Buenos Aires Local Secrets

As an organization that sends thousands of students abroad each year, CEA has captured a list of local secrets - a collection of discoveries from our students, resident staff, as well as other locals - that make this city unique. We hope you will find the information helpful and, at the very least, an interesting read.

Palermo's Park: Parques de Palermo

Catch some outdoor goodness in the middle of the city at Palermo Lakes located between Avenidas Sarmiento, Del Libertador and Figueroa Alcorta. Weekends offer sports, music, and rental boats. Locals love to job, bike, and picnic here.

Feria de Mataderos

This traditional year-long folklore festival/fair is located across from the cattle market, Mercado de Hacienda, and brings a little of the countryside into the city. Here you can buy everything from traditional crafts made of silver, wood, textiles, and ceramics to regional food like empanadas, tamales, tortas fritas (a sweet fried pastry), alfajores, and mate cocido (a local infusion). You also can enjoy the small music and dance festival, and skilled demonstrations of horsemanship. Don’t forget to try your luck at a game of sapo, which involves climbing a lathered pole. Admission is free.

The Tango

T-a-n-g-ooooo. Step-step-step-step-slide. When first learning tango, students often learn to spell as they dance. With every note, the foot moves. It could never be danced alone; the woman beguiling, the man protecting and supporting. It is a dance of skill, beauty and, as everyone knows, seduction. The history of the tango is difficult to trace exactly, but it is agreed that its true birth occurred in the 1880's in the city of Buenos Aires among the poor working class - immigrants from the world over. Over time it grew from music and dance into songs and bands. Full of passion and deeper meaning than words can express, the tango was and still remains the center of a culture all its own. An outsider once observed that the "tango is something else than a soft wave turned into music, it is the deepest dance in the world."

Calle Florida (Florida Street): Shopper's delight

This pedestrian street is lined with shops of all sorts, street vendors, musicians, and even tango dancers. Located in the city center, it runs from Plaza San Martin up past Avenida Corrientes. The Galerias Pacífico mall is one of hottest shopping landmarks along this stretch.

Street-Side Cafés

Porteños love to socialize, and the best place to do it is in one of the many street-side cafés of Buenos Aires. Dulce de leche and ‘cup of joe’ are perfect any time of day and give you an ideal opportunity to chat with the locals.

CEA has captured a list of local secrets - a collection of discoveries from our students, international staff, and other locals - that you might otherwise miss while studying abroad. Log in to enjoy these helpful and insightful tidbits of information.

Palermo's Park: Parques de Palermo

Catch some outdoor goodness in the middle of the city at Palermo Lakes located between...

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