A Guide To Visiting Buenos Aires' Palermo Neighborhood

The largest barrio, or neighborhood, in Buenos Aires, Palermo is a destination for foodies, art fans, shopaholics and revelers alike. Popular with expats, the area has increasingly become populated with locals as well, and today is a veritable melting pot of culture and coolness. If headed to Buenos Aires for the first time, consider this your guide to one of the city’s best neighborhoods.

Buenos Aires skyline © Jimmy Baikovicius/Flickr

Explore the Botanical Gardens

Take a stroll amidst the 5,500+ plant species at the Botanical Gardens, where you can also find a botanic library, a museum, assorted monuments and five greenhouses. The Botanical Garden is also home to a large population of domestic cats, which are fed and vaccinated by a volunteer committee.

Botanical Gardens, Buenos Aires, Argentina, +54 11 4831-4527

Jardín Botánico Buenos Aires © Roberto Fiadone/WikiCommons

Go shopping

It’s no secret that Palermo is a shopper’s paradise. On weekends, the markets at Plaza Serrano and Plaza Armenia are bustling with indie vendors hawking artisanal wares. Don’t miss the clothing and home boutiques along Gurruchaga, Honduras, and Malabia to find cutting edge designs by a mix of Argentine and foreign designers.

Pacífico, Palermo © JonySniuk/WikiCommons

Take in some art

The MALBA (the Latin American Art Museum of Buenos Aires) aims to collect and promote Latin American art from the 20th century. The innovative and contemporary building itself, designed by Argentine architectural firm AFT Architects, is a sight to behold.

MALBA, Av. Pres Figueroa Alcorta 3415, Buenos Aires, Argentina

MALBA Interior © HalloweenHJB/WikiCommons

Get close to nature at Parque Tres de Febrero

Featuring a rose garden with a lake, Japanese gardens, a Poets Garden with statues of famous poets, and the 45-acre Buenos Aires Zoo, this enormous park truly has it all. The park is beautiful to explore on foot or by bicycle— or try pedal-boating in one of the lakes.

Parque Tres de Febrero © Eurico Zimbres/WikiCommons

Coffee and people watching

Palermo is rife with cafés and coffee shops. Take a seat at Oui Oui in Palermo Hollywood for a tasty brunch. Craving something sweet? Go for the submarino, Argentina’s take on a hot chocolate: hot milk served with a chunk of chocolate to be ‘sunk’ into it and stirred.

Oui Oui, Nicaragua 6068, Buenos Aires, Argentina, +54 11 4778-9614

Check out the Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo

This stunning French Neoclassical-style mansion houses an extensive collection of furniture and objets d’art, both from Argentina and further afield. The Louis XV decor of the palace is sumptuous, and the collection comprises twelve exhibits and nine permanent collections with a total of 4,000+ objects— including paintings by El Greco, Fragonard, and Manet, as well as ancient Roman sculptures, Chien Lung era Chinese vases and more.

Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo, Av. del Libertador 1902, Buenos Aires, Argentina, +54 11 4801-8248

Experience the nightlife

Come nightfall, much of the city’s denizens descend upon Palermo for its renowned nightlife. Try Isabel, a glamorous ‘70s-inspired bar in Palermo Soho with good cocktails, a courtyard complete with a fireplace, house music blasting, and a stylish clientele.

Isabel, 1664 Uriarte, Buenos Aires, Argentina, +54 11 4834-6969