Read in
Argentina
Buenos Aires is often called the “Paris of South America” because of its architecture, café culture, and literary history. Recognized as the World Book Capital by UNESCO in 2011, Buenos Aires is an ideal destination for literary travelers because it celebrates books, writers, and intellectual life.
Buenos Aires
San Telmo
Polite Phrases
Buen día – Good morning
Buenas tardes – Good afternoon
Adiós- Goodbye
Hasta mañana – See you tomorrow
Location Spotlight: The San Telmo District
The San Telmo district is the oldest barrio of Buenos Aires. Plaza Dorrego, in the heart of San Telmo, is a historical plaza known for its antique markets, cafes, bars, pubs, and street tangos. Visit Ifigenia café on Bolivar, a literary cafe with a library of over 1000 books.
Recommended readings
Poems of the Night, by Jorge Luis Borges
Save Twilight, by Julio Cortázar
The Invention of Morel, by Adolfo Bioy Casares
At a glance
My reading experience in Argentina
Walk around San Telmo, the oldest neighborhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and you will find art. Art dances on the street, a slow street tango; it lingers in bookstores, on paperbacks written by Jorge Luis Borges and Julio Cortázar. Art simmers in coffee cups of artistically designed café con leches, it sits on street corners in frames, canvases, and bright colored journals and pottery.
Art in Buenos Aires is the literary arts, the art of dance and craft, the creative arts.
I chose to visit Buenos Aires because literature has a special place in Argentine culture. Known as the Book Capital, Buenos Aires has numerous independent bookstores and has produced internationally celebrated writers, most of whom I enjoy reading.
Visit bookstores
- Walrus Books is a brief seven-minute walk from Plaza Dorrego. It is a small secondhand bookshop reminiscent of a nicely curated home library. Lined with fiction and nonfiction titles, the books are randomly sorted and a joy to browse.
- El Ateneo Grand Splendid is a former theater and is considered one of the world’s most beautiful bookstores. Painted with frescoes and its original dome preserved, this bookstore is a tourist attraction.
Things to do
- See a tango show. Argentina tango originated in Buenos Aires. Plaza Dorrego has street tango that you can view for free (with a kind tip to the dancers, if you can). You can also book tango at one of the many venues offered in Buenos Aires. I enjoyed the Rojo Tango Show at the Faena Hotel and would highly recommend it.
- Try Argentinian Wine. Argentina is known for its world-class Malbec and its aromatic white wine, including the Torrontés, their signature sweet and dry white wine that is native to their high-altitude regions.
- Café hop. Buenos Aires, specifically San Telmo, has many cafes. Some of them turn into wine bars at night. Some offer live poetry and music. Some, like Ifigenia café on Bolivar, offer a community library where you can read, sip, and eat. The food offered at these cafes are eclectic and suitable for varying tastebuds.
