Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires, the national capital, sprawls across the eastern Pampas with a ring of modern, bustling suburbs. It is one of the most cosmopolitan and crowded cities in South America, and is often compared to Paris or Rome for its architecture and vibrant nightlife. Its industry attracted settlers from Italy, Spain and many other countries, millions of whom migrated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Greater Buenos Aires is home to about a third of the Argentine population. Buenos Aires is one of Latin America's most important ports and a national center of commerce, industry, politics, culture and technology. According to tradition, the Spanish colonist Pedro de Mendoza founded the first settlement here, which he named Nuestra Señora Santa María del Buen Aire (“Our Lady St. Mary of the Good Air”). The inhabitants of Buenos Aires are known as porteños (“people of the port”), as many of the city's inhabitants arrived by boat from Europe. The city's cosmopolitan, multicultural identity has evolved in a melting pot of cultures, from Native Americans and colonial Spanish roots to the influence of Italian, French, British, Middle Eastern, African and Asian immigrants. You can experience this eclectic mix of influences in the architecture, food and character of the city's people. Buenos Aires is fortunate to have a pleasant climate and plenty of extensive green spaces with flora and fauna. From the 350-hectare Costanera Sur Ecological to the popular Tres de Febrero Park, there are plenty of places to enjoy the sunshine, walk, run and watch the world go by.