Buenos Aires for The Slow Weekenders: a Friday-to-Monday weekend
Faded marble, bandoneón, and smoke off the grill.
The weekend as rest. A hotel worth staying in, a hammam or a thermal bath, one unhurried sight each day, lunches that run into the afternoon, and early nights.
Friday: An unhurried arrival
- Jardín Botánico Carlos Thays
A cast-iron greenhouse and benches under old trees, with a few cats. Walk slowly and sit by the pond.
- Hammam at Faena Hotel
A hammam and spa in a red-velvet hotel by the docks. Book an early evening slot, and let the steam do its work.
- Dinner at El Preferido de Palermo
A Spanish tortilla and a milanesa in a candlelit almacén, shared slowly with a carafe of red, and then an early night back at the hotel.
Saturday: One sight, a long lunch
- Cementerio de la Recoleta
Walk the avenues of marble mausoleums at a slow pace and sit on a bench by the main lane.
- La Biela
The café under the great gomero tree opposite the cemetery. A long lunch of lomito and coffee under the branches.
- Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
Free and rarely crowded. Rodin's bronzes, Goya and the Argentine landscapes, in galleries you can cross in an hour.
Sunday: Tea at the palace
- Rosedal de Palermo
A rose garden with a small lake. Sit on a bench and watch the paddle boats.
- Lunch at Don Julio
A slow lunch of bife de chorizo and a Malbec, with the whole afternoon free afterwards. Book weeks ahead and ask for the corner table.
- Afternoon tea at L'Orangerie
Tea and sandwiches in the Alvear Palace's garden room. A formal, hushed hour with scones and a pot of tea.
Monday: A gentle farewell
- Plaza Dorrego
Cobblestones and antique stalls, quiet on a Monday. Sit at a café table in the sun.
- El Ateneo Grand Splendid
A 1919 theatre turned bookshop. A coffee on the old stage, then a last book to take home.
- Bar El Federal
A corner bar since 1864. A picada and a glass of wine as a farewell.