It’s increasingly fashionable to use artificial intelligence to do research, but I still prefer to rely on the actual intelligence of the Andrew Harper Travel Office. I asked my advisor to come up with a few creative ideas for guided tours in Buenos Aires for my companion and me, keeping in mind that this wasn’t my first time to the city. Four of the diverse suggestions caught my attention, and each experience proved to be both illuminating and a pleasure.

Jewish Culture

Although Argentina became notorious for sheltering Nazis during the administration of Juan Perón in the mid- to late 1940s, prior to that period, the country welcomed numerous Jewish immigrants. To this day, Buenos Aires is home to South America’s largest Jewish community, and we spent a fascinating few hours learning more about it.

Our tour with the engaging Paola started, counterintuitively, at the cathedral on Plaza de Mayo. In one of the chapels is a memorial called the Mural, a collage of sacred papers from places where Jews have suffered atrocities. We later visited one of them, the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina, where a 1994 bombing killed 85 people and wounded more than 300. Undaunted, the organization carries on its work.

Near the landmark Teatro Colón is a happier site: the 1932 Templo Libertad, the city’s largest synagogue, which has a striking interior embellished by gold mosaic. In the attached museum, I especially enjoyed learning about Jewish gauchos.

After a light lunch of Argentine-Levantine snacks, we visited an impressive contemporary synagogue complex. Paola introduced us to the charismatic rabbi, who told us about the congregation and even invited us to Shabbat. Alas, we had to catch a flight the next day.

Food Finds

Our culinary guide, Ornela, customizes her food-tour itineraries to suit the preferences of her guests. Since I’d reserved us several high-end restaurants during our stay in Buenos Aires, I wanted something more casual, more focused on what in-the-know locals eat.

We started at Cantina La Mamma Rosa, a café in Villa Crespo that looked homey but drew more than just neighborhood folks. “Behind you,” Ornela whispered. “It’s Juanes,” a Colombian rock star, who, together with his entourage, was also enjoying the superb baked goods and coffee. I especially liked the chipá, a savory roll of chickpea flour and cheese, and an unusual lyre-shaped pastry made with wagyu fat.

After browsing colorful murals and fashionable leather boutiques in Palermo Soho, we headed to scruffy-looking Pizzeria La Mezzetta in Belgrano. A slice of the signature deep-dish-style pie loaded with molten mozzarella and topped with caramelized onion was heaven.

At a cozy pub in Recoleta, we continued our feast with empanadas and locro, a hearty stew popular in Salta. We also had a break for maté tea, which our guide prepared herself, and superb gelato.

Throughout, Ornela provided tips for bars, cafés and restaurants, as well as shopping and sightseeing suggestions. It was like touring Buenos Aires with a chic friend. 

Street Art

As we began our street-art tour, our guide, Florencia, an artist and history teacher, sounded a warning note. “The company told me you’ve already seen Palermo Soho, so we’ll go to San Telmo and La Boca, but there’s less art there,” she explained, perhaps worried we’d be disappointed. We weren’t. She introduced us to everything from small headscarf stencils referencing the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo to apartment tower-size portraits of soccer stars.

The colorfully painted buildings on La Boca’s most famous street are always fun to see, but I enjoyed getting away from the crowd in that sometimes-gritty neighborhood. A huge, surreal mural by Lion Graff, Martin Ron and El Marian was a great discovery, and Florencia showed us fancifully painted industrial complexes as well.

The best part of the tour was meeting muralist Damián Arhancetbehere in a park, where he had set up spray paint cans and an easel with paper. We got hands-on training in both stenciling and freehand tagging, and we came away with our own works of art. Banksy better watch out — there’s a new incognito painter in town.

Uruguay Day

Most of my explorations of underrated Uruguay have focused on the eastern coast, near Punta del Este and José Ignacio. Since I hadn’t seen as much of the western half of the country, the Travel Office organized an excursion to Colonia del Sacramento, only about 75 minutes by ferry from Buenos Aires. Our local guide, Fabian, drove us from the port to a gate in the old defensive wall of this historic town, now a UNESCO World Heritage site. It changed hands frequently between Spain and Portugal, giving its architecture an unusual stylistic mix. Fabian showed us how to identify which of the stony streets were built by which empire.

We sat down on a bench in one of the two main squares, both of which were wonderfully tranquil thanks to our off-season timing. Fabian showed us the Uruguayan way to make maté — the Argentines do it all wrong — and we sipped it together while looking at the white lighthouse that punctuates the old center. As we walked the pedestrian-friendly town, Fabian illuminated its history and shared personal anecdotes, helping us picture the ungentrified Colonia of 20 years ago.

After a relaxing and delicious lunch at a country house hotel and restaurant just outside town — Fabian once went there for a birthday party, when it was still a private residence — we took time to shop in the colorful boutiques and do a tasting in a charming wine bar. Colonia del Sacramento reportedly draws numerous expat retirees, and I can understand why.

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