to Los Glacieres National Park—the home of Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the most visited glaciers in the world.  El Calafate is situated on the southern border of Lake Argentino and was named for the little bush with yellow flowers and dark blue berries found throughout Patagonia.  Calafate in Spanish means “caulk”.

Today the town is an important tourist destination as travelers use it as their base to explore Patagonia’s glaciers.

El Calafate Travel Packages

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USHUAIA ARGENTINA

Ushuaia, the capital of the Tierra del Fuego province, is located on the Beagle Channel and bordered to the north by the Martial Mountains.  As the southernmost city in the world, one can truly say that Ushuaia is the end of the world, but make no mistake, it is also one of Argentina’s most visited cities.  It features a large ski center that stays open all the way into spring (October-November in Argentina).  Also worth seeing is the Museum of the End of the World and the Sea Museum, featuring exhibits on the Indians that inhabit the Tierra del Fuego province, the stunning nature that surrounds Ushuaia, and local history.

UshuaiaTravel Packages

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BARILOCHE ARGENTINA

Speaking of skiing, San Carlos de Bariloche, or just Bariloche as it’s more commonly referred to, is Argentina’s primary skiing destination.  Nestled in the foothills of the Andes, Bariloche lines a shore of Lake Nahuel Huapi and is surrounded by Nahuel Huapi national park.  In the winter, skiiers flock to Cerro Catedral, the main ski resort, while in the summer visitors and residents sunbath on the beautiful lake beaches of Playa Bonita or Villa Tacul or brave the chilly waters for a swim.  Fed by glaciers, Lake Nahuel Huapi’s temperature only averages 14 C (57 F) in the summer.

The city itself boasts an intense cultural scene and is famous for its likeness to towns of the Swiss Alps.  Its distinctive Swiss architecture is complemented by its quality chocolate.

Travel to Bariloche

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MENDOZA HOLIDAYS:

Wine has become one of Argentina’s chief exports, and the best Argentine wines come from the vineyards of Mendoza.  Subsequently, this western city supports a booming wine tourism industry with many wineries offering tours and tastings.  Even if you don’t enjoy wine, the city is well worth a visit.  Along Mendoza’s tree-lined streets visitors will discover numerous museums, theatres, and art galleries as well as universities and a thriving culture.

By virtue of its location next to the Andes, Mendoza also acts as a hub of outdoor adventures including hiking and rafting.  El Aconcagua is the highest mountain in the Americas at 6,962 meters or 22,841 feet and rises to the northwest of the city.  Las Leñas also lies in the Mendoza province.  Along with Bariloche, it is another favorite ski spot for Argentines and is known for its compact, dry powder.

Travel packages to Mendoza

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Anyone planning a trip to Argentina should look into these prime destinations.  Buenos Aires is a must see, and visitors should plan to spend at least a few days exploring its neighborhoods and culture.  However, we strongly suggest you take the time to travel around Argentina and discover some of these places.  It will be time and money well spent!

What exactly is Recoleta, you may ask?

Recoleta has long been home to some of Buenos Aires’s wealthiest residents.  Stroll the streets and you’ll be sure to see this reflected in the grandiose architecture of residential and commercial buildings, many of which were designed by French architects in the 19^th and early 20^th century.  Perhaps on your stroll, as you pass chic clothing stores and restaurants, you’ll catch a glance of the ornate mausoleums peaking over the old wall of the cemetery.  Stop and linger over a coffee or merienda (afternoon snack) at a street side café and you may think you’ve somehow been transported to an uncharted corner of Paris.

How did this charming slice of the old world end up in the new world?  It all started with a yellow fever epidemic in the 1870s.  Looking to escape the disease, the wealthy residents of Buenos Aires abandoned their comfortable homes in San Telmo, near the center of the city, and settled in the elevated area of what would become Recoleta, where mosquitoes were less frequent.  Because of this small diaspora, Recoleta is now the home of many embassies, luxury hotels, and private mansions.  The fabulous Avenida Alvear is a great example of the wealth and style of Buenos Aires’s upper class.

Many Porteños claim that much of the area called Recoleta is actually a part of Barrio Norte (North Neighborhood).  So even though a few of the sights we listed are said to be located in Recoleta, this may not be true technically.  However, whether considered a part of Recoleta or Barrio Norte, the area is sure to enchant you.  Below we’ve listed some of the must see sights of Recoleta.

1-Recoleta Cemetery and Pilar Church

The historic center of Recoleta, Pilar Church and the cemetery simply can’t be missed.  Recoleta cemetery is the eternal resting place for Argentina’s rich, heroic, famous and infamous and is the most expensive real estate in Buenos Aires.  Richly decorated Mausoleums line the cemetery’s small avenues forming a strange yet charming city in miniature.  Visitors wander the pathways, searching for the tombs of Argentines known throughout the world.  The most popular of which is Eva Duarte Peron or “Evita”.

At the start of the 18^th century, an order of Spanish monks belonging to the Franciscans of the king of Spain arrived in Buenos Aires and built Nuestra Señora del Pilar.  The church features seven side chapels and an enormous altar illustrating the influence of the late baroque style.  However, there are also indigenous influences as well.  An Incan sun decorates the silver altar and the heads of the angles on the altarpiece are anonymous contributions from indigenous artisans.

Junín 1930

Phone: 011-4803-6793

2-Palais de Glace

Otherwise known as the National Culture Exhibit Rooms, Palais de Glace (the Ice Palace) was once an ice rink and now serves as Buenos Aires’s main exhibition space.  Be sure to check out what events and exhibitions are currently being held here.

Posadas 1795

Phone: 011-4804-1163

3-El Museo de Artes Decorativos

The National Museum of Decorative Arts is housed in a magnificent French neoclassical building (it’s worth the price of admission just to enter this beautiful structure).  It contains a variety of permanent pieces, including an El Greco, an ancient Roman sculpture, and a collection of East Asian art as well as changing collections.  Admire the elaborate Spanish tapestries that hang throughout as well as the eclectic mix of artwork and artifacts from a multitude of time periods.

Av. del Libertador 1902

Phone: 4806-8306/ 4801-8248 / Website (in Spanish)

4- Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes

Off Avendia del Libertador, the National Museum of Fine Art contains some of Argentina’s greatest treasures as well as traveling exhibits.  The museum is the best place to see works of Argentine painters, including Prilidiano Pueyrredón and Martín Malharro, in addition to a European collection that includes works by Monet, Van Gough, Degas, and Rodin.

Av. del Libertador 1473

Phone: 4803-0802, 4803-8814, 4803-4691 / Website (in Spanish)

5-Avenida Quintana and Avenida Alvear

These parallel avenues begin in the heart of Recoleta, in the park adjacent to the cemetery, and end near Avenida 9 de Julio, the so-called widest street in the world.  Strolling these streets provides a great introduction to Recoleta.  The European/French influence can be viewed in the elegant buildings and mansions that now stand next to luxurious international botiques and stores.  Jorge Louis Borges, Argentina’s most influential writer, lived on Avenida Quintana while working as the director of the National Library.

6-Biblioteca Nacional

Architecture and literature buffs alike will enjoy the National Library.  This strange looking structure rises above the trees of neighboring parks, only a few blocks away from the museum of fine arts.  Designed in 1961 but not inaugurated until 1992, its design is an example of the brutalist style of modernist architecture.

Aguero 2502

Phone: 4806-1929

7-Floralis Genérica (The Giant Flower)

This 23 meter (75ft) tall flower sits in Plaza de los Naciones Unidas.  Everyday its giant petals open and close, symbolizing the rebirth brought by each day.  Each of the six petals weighs nearly four tons and the entire structure weighs a total of 18 tons.  The petals follow the rays of the sun, completely opening and then closing the over the course of each day, spanning a distance of 32 meters when open and contracting to a diameter of 16 meters when closed. The closing schedule varies during the year and for four nights a year the petals remain open all night: May 25, September 21, December 24, and December 31.  The beautiful sculpture was a gift to the city by architect Eduardo Catalano.

Tourism has blossomed in Buenos Aires, bringing visitors from all over the world along with some of today’s most popular artists and performers.  Currently, tourists and Porteños are rocking out to the likes of Green Day, Queens of the Stone Age, No Te Va Gustar, Rage Against the Machine, and many others at the Pepsi Music Fest—an annual rock extravaganza that lasts over a week.  The list of international artist to have performed in Buenos Aires is varied and wide ranging, from Rob Halford of Judas Priest to the Dave Matthews Band and the Jonas Brothers.

Buenos Aires is also the site of Personal Fest.  From dusk till dawn a lineup of big name international artists and DJs perform a mix of rock, pop, funk, and dance on the Costanera Sur, an ecological preserve on the banks of the Rio de la Plata river.  Electronica fans flock to Creamfields BA, the first Creamfields event to be held outside of England, where the festival originated.  Previous Creamfield artists include David Guetta, LCD Soundsystem, and Deadmau5.  This year’s Creamfield will take place on November 13th in the Buenos Aires Autodrome.

Besides music, sports are another main draw for Argentines and visitors alike.  Anyone familiar with the world of fútbol, or who relish a good rivalry, should attend the “Super Classico” that pits Boca Juniors against Rivers Plate—the two most popular soccer clubs in Buenos Aires.  Imagine a Red Sox-Yankees or Duke-UNC game on steroids, where for over 90 minutes 70,000 fans go crazy cheering for their team.

To get tickets for this upcoming buenos aires event please click here.  If you’d prefer to attend a slightly tamer game you’ll want to check out other soccer matches in buenos aires.

Other popular sports to watch include Polo, of which Buenos Aires is famous for, and tennis.  Tennis star Juan Martín del Potro hails from the city of Tandil, south of Buenos Aires.

A few other events to take place in Buenos Aires include:

- October 30th:  Latin America International Tourism Trade Fair

- November 3-7: ArtFutura at the MALBA (Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires)

- November 6th:  Buenos Aires Price: Gay Parade

- November 13- December 4: Argentinian Open Polo Tournament

- November 22-28: International Festival of Queer Tango Buenos Aires

- January 2-15 (2011): The Dakar Rally

To see a complete list of upcoming events in Buenos Aires please visit this website: http://www.whatsonwhen.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=events.location&loc_id=131837&cat_id=5926&sort=DATE

With all the great cultural events, sports, festivals, and sites, Buenos Aires is not to be missed!  And of course, should you want to stay in the comfort of your own apartment while in Buenos Aires, you know where to look: Buenos Aires Apartments.

All of our apartments are published with photographs and full descriptions, and many of them include video tours:

Check our website: BAires Apartments – Buenos Aires Apartments for temporary rental

We are very proud to present our brand new BAires Apartments blog. We would like to use this space to share information about Buenos Aires, its tourism, its news, and of course, matters related to accommodations, buenos aires apartment rentals, and real estate in Buenos Aires.

This blog is also a place for you to share your point of view.  Please feel free to interact with us and leave comments.  With your input we can make this space a great resource to learn and share all that Buenos Aires has to offer.

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Please feel free to write whatever comes to mind.  Should you have any reccommendations please let us know!

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BAires Apartments Blog Crew.

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