Spring in Buenos Aires: What to do and where to go

Known for football, good weather, and blooming jacaranda trees, Spring is the best time of year to visit Buenos Aires. Here are our top suggestions for what to do and where to go during Spring in Argentina.

You can almost hear the collective sigh. The air is drier, the days are brighter. Everyone steps a little more lightly. There’s even a joyous cadence to the incessant honking of car horns. Primavera (Spring), has finally arrived. The entire mood of the city has changed overnight. Once more, the parks and plazas are filled with families and dogs. Young couples passionately making out in public. Buenos Aires has finally come out of hibernation, and there is really no better time in the year to visit than during Spring.

When is the best month to visit Buenos Aires?

After lying dormant through the winter, Buenos Aires comes alive in the Springtime. This energy combined with the perfectly mild weather arguably makes Spring the best time of the year to visit. And the best month? Easy. The best month to visit Buenos Aires is November. In November, the people are happy, the parks are in full bloom, restaurant patios fill up, football season is in full swing, and the city puts on some of the best cultural events of the year. Here are our top suggestions for how to make the most out of the perfect weather and buzzing energy in the Buenos Aires Spring.

Explore the Parks and Plazas

Sun and mild weather – it’s the perfect time to pack a picnic and head outdoors. Buenos Aires has an abundance of picturesque parks, plazas and green spaces. The neighborhood Palermo is known for its high concentration of expansive green spaces. Luckily though, pretty parks and plazas can be found all around the city. Here are a few of our favorites.

The Bosques del Palermo are a huge expanse of leafy grasslands where locals go to picnic, walk their dogs or exercise. It’s the perfect place to people watch and catch some sun. Here, you’ll find a quaint lake with paddle boats available for rent, a few chic restaurants, a track for biking, a rose garden, and lots of space to relax.

Plaza Naciones Unidas and the nearby parks and plazas that surround the famous Recoleta Cemetery are also wonderful to explore on foot (or bike) and with a camera. It’s an area full of fantastic monuments, outdoor sculptures and architecture.

Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve is a nature reserve on the riverbanks just outside of Puerto Madero, home to many species of bird life. It’s another popular escape for Porteños, and a great spot for jogging and biking.

Enjoy the fresh blooms

While spring and fall are both characterized by mild weather and sunny days, Spring beats out Fall for its flowers.

The famous Jacaranda trees of Buenos Aires bloom every November turning the city purple and blanketing parks in delicate lavender petals. The jacaranda trees in Buenos Aires aren’t as abundant as they once were, but they remain a sight to behold. Head to Avenida 9 de Julio for one of the most postcard worthy shots of the city. Dozens of the bright purple trees line the already famously picturesque avenue, making for an impressive sight.

To catch thousands of different rose species in bloom at the same place, head to El Rosedal. El Rosedal is a charming rose garden nestled in the center of the Bosques de Palermo. Complete with colorful flowers, dainty white trellises, and picturesque bridges, this garden makes for a perfect afternoon stroll.

Attend a football game

In Buenos Aires football is the lifeblood that keeps the city running. You may have heard of Boca Junior or Rive Plate, but in the capital city alone there are more than a dozen teams all with their own extremely dedicated fan bases. The football seasons in Argentina are in Spring and Fall, and if you’re in town during either season, attending a football game is a must. The porteños go nuts for their teams, and all have their own sets of chants and insults prepared to hurl at the opposing fans. Their passion and high energy creates an absolutely electric atmosphere at the stadium. If possible, try to attend a rivalry match. The most famous of which is of course the Superclasico. However, every team has its own rival, meaning there are always several exciting rivalry matches to choose from per season.

Soak up the culture

From the countless museums and galleries to the cultural centers that dot the city, Buenos Aires is famous for being a culture craver’s paradise. Once Spring rolls around again, the city begins putting on some of the best cultural events of the year. Details on all of the best events of the year can be found on Buenos Aires’ official tourism website. Here are a few of our favorites.

Argentine Polo Open: Every year In November and December, Buenos Aires plays host to one of the world’s most prestigious polo tournaments.

Night of the museum: One Saturday night every November, hundreds of museums and galleries in the city offer free entrance from 8:00 pm to 3:00 am. Each location hosts a series of cultural events – poetry readings, theatre, dance and musical performances and more. Expect crowds, and head out early to hit as many museums as you can.

Night of the ice cream parlors: An event to celebrate one of Buenos Aires’ favorite sweet treats. One night in November, hundreds of participating ice cream shops offer heavy discounts on half and quarter kilos.

The Gay Pride Parade: As one of the most liberal cities in South America, Buenos Aires prides itself on tolerance and diversity. The Marcha del Orgullo (LGPT Pride Parade) usually takes place on a Saturday in late November at Plaza de Mayo. This is a huge and joyous event that draws hundreds of thousands of people every year.

International Jazz Festival: Since 2008, Buenos Aires hosts international Jazz artists in a series of concerts in venues around the city. You can expect famous musicians as well as new comers playing anything from classic bebop, to jazz fusion and swing every year in…you guessed it, November.

Explore Buenos Aires on bike

A great way to explore the sights of Buenos Aires is via the city’s extensive network of bicycle lanes (rated in the top 20 in the world in 2015). It’s true that Buenos Aires can be traversed on bike any time of year. However, Springtime offers the perfectly mild weather necessary for actually enjoying a bike ride. There are a few bike rental operators around the city, or for a guided bike tour, consider Biking Buenos Aires. They offer half day or full day tours that cover all of the most historic sites in Downtown Buenos Aires, or the lush collection of parks and plazas in Palermo.

Check out the outdoor markets

Eat, shop, stop for a coffee. And repeat. Every weekend, various outdoor markets pop up around the city selling art, antiques, and artisanal goods. Buenos Aires Markets is a weekly food market that takes place at a different park or plaza each time. It’s a good way to check out a neighborhood that’s not in the usual tourist spots. While a lot of the outdoor markets are catered for tourists, the Buenos Aires Markets are mostly aimed at locals. For those interested in gastronomy, the market is a good place to eat and find locally crafted products.

Get out of the city

Take advantage of the good weather and head out of the city. For a day trip, consider heading to Tigre, a quaint little township upriver, or to an estancia do some horseback riding or take a polo lesson. Have a weekend to kill? Head up to Iguazú Falls to catch some of the most stunning landscape in Argentina. September and October are considered some of the best months to visit Iguazú because the weather is mild, and the parks are less crowded.