With the strong dollar and greater connectivity, there’s always a reason to visit the City of Passions
Buenos Aires, Argentina –January 21, 2019 –From Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day, to Pride and ringing in the new year, culture buffs, gastronomy lovers and every type of traveler in between can bask in the celebratory Argentine capital city of Buenos Aires in grand style throughout 2019. Buenos Aires beckons with a compelling exchange rate for the strong U.S. dollar, making this Latin American cultural capital a value-driven holiday travel destination.
Whether seeking the ideal backdrop for post-holiday revelry or relief, discerning travelers to Buenos Aires can take advantage of a multitude of experiences catering to a wide array of interests this year:
- Chinese New Year:
Feb.2 – Feb.3: Located in the Belgrano neighborhood, Buenos Aires’ Chinatown welcomes the Year of the Pig with hundreds of food stands, cultural displays and workshops during the annual two-day event. Diverse activities showcase Chinese culture, with free martial arts and calligraphy classes, music and dance shows, and the chance to take part in traditional tea ceremonies. The event features the traditional dragon and lion dances, along with Chinese percussion and singing. More notably, the renowned ballet of the Artistic Group of Zhejiang Province will be performing in the country for the first time to showcase different Chinese artistic interpretations. The celebration will be held at Plaza Parques Nacionales, Av. Figueroa Alcorta between Sucre and Echeverria.
Feb. 2 – March 5: While Rio may have the world’s busiest Carnival, Buenos Aires’ traditional Fiesta de las Murgas, is an under the radar celebration ready to take center stage. Influenced by European, African and native Argentine culture, the spectacles of dance, drumming and musical street festivals are fueled by murgas, bands of marching percussionists and dancers decked out in satins and sequins. More than 100 murgas take place across different neighborhoods each weekend in February (from 7 p.m. until 2 a.m. on Saturdays and from 7 p.m. until midnight on Sundays) until the first weekend of March with that Monday and Tuesday being granted public holidays (March 4 and 5).
- Valentine’s Day:
Feb. 14: Nothing is more suiting than celebrating the day of love and affection in the City of Many Passions. Idyllic backdrops for proposals, rekindling love or finding romance include a stroll across the Puente de la Mujer, the Bridge of Women, in Puerto Madero neighborhood. The bridge was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and is meant to symbolize a couple passionately embraced in tango, Argentina’s romantic gift to the world. Explore that passion further with dinner at Rojo Tangoinside Puerto Madero’s Hotel Faena, a fiery, racy spectacle that will leave you breathless.
- Patrick’s Day:
March 17: Argentina is home to one of the largest Irish populations in the world. More than half a million strong, this community knows how to have a good time. Buenos Aires closes off Avenida de Mayo, one of the city’s main thoroughfares, for an Irish celebration of gastronomy, beer, dancing and mischievous leprechauns the Saturday before the holiday. That same weekend and on Día de San Patricio, head to the pedestrianized Reconquista Street in the MicroCentro or Downtown, for its concentration of Irish bars, like the Druid Inand The Kilkenny.
- Easter Day:
April 21: The city that gave birth to the New World Pope, celebrates Catholic holidays in style, and Easter, known as Pascua, is no exception. Semana Santa, or Holy Week, is the period between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, when you’ll find church ceremonies, including at Catedral Metropolitana, overlooking Plaza de Mayo in the colonial heart of Buenos Aires. This was Pope Francis’ church when he was Cardinal Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, and it contains a museum about his life and works. The Friday before Easter, look for Good Friday processions and ceremonies marking Jesus’ crucifixion, including a religious parade along Avenida de Mayo.
- New Year’s Eve:
Dec. 31: North American travelers are certain to appreciate a sultry escape from the blistering cold as the Argentine capital city offers an array of opportunities to “party like a porteño” and a “see and be seen” scene at some of the city’s more stylish haunts. Regardless of visitors’ inclinations, a must-experience stop on the NYE itinerary is taking in the view of a spectacular fireworks display from Puerto Madero or counting down at the Obelisco on Avenida 9 de Julio, the world’s widest boulevard, where thousands of joyful citizens gather to welcome in the new year before dispersing to parties all over town.
With direct connections from most major North American hubs, the city is easily reached from the United States. Also, limited changes in time zone means less jet lag to slow American travelers down as they celebrate their favorite holiday with a porteñotwist.
For more information, visit travel.buenosaires.gob.ar.
About the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires
Argentina’s capital and most populous city, Buenos Aires, is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata estuary, on the southeastern coast of South America. The city is neither part of Buenos Aires Province nor the province’s capital; rather, it is an autonomous district. Buenos Aires is a top tourist destination that offers a unique blend of European elegance and Latin American passion. Famous as the birthplace of tango, the city is also home to world-class opera, theater and art, well-preserved European-style architecture, native traditions, and to restaurants that overflow with wine from Mendoza and cuts of beef fresh from the Pampas. Ranked by The Economist as 2017’s best Latin American city to live in, Buenos Aires is made up of small, highly individualized neighborhoods, each with its own characteristic colors and forms. The destination attracts and satisfies vacationers of all tastes and budgets with its wide range of accommodations including luxury hotels, chic boutique hotels, and international brands. For more information on tourism, visit: https://turismo.buenosaires.gob.ar/en or follow Buenos Aires’ Facebook page or Instagram.