71 Facts About Buenos Aires For The Travel Junkie In You

Being the capital and the largest city of Argentina, Buenos Aires is an exceptional place to travel to. 

As for its location, the western shore of Río de la Plata or River Plate on the southeastern coast of South America is where Buenos Aires is located. But what does the name of this city mean?

Buenos Aires means 'good airs' or 'fair winds', but the latter meaning was given to it by its founders. If you admire places with a thumping nightlife, a calm yet vibrant atmosphere, and old neighborhoods with cozy restaurants, this is the place for you.

Let's dig deep and explore more about Buenos Aires.

Read along to find out about the Boca Juniors and their soccer, Río de la Plata, Buenos Aires underground and the Buenos Aires metro system, Buenos Aires locals, and more of South America's capital city! Afterwards, also check out facts about Denver, Colorado and facts about Dublin.

Fun Facts About Buenos Aires

A heaven for bookworms, the city has the highest number of bookstores per capita in the world with 25 bookshops for every 100,000 residents.

Traveling while in a foreign city can be difficult when there are poor transportation facilities, but Buenos Aires has the very first metro system to have ever existed in Latin America. It was established in Buenos Aires in 1913, connecting the presidential palace (Casa Rosada) with Congress.

Another striking feature of the station is its ambiance and the energy that it gives to passengers. Being the 13th oldest station in the world, it is operating exceptionally well.

Remember how it's pointed out above that nights in the city are wild? Well, part of the reason is its street called Avenida 9 de Julio, which holds the title of being the widest street in the world.

But why such a strange name for a street? It's because the name is influenced by the day Argentina got freedom from Spain in 1816, 9 de Julio. The street is 16 lanes wide and connects the north of the city with its south.

Additionally, the city has the largest Japanese garden outside of Japan. Buenos Aires is considered to have the largest Japanese garden and it is called Japanese because in the '60s it was established to welcome a prince from Japan.

A graveyard in the city called the Recoleta Cemetery is a tourist attraction. It was founded in 1822.

There are tango dancers and tango music present since this country is the place where tango originated in Argentine history.

Buenos Aires is the most visited city in the country with the thriving arts culture in this federal district that's supported by the Argentine government.

Historical Facts About Buenos Aires

The history of a place speaks volumes about its beliefs. Buenos Aires is certainly no exception. The first person to have come to Rio de la Plata was  Juan Díaz de Solís, a 16th-century explorer.

Ever heard of a place that was founded not once but twice? If not then now you have. Buenos Aires was first founded in 1536, then again in 1580. This was mainly due to the changing of names.

The original name of the city, 'City of Our Lady Saint Mary of the Fair Winds', was after the Madonna of Bonaria in Sardinia, Italy. Formally, the city was called the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires.

Eventually, Buenos Aires was made an official port and viceroyalty in 1776, by Spain. Buenos Aires was controlled by the British for two months to undermine Spain.

Facts About The Culture Of Buenos Aires

The customs and culture of a place are important. The beauty of culture is that it keeps on getting passed on from generation to generation.

The city is influenced by European culture and is sometimes called Paris of South America. The city has the most engaging live theatre industry in the whole of Latin America, with 300 live plays on weekends.

The city encompasses Latin America’s first and the world’s third largest cultural centre and has been a part of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network since 2005 after it was named the City of Design. Further, the people belonging to the city are called Portenos, simply because it signifies that the person belongs from a port city.

Argentina’s capital has also been recognized as the literary capital of Latin America. Rio de la Plata, in Argentina's capital, is famous for the emergence of tango, a dance form that is significant to Buenos Aires’ culture and importance.

Calling it the world capital of tango would not be incorrect. This city also saw the origin of the first film exhibition of Argentine cinema history.

The country’s first movie theaters were also inaugurated here. Moreover, this was the first city to have made the monumental move of recognizing LGBT rights in Latin America.

The language spoken here is Spanish, which is now spoken with a touch of Lunfardo, and grew from Italian roots. But the Spanish here, according to a recent study, holds the affirmation that it sounds like Neapolitan Italian more than any other language.

Buenos Aires houses one of the world’s top five opera houses, Teatro Colon, and its construction took 20 years. The people here, it seems, take health quite seriously, since the city has the most psychologists per capita in the world compared to any other city.

In the sphere of education, too, the city is not behind. The University of Buenos Aires is the largest college in Argentina and second largest in Latin America and has given four Nobel Prize winners. In the sphere of sports, the city has the number one polo team in the world.

Facts About Buenos Aires Food

Food is life. No matter the situation, there is nothing that some delicious food cannot handle. For most of us, it is also the way to our heart, right? People here eat heavy food like meat, in particular, beef.

As a result of elevated immigration, the diversity in food choice has increased. There are dishes inspired by Spanish and Italian cuisines. The most loved food here is beef and the most loved drink is malbec wine.

Of course, this is not the whole list; there are a plethora of other dishes and meals that you just cannot afford to miss. It is a paradise for steak lovers and parrillas are located all over the city.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 71 facts about Buenos Aires for the travel junkie in you then why not take a look at Barcelona, Spain facts or Argentina facts.