Ondas Buenas

Is it worth renting a car in #Buaires? I've heard this question many times and it doesn't take me long to answer with a no.

For those who, when traveling, like to ‘get to know’ the history of the city they are visiting, the Manzana de las Luces (Peru, 272) is an essential place in #Buaires.

Explore Buenos Aires’ famous “Barrio Chino,” a slice of China in the heart of the city. Its history dates back to the 1980s, when Asian immigrants, mainly from Taiwan, settled here and completely transformed the neighborhood’s appearance.

Located in Belgrano, Barrio Chino offers a variety of shops, restaurants, and supermarkets selling typical oriental products, including imported food, home decor, manga, and anime.

During Chinese New Year, the neighborhood comes alive with musical shows, activities, and a large market selling food, crafts, and souvenirs. If you’re in Buenos Aires during this time, we recommend a visit!

Yes, there are outlets here!!! Lately the most visited and best known are the ones in Villa Crespo (between Gurruchaga, Aguirre and Loyola streets), the Distrito Arcos shopping mall (Paraguay, 4979) and the ones in Barracas (a neighborhood far from the tourist hustle and bustle). They are open from Monday to Monday from 10am to 8pm, but the Distrito Arcos one stays open until 9pm.

Did you know that there is a Museo del Humor in #Buaires? It has been open since June 2012 and Mafaldita has a special space there. It brings together the works of great masters of cartoons, illustration and caricature. The photo is of one of the Mafalda paintings that are on display at the Museum. From Thursday to Sunday and on holidays: 10 Argentine pesos. On Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays: free admission. Monday to Friday from 11am to 6pm and on weekends from 10am to 8pm. Ondas Buenas Receptivo highly recommends a visit and a walk before and/or after along Costanera Sur.

A highly recommended program by Ondas Buenas Receptivo for a sunny Saturday: Palermo Racecourse. There are always horse races on Saturdays and those who like to bet at casinos can also have fun at the “Hipodromes Casino”!

Pulpería Quilapán, another of the must-see restaurants in San Telmo! The menu has something for everyone. Every Sunday at 3 pm, there is a guided tour of the mansion. Because we are talking about a 17th century house with many stories to tell!

Do you know which “character” is always present on the tables of restaurants in Buenos Aires? The salt shaker! Why? Because, by law, restaurants are prohibited from adding salt during food preparation. The consumer must add the amount that is necessary for him/her. The so-called salt to taste!

Are we going to Uruguay? Colonia del Sacramento is just an hour from Buenos Aires. Montevideo is also nearby, just across the river.

Interesting fact about Buenos Aires: It was exactly in this space where the Obelisk stands, previously occupied by a church, that the Argentine flag was raised for the first time. The year? 1812. The church was demolished to make way for Avenida 9 de Julio, considered one of the widest avenues in the world.

Constitución Station, opened on January 1, 1887. Considered, along with Retiro Station, one of the major railway hubs in Buenos Aires and recognized as one of the largest railway stations in the world.

For museum lovers, Ondas Buenas presents: Museo Casa de Ricardo Rojas. An institution specialized in Argentine and Latin American literature. Considered a National Historic Monument. A building that draws attention for its architecture, in addition to being a diverse and valuable heritage: furniture, works of art, archaeological pieces, personal objects and relics. Address: Charcas, 2837, Barrio Norte. Open from Tuesday to Saturday from 11 am to 7 pm. Free admission.

A Parisian-style café with a “cronopios” feel and a vast menu has opened in a house dating back to 1889. For those who love café-bars, those who know or want to know the Argentine writer Cortázar, and those who enjoy super-nice environments: I highly recommend a visit to Café Cortázar. Whether for breakfast, lunch, a snack, happy hour or dinner.

Want to visit the Antonio Vespucio Liberti Stadium, also known as El Monumental? There are several ways to get there, and one of them is by train. How? You can take the train from Retiro station towards Del Viso and get off at Ciudad Universitaria station, where “la cancha” (= football stadium) is located right next to it.

One of the symbols of Buenos Aires, the El Ateneo Grand Splendid bookstore was voted the second most beautiful bookstore in the world by the British newspaper The Guardian. Built on the site of the old Grand Splendid theater (hence the name), its dome is adorned with frescoes, balconies and original decoration. On the old stage, with the velvet curtain half open, there is a café that invites you to sit down with a book in your hands.

Operating since 1884, this confectionery/café/restaurant is not only steeped in history and beautiful, it also serves finger-licking churros. It is located in Almagro, known as a “tanguero” neighborhood, on the corner of Avenida Rivadavia and Medrano.

Aunt Vicenta (this cute statue) walked a lot around Puerto Madero: she visited the Museo Fragata Sarmiento, crossed the Puente de la Mujer, took a picture with the Anne Frank statue, checked out the Antiguos Depósitos de Graos, then stopped by the Faena Arts Center, got tired and sat down to decide where to have a snack, Starbucks or Persicco? Well, she was still going to continue with the tour: visit the Colección de Arte Fortabat, go to the Museo de Humor and enjoy the sunset at the Reserva Ecológica. Did you like Aunt Vicenta's itinerary (sculpture by Pablo Irrgang of the cartoonist Landrú's character)? Here are some tips on what to do in Puerto Madero, besides eating at one of the many restaurants.

Information about the capital of Buenos Aires: under Avenida 9 de Julio, more precisely, near the Obelisk, where three subway stations (lines D, C and B) meet, there is a corridor with shops, cafes and even a shoe repair shop. It is called “Galerias 9 de Julio” and it operates during the same hours as the subway. These galleries have been around since the 1940s, but recently, in 2014, they were renovated, in addition to being expanded, they added air conditioning, more stores and gave them a more modern and comfortable atmosphere.

Formerly the Palacio del Correo, this historic 100,000-square-meter building was restored by the state and transformed into the largest cultural center in Latin America. Its main spaces are the Baleia Azul concert hall, the Dome, from where you can see the entire city, and the Great Lamp, a glass structure suspended by beams.

For those who enjoy exploring the nightlife scene of new cities, a visit to the El Boticário bar is worth it. The location where the bar currently stands was originally a pharmacy, which opened its doors in 1890. For many years, it served as a traditional pharmacy, offering medicines and health products to the residents of San Telmo and the surrounding area.

In 2006, the space was transformed into a bar, preserving many of the original elements of the old pharmacy. Its interior is decorated in a vintage style, with wooden shelves filled with old medicine bottles, glass jars and other pharmacy-related objects.

Did you know that the oldest metro line in South America is located in Buenos Aires? It opened on December 1, 1913 and is part of the city’s metro system known as “Subte”.

In 2013, the historic line was modernized, replacing the old wooden trains with new air-conditioned trains with accessibility for people with disabilities. In addition, several stations were restored and maintained their original architecture, such as the iconic Peru station, with its stained glass windows and ornate details.

The construction of “Line A” was an important milestone in the history of public transportation in the region, serving as a model for the later expansion of the Buenos Aires metro system.

The La Boca Museum of Fine Arts by Argentine Artists "Benito Quinquela Martín", located in the heart of La Boca, is one of the institutions that the artist from La Boca donated to the neighborhood with the intention of creating a center for cultural, educational and health development.

In 1933, Quinquela presented a proposal to the owner of the land to acquire it and donate it to the National Council of Education, with the aim of building a school and a fine arts museum. After overcoming several adversities, including negotiations and bureaucracy, the donation was finally accepted in 1938.

There you will find an impressive collection of figurative works by Argentine artists, including Quinquela's own creations. In addition, on the third floor of the museum, there is the Casa-Museo de Quinquela, which recreates the environment in which the artist lived and worked.

In a secret corner of Buenos Aires, one of the best places to buy a book is hidden: the Falena bookstore, a haven for book lovers. The location where this charming, windowless bookstore is located today was once an artist's studio around 1930.

The Falena bookstore works to ensure that choosing a book becomes a true experience. You can sit down to browse through a book on one of the sofas or tables in the courtyard and accompany your reading with tea, coffee or a glass of wine from the cellar.

If you are interested in contemporary art in Buenos Aires, the Gachi Prieto Gallery is definitely worth a visit!

Much more than an art gallery, the Gachi Prieto space is a meeting point for dynamic proposals of contemporary Latin American art. It was created in 2007 with the aim of promoting Argentine art abroad and exchange with galleries and institutions on the continent.

The gallery works in collaboration with artists, offering a space for reflection and independent management, contributing to the strengthening and growth of the artistic scene in the region. And the best part: admission is free!

How about including a historical visit in your tour? The complex that houses the Santa Felicitas Church, in the Barracas neighborhood, was the setting for a famous story in Argentina: the murder of Felicitas Guerrero. She was an important historical figure in the 19th century and her death is considered the first case of femicide in Argentina. She was shot in her own home by Enrique Ocampo, a young man from a rival family with whom Felicitas had a romantic relationship.

Visit the site that houses this story, consisting of the Santa Felicitas Church, Plaza Colombia, the Alzaga Oratory and the underground tunnels that date back to 1890. It is believed that the tunnels were designed to provide a safe passage for the nuns who ran the convent adjacent to the church.

We recommend checking availability and access restrictions to the site in advance.

Did you know that Calle Lavalle, a famous street in the city center, was once one of the main meeting points for Argentine film lovers?

In the early 20th century, Calle Lavalle was home to numerous movie theaters, film production and distribution studios, film equipment stores, and other establishments related to the film industry. It was common to see movie posters on the facades of buildings and feel the energy and enthusiasm of the film buffs who frequented the area.

It was common to see movie posters on the facades of buildings and feel the energy and enthusiasm of the film buffs who frequented the area. Today, some traditional movie theaters still operate in the area, and the street continues to attract tourists and visitors interested in exploring its cinematic history.

Almost everyone has heard of the beauty of the San Telmo market, but did you know that there is a market famous for its delicious traditional Argentine foods?

With over 30 years of existence and declared a Cultural Heritage of the City, the "Ferria de Artesanato y Tradiciones Populares Argentinas", as it is known by its full name, is the meeting point for artists who are proud of their origins.

During the weekend, the Mataderos neighborhood is transformed with the arrival of craft stalls, stands selling typical foods and workshops on weaving, folk dancing, guitar playing, Quechua language or sikus. It's worth checking out!

Did you know that there are bars in Buenos Aires that are part of the city's cultural heritage? These are the so-called “Bares Notables”, places full of history and impressive architecture, famous for having been meeting points for great musicians, writers, actors and important politicians of Argentina.

Each bar notable has something special, and getting to know these little pieces of living history is an unmissable ritual for visitors to the city.

Oh, and here's a valuable tip: when you arrive at a bar notable, wait for someone to greet you at the entrance and direct you to a seat. This simple act will make all the difference in the service you receive.