Category: Argentina Culture

Discover the heart of the country that gave us the Tango with The Real Argentina culture guide. Argentina is a rich cultural melting pot — a unique mixture of European and Latin American influences which are reflected in its innovative music, literature and lifestyle.

The friendly and passionate people are what make Argentina such a warm and welcoming place. The combination of urban glamour, underground traditions, and vast wilderness give vibrancy and character to the country’s cultural landscape.

Argentine culture caters to all tastes: take in a game of football at the famous La Bombonera stadium, peruse the modern art at MALBA, or dance the Tango at a milonga in Buenos Aires.

PHOTO CONTEST: LIVE VENDIMIA HARVEST IN MENDOZA WITH ARGENTO

Would you like to live the harvest (vendimia) in Mendoza, meet Bodega Argento, harvesting in one of our vineyard estates, enjoy a wine tasting and participate in the National Harvest Festival? Imagine all that, plus: eat at the best restaurants in Mendoza, stay at one of the most luxurious hotels in the city and share all the activities together with Argento team. Participate in this photo contest and if your photo achieves the most votes, you will be the winner of this fabulous prize, for you and a companion.

February 13th, 2016

THE ULTIMATE CONCEPT BOUTIQUES IN BUENOS AIRES

‘Concept boutique’ has become a buzzword on the Buenos Aires shopping scene in the last few years as shop owners, brands and designers strive to distinguish their products from the rest and add something extra to the shopping experience. From old colonial mansions to cutting-edge department stores, Sophie Lloyd features some of her favourite concept shops in the city. The best of Argentina’s emerging design scene.

CARNIVAL BEATS GET CULOS ON THE STREET

Permission to party – The Real Argentina’s Guide to carnival…
Fiesta filled February is a little bit special in the Argentine calendar. A month of weekend long street parties see Porteños partying like only they know how. Further north in the province of Entre Rios, Gualeguaychú explodes as hedonists lap up the closest carnival to their Brazilian neighbours.

Rewind four years and I was cutting my teeth trying to samba in Rio De Janeiro, and although inimitable in terms of grandeur and locura, Argentina’s still got it going on. As if you needed proof – even President Mauricio Macri’s dance moves, busted out at his inauguration, are featured on a promo ad for Rio’s very own celebrations this year – no joke! Although, maybe there is one – on him.

February 5th, 2016

Musings on La Noche de los Museos

A personal fave in the Porteño calendar, La Noche de los Museos sees museums and cultural spaces opening their doors to hungry culture vultures seeking their fix. And true to Argentine tradition, it goes on late. But feelings of twitchy excitement quickly got overrun with plain bamboozled delirium as I scrolled through the epically long list of 222 venues to choose from.

November 10th, 2015

Open House Buenos Aires Architecture festival

A free invitation to peek behind BA’s closed doors

Nosing around buildings and peering into people’s living rooms is a favourite personal past time but let’s face it, plenty of disgruntled residents would prefer me to keep my beak out. Open House festival however, gives everyone license to snoop around, some of Buenos Aires’ most revered and interesting spaces for free, over a playful 48 hours.

November 2nd, 2015

Lights Out – A Gourmet Theatre Experience in the Dark

We all like the experience of dining by candlelight but how about dining in the dark, when you can’t even make out your hand when it’s right in front of your face, let alone see the food on your plate? Add some interactive musical theatre to the mix and you’ve got a whole new spin on the concept of dinner theatre. Sophie Lloyd experiences Teatro Ciego’s A Ciegas Gourmet.

October 30th, 2015

TANGO TRACKS ACROSS THE DANCEFLOOR

Tango’s lyrics of nostalgia, passion and heartbreak are a powerful testament to the countries multicultural history. It’s a serious business for many tangueros who dedicate the twilight hours to the scene of late night milongas, dancing to the wee small hours until it’s time for desayuno (breakfast) and a snooze, before doing it all over again. So entwined is the genre with Argentine culture that much of the old tango slang or lunfardo is still in popular use today and scratchy tango tunes play over the airwaves 24/7 on dedicated radio stations. 1930s heart throb and poster boy Carlos Gardel is still regarded as the best tango singer, so don’t be surprised to hear his canciones (songs) seeping out onto the streets from taxi driver’s windows and señoras clutching stereos on doorsteps. So much more than a sexy stereotype, tango illustrates the Argentine psyche and is every bit the embodiment of a way of being.

October 27th, 2015

The Botanical Gardens – Buenos Aires’ chic alternative to Palermo

One such area, characterized by its close proximity to Palermo, has been dubbed Palermo Zoo, Botanico and even Palermo VIP. This upscale leafy BA neighborhood has seen a boom in new restaurants and delis and a plethora of independent boutiques and private showrooms opening up in the last couple of years.

October 5th, 2015

The Hottest Trends from the BA Catwalks for Spring/Summer 2015

Spring has officially sprung in Buenos Aires and the winter layers are finally being ditched in favour of something lighter in the sartorial department. During the city’s fashion weeks (namely BAF Week and Designers BA) that took place earlier this month and last, the city’s local designers declared what’s hot to wear this spring / summer (unlike other fashion weeks around the world that are one step ahead, Argentina’s designers and brands work in line with the season). Sophie Lloyd rounds up the key trends for Spring/Summer 2015 from BA’s runways.

September 29th, 2015

A shopper’s guide to Tigre

While it’s most famous for its swampy waterways taking you up the Delta to hundreds of tiny islands, the town is also home to a bustling artisan market and a thriving community of artisans, artists and designers who are injecting some creative flair into the area and offering up some unique shopping gems. Just an hour north of the crazy metropolis of Buenos Aires is the infinitely more tranquil town of Tigre. Sophie Lloyd shares her top picks.

September 23rd, 2015