A guide to explore Buenos Aires by bike: one neighborhood each day

Environmentally friendly and healthy. Touring the Argentine capital on two wheels is a spectacular plan to explore every corner of the city. How? Easy: one neighborhood each day. In this article: La Boca, Puerto Madero, Recoleta, Palermo and more.

What has always been experienced as an alternative, today is considered the main means of touring a city. In times when the open air is a necessary condition, the bicycle is the great star of modern transportation. 

Besides diminishing the environmental impact, it allows us to move more easily and rapidly, to breathe green and historical spaces while setting our legs and senses into motion, and to arrive at unexplored places to take the best pictures.

The City of Buenos Aires comprises a network of bicycle lanes exclusively for cyclists. It is a project that began in July 2009 - a time when some 30 thousand people used the bicycle as a means of transportation - and today stretches for more than 267 km. Bike tourism is therefore a more than tempting option to get to know the various alternatives that the city of Buenos Aires has to offer. These tours can be done accompanied by tour guides or, why not, drawn up independently. The result? Exploring must-see attractions with a fun eco-friendly twist. 

The proposal is simple: visiting the main Buenos Aires neighborhoods on two wheels, on a trip that includes seven days of pure cycling.

What do you need to know before getting started?

 EcoBici App

Bicycles can be rented at bike rental shops for a specified time, but there is also a project to cycle the city: EcoBici. So, what's it all about? It's a public transportation system designed so that everyone can get a bike at any time of the day, all year round. How does it work? First, you should download the BA Ecobici application by Tembici for Android and iOS. Then, register with an international credit card, select the type of pass and go to the nearest station to unlock the bike. When choosing the pass, you can get the regular one (free for Argentine residents) or other alternatives at an additional charge to be used for a longer time, on weekends and by foreign tourists. 

The same app allows you to see all the stations in the city and the number of bikes available at each of them. Once you choose the station, a code is generated to be later entered in the selected bike corral. As soon as a green light appears, the bike is ready to be used! All you have to do is, once the time is over, return it to any terminal. 

Bike lane

The undisputed ally of urban cyclists. Although it is possible to ride a bicycle on all the streets, some of them have lanes designed exclusively for cyclists. This way, strategic circuits have been created throughout the city for circulation to flow more rapidly and for cyclists to be guaranteed defensive driving. The two-way bike lane is located on the left side of the street, with its own signaling. 

 Now it is time to tour Buenos Aires! 

Day 1: La Boca

What is better than colors and tango to start the day? La Boca: the mecca of soccer, of the world's most sensual dance and of the most striking color palette in Buenos Aires. A few blocks away from the Bombonera, one of the most important stadiums in the country and witness to historic football matches, is the EcoBici terminal to start the trip. 

The first stop is Caminito, the most instagrammable spot. The combination of blue, yellow, red, orange and green shades color the most famous street in the south of the city, giving it a life of its own. Street art joins the spectacle of colors and allows you to get amazing views through your camera lens along the ride.

Cycling the streets of La Boca invites you to change plans and spend hours watching the corners of the classic facades (called "conventillos", the old houses where immigrants used to live), marveling at tango being danced on the cobbled streets, and – of course - tasting some Argentine delicacies in its bars and restaurants.

Day 2: San Telmo

A traditional Buenos Aires neighborhood and one of the oldest, it is rooted in colonial architecture, customs, tango and markets. The tour begins at Plaza Lezama – the EcoBici can be found at the intersection of Brasil and Defensa streets -, a green space full of sculptures and surrounded by buildings such as the National Historical Museum and the Orthodox Church.

After cycling a few blocks, you will reach the next stop and the heart of the neighborhood: Plaza Dorrego: a magical place that gathers the essence of San Telmo, with restaurants, typical constructions and street fairs on weekends. In addition, it is perfect for watching tango outdoors where dancers perform “a la gorra” [for a tip] so no ticket is needed and the audience pay what they consider reasonable. A few steps away, you can find the Mercado de San Telmo, with its typical iron structures and hypnotizing ceilings. Even if you may not be willing to go shopping, the wide range of products - from vegetables to antiques -, architecture and vibe are worth the visit.

Argentina is also well-known for its talented comic strip writers. Such is its fame that San Telmo has become a living museum of the most beloved characters in Argentine comics. The most iconic photo can be taken on a bench, sitting next to the sculpture of a little girl: Mafalda (located at the intersection of Defensa and Chile streets). Susanita, Manolito, Patoruzú, Hijitus, Clemente and other famous characters can also be found on the tour.

An interesting fact for photography fans: at 380 San Lorenzo St., the narrowest street stretch of all Buenos Aires can be found. It is 2.50 meters wide and 13 meters long, a spot that undoubtedly deserves a photoshoot.

Day 3: Puerto Madero

A good place to explore on a bike: buildings, food and nature. Puerto Madero is synonymous with modern life and one of the great jewels of the city center. The must-see attractions include the Women’s Bridge [Puente de la Mujer] for getting the most beautiful postcard, the Presidente Sarmiento Frigate, the Monumental Fountain of Las Nereidas, the Reina de Holanda square and the Parque Mujeres Argentinas.

When it comes to nature, the star of the area is the Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve, a 360-hectare green lung that borders the Río de la Plata. It is ideal for a bike ride, and the whole area is prepared for this activity. There are different circuits that allow you to enjoy the wind blowing on your face with a view to the river and the most striking skyscrapers of the city. The best part? The lunch stop is at Costanera Sur (across from the Reserve) and consists of a choripán [sausage sandwich] that you can get from a food truck, to taste the classic Argentine chorizo. 

Day 4: Downtown

The true heart of the city. It is not a neighborhood in itself, but rather an area of office buildings, stores, banks and constructions that display several historic and cultural symbols of the city. Bounded by Avenida Córdoba and Avenida de Mayo, it has bike lanes that allow you to get a good overview of the place despite the usual traffic of the area. 

What can be seen here? The Plaza de Mayo across from the Cabildo, the Casa Rosada - presidential headquarters - and the Metropolitan Cathedral. Crossing 9 de Julio Avenue, you will find the other pole: Plaza del Congreso [Congress Square] and the striking National Congress building, one of the largest in the world - its dome is 80 meters tall! To appreciate this view from your bike, Virrey Ceballos street crosses the square and offers a perfect bike path for panoramic photos.

Day 5: Recoleta

French-style buildings, parkland and an architecturally unique cemetery named after the place. The Recoleta neighborhood is another area to tour on two wheels. In addition to streets that lead to galleries and cafes, the circuit starts at the most famous cemetery in the city, known for housing the remains of the country's most historical figures.

The Carlos Thays Park is another good starting point to take advantage of the Figueroa Alcorta bike lane, which offers an open-air route full of must-see spots. The first one is the School of Law building, built in 1949, with a Greco-Roman style, which is striking by its size, main stairway and 14 columns at the front facade. Next, another Argentine icon can be seen: the Floralis Genérica, a 20-meter-high stainless steel sculpture that stands on a water fountain. The park in which it is found is ideal to rest after a long ride. 

Day 6: Palermo

Passages and corners filled with artistic murals. The essence of this neighborhood: young people, plenty of green spaces and nightlife. The streets which have bike lanes honor the reason for touring the place: the starting point at the intersection of Gorriti and Borges Streets shows the ideal itinerary to tour the heart of Palermo before entering its green lungs.

Some of Palermo’s must-see spots are the Julio Cortázar and the Inmigrantes de Armenia squares, and the wide variety of restaurants and vintage stores around. A street worth visiting? Pasaje Russel, where everything is colors and art, and where many film crew and photo shooting teams can usually be seen! Once you have explored this area, take Sarmiento Avenue up to Figueroa Alcorta Avenue to find the Planetarium, our national astronomy house and museum.

The bike lane continues along Figueroa Alcorta to end the circuit around the Tres de Febrero park (generally known as Bosques de Palermo) and enter its many internal paths, where bicycles are allowed and which extend for 370 hectares. Within the park you can visit the Rosedal (Rose Park), an amazing open area with more than 12 thousand rose bushes, but mind you! It is forbidden to cycle inside the park. This green oasis also features water mirrors, native flora and different parks, such as the Japanese Garden, the Botanical Garden and the Buenos Aires Ecopark [former Zoo].

Day 7: Vicente López

A bit farther away from downtown Buenos Aires but still with a style that encourages us to ride a bike and enjoy the sun. The length of the bike lane in this area offers you the perfect alternative to combine nature and sports: a full day cycling from the city center to the northern area. The reward consists of green parks with a view to the Río de la Plata, food trucks on the promenade to get your energy back, and some time to relax, away from the bustling and hustling of the city.

This area also hosts the Ecological Reserve, a protected green 2-hectare space on the coast of the Río de la Plata. What can you do there? Mainly walking and enjoying nature, the endless river horizon and the flora of the place.