Trip Recap: Honeymoon in Buenos Aires
At Recoleta Cemetery
Upon arrival into Buenos Aires, just a short drive from the main international airport, is the training center for the Argentina national soccer team.
The billboards outside of the facility feature members of the team, including Messi of course, and this is not the last time you will see these faces or this team during your stay! Soccer is huge in Argentina, whether you are talking about the national team or the Argentina league.
The other thing you will notice as you enter the city center is that everything feels very European. There’s a mix of architectural styles and influences - Italian, French, Spanish, among others - and stunning buildings on a grand boulevard like 9 de Julio Avenue, the widest street in the world. Driving to our hotel from the airport felt like the most perfectly executed welcome tour as we drove past the Obelisk that stands in the center of that busy street (and most recently seen when Argentina celebrated its World Cup victory two years ago).
I totally fell for Buenos Aires - there are unique neighborhoods to explore, stunning architecture, and it’s incredibly walkable in the city center.
We loved all of the food we ate, the people we met, and the wine we drank. There was something so welcoming and warm about the city. We also had nearly perfect weather for our trip - I would highly recommend visiting in shoulder season (this is their Spring) as the weather was mild and great for exploring the city. Temperatures were mostly in the 70s or low 80s with sunny skies. In fact, the only rain we encountered there was on our last day in the city before we flew home.
We spent the first four nights of our honeymoon at the Park Hyatt Palacio Duhau in Buenos Aires. It’s located in Recoleta, an affluent neighborhood with lots of shops, great dining, and easy access to many of the tourist sites. The hotel itself is a former palace, as the name implies, with one building being the old palace and the other being the newer, main hotel building. In between these two buildings is a beautiful green courtyard - where you can have your breakfast each morning. We loved those breakfasts in the lovely setting (the food was wonderful as was the service) and it was such a nice way to start each day.
Some of my clients enjoy traveling with some private tours or small group tours throughout their trip, while others only opt for them at certain times during the trip, if at all. My husband and I decided we wanted to have some flexibility with days on our own while in Buenos Aires so we could have the flexibility to explore when we wanted to and where we wanted to. We did have one food tour arranged by Exeter Latin America, the destination management company I worked with to arrange all of the transportation and guides for our trip, but the rest of our days were open. This made it easy for us to do a bit of sightseeing in the morning and then return to the hotel to relax, enjoy the hotel’s wonderful spa and indoor pool, and take time to enjoy the balcony in our room - one of the things I loved the most about our stay at the Park Hyatt!
There’s a lot to explore in Buenos Aires and we barely scratched the surface during our time there. What were the highlights?
Rojo Tango at the Faena Hotel - This is considered the best tango show. It’s in a cabaret-style setting, with a small crowd so it feels very intimate. And the performances were amazing - they had a variety of dancers and singers accompanied by a wonderful band. Highly recommend!
Recoleta Cemetery - I love visiting cemeteries when traveling and this is one not to be missed! Aside from being the burial place to Eva Peron, among other notable Argentine figures, it’s one of the most unique and beautiful cemeteries I have ever visited.
The food - In addition to the food tour, we had delicious meals at Don Julio, a 2-star Michelin restaurant known for its meat (and lively atmosphere) and at Mengano, which was probably one of our favorite meals of the trip. The vibe was cozy and the small plates featured spins on Argentine dishes - most impressive was the wagyu beef sandwich that we are still talking about 2 weeks later.
Teatro Colon & Colon Fabrica - Teatro Colon is the city’s famous theater which primarily shows operas and ballets. If you can, get a ticket for a show there! If not, at least take the 45-min tour of the theater. As a bonus, swing by Colon Fabrica when you are in La Boca. It serves as storage for the theater and visitors can tour mini-exhibits of the sets and costumes from recent performances. Everything is custom-made at the theater; it's impressive to see it all up close!
We spent one final night in Buenos Aires before our return flight to the US. For this night, we chose to stay at Hotel Casa Lucia, a newer hotel in the Retiro district. This was a very different stay than the Park Hyatt - more of a boutique hotel feel with a lively bar and lobby area. The hotel is on a very small, picturesque street and is just across from Floreria Atlantico, one of the 50 Best Bars in the World (since 2011!). We managed to walk-in and get a table in a cavernous speakeasy that sits below the street side flower shop. They had tons of unique cocktails on the menu though I opted for my go-to Manhattan, which was excellent of course.
Buenos Aires quickly became a favorite city of mine - and I can’t wait to return! Better yet, I would love to help my clients plan their own incredible stay in this beautiful city!