The Best Apps for Exploring Buenos Aires, Argentina

If you’re the kind of traveler that likes to get to know a place by using its public transport instead of taking a bus tour or flagging down taxis, then Cómo Llego is the app to have for your time in Buenos Aires. While the city is walkable to a certain extent (and this is definitely one of the best ways to explore it), public transport is dependable and well-connected, and Cómo Llego lists subways, buses and trains to allow you to make your way around the city like a local.

Architecture buffs and fans of urbanism should download Guía Arqi, a user-friendly app that lists all of Buenos Aires’ famous architectural landmarks, as well as lesser-known buildings that you should check out too. With a short description of each building in multiple languages that explains its context and significance, this is a great way to take a self-guided tour of Buenos Aires’ idiosyncratic architecture.

Buenos Aires is a surprisingly bike friendly city, despite the chaotic traffic and proliferation of wayward buses and taxis. The city’s public bike program, BA EcoBici, is great if you plan on staying for a while but don’t want to commit to buying a bike, and there are over 100 kilometres (62 miles) of bike lanes in the city, so you can discover all of the hidden nooks and crannies in safety.

Buenos Aires is known for its wealth of cultural activities, and it can often be difficult to keep up with everything that is going on. One of the great benefits of being in the city is that the government actively encourages cultural engagement and schedules a variety of free events that are available to everyone. Download the city government’s Agenda Cultural for a full list of all of the events going on around the city.

Foodies rejoice! Guía Oleo is your very own roadmap to culinary deliciousness in the city of Buenos Aires. While Yelp is on the up and being used more widely these days, Guía Oleo focuses solely on food, and gives you up-to-date listings and restaurant reviews. Make sure to check out the blog Pick Up The Fork, which doesn’t have an app but is a great place to find all things food and drink related in the city.

Finding your way around Argentina’s economy can be a tricky endeavour. The exchange rate fluctuates constantly and inflation will make what you bought today more expensive tomorrow. It’s a good idea to download the national bank’s app to see what the official exchange rate is so you know what kind of a deal you’re getting from ATMs and exchange houses.

Many people might be surprised at the strange Spanish spoken in Buenos Aires, which is locally labelled as Castellano instead of Español. Porteños (people who live in Buenos Aires) have their own slang and use some grammatical differences that set their language apart from Spain’s Spanish and even that of Mexico and the rest of Latin America. The Porteño Spanish app will help you wrap your head around the local lingo and have you ordering coffees and beers like a native in a jiffy.