Where to Stay in Buenos Aires, Argentina: Should You Choose Recoleta or Palermo?

Buenos Aires is a massive city – and by far the most visited destination in South America. It has multiple world-class areas so it’s not always easy to choose where to stay in Buenos Aires.

We will try to make the selection easier by recommending our three favorite areas: Recoleta, Palermo and San Telmo.

Below you will find in-depth information about each of these areas, plus recommendations for hotels and Airbnbs in each of them.

Recoleta

Pros: Beautiful, safe, central
Cons: More expensive

Hotel recommendation: Loi Suites Recoleta – Book here

Recoleta is the old money neighborhood in Buenos Aires. This is where the upper class lives so obviously Recoleta is one of the most expensive places you can stay in the city.

The area is famous for its cemetery where many notable Argentinian citizens are buried. It’s also one of the most splendid and impressive cemeteries you will ever see.

Along with that, Recoleta has its famous architecture which is reminiscent of European cities such as Paris, Barcelona and Madrid. You will find a great number of restaurants and shops in Palermo, making it the ideal place to be for consumers. If you’re also into architecture and sightseeing, you will absolutely love Recoleta.

It’s a popular area among travelers so finding a hotel is no problem – they tend to be more expensive than in other areas of the city, though. It makes sense due to the privilege of the area. And if you want to be in an exclusive zone, Recoleta is the clear choice.

An added benefit is the perfect location: You are pretty much within walking distance of the historic Microcentro and San Telmo, as well as Palermo where the nightlife and culinary scene are amazing. Taxis run constantly on every street of Recoleta so if you need to go further, don’t worry.

Stay at Loi Suites Recoleta Hotel if you’re coming for sightseeing or shopping. It’s a nice 5-star hotel with luxurious rooms, and the prices are better than the other 5-star hotels in the area.

If you’re gonna stay longer than a few weeks, go for an Airbnb apartment. Recoleta has many residential buildings and several nice apartments are available for tourists. Getting a hotel is easier, but if you’re there for a while, it’s nice to have a bit more privacy and space.

Palermo

Pros: Nightlife, restaurants, parks
Cons: Over-hyped?

Hotel recommendation: Hotel Clasico – Book here

Palermo might be the most popular area among the general population in Buenos Aires. Everyone seems to rate it highly, partly because of its rich nightlife and countless restaurants. But Palermo also has some of the best parks in Buenos Aires. That makes it a great place for the daytime as well as the nighttime.

It should be mentioned that Palermo is the biggest barrio in the city. It covers a pretty big area, so informally Palermo is split into several subcategories. The best ones are ‘Palermo Soho’ and ‘Palermo Hollywood’. Both are world-class neighborhoods that you will certainly enjoy as a tourist.

It’s generally a safe area but watch out for thieves, especially at night. If you are going out to drink, there’s a good chance it will be in Palermo. So be careful not to drink too much, and take a taxi/Cabify back if you can.

As for accommodation, there are several nice hotels in Palermo. Not as many as in the Microcentro but a fairly solid amount. You do find a lot of Airbnbs in the area – Palermo is probably the area with the most holiday apartments, as a quick search will show. Staying in a hotel is comfortable, but if you prefer something more homey, you can easily find good options on Airbnb. For decent prices, even.

If you do want to stay in a hotel, we recommend Hotel Clasico. Excellent location in Palermo Hollywood and within walking distance to Palermo Soho. It has a quirky style, characteristic of the area, and prices are more than reasonable.

San Telmo

Pros: Historic, pretty, central
Cons: Very touristic

Hotel recommendation: NH City Buenos Aires – Book here

Located just south of the Microcentro. We consider San Telmo to be one of the most charming areas of Buenos Aires. It’s a traditional area, one of the oldest in the city.

Many streets are laid with cobblestones and most buildings look European. San Telmo is an area with many nice bars, wine merchants, cafés and unique shops.

A must-do in Buenos Aires is to visit the San Telmo Feria on Sundays: It’s a big street market where you can find a bit of everything – including very obscure items, such as old Argentinian music cassettes.

San Telmo offers great public transportation as there are Subte stations and bus stops at several locations. Walking around the area is completely safe at day, and somewhat safe at night as long as you’re minding your own business and not flashing valuables. You should know that it is a very touristic area. There are many hotels, so you’re more likely to run into foreigners and hear English spoken on the streets than in other neighborhoods of Buenos Aires.

If you’re looking for a hotel in San Telmo, we recommend NH City. Located just north of San Telmo, it has easy access to the area, as well as the Microcentro.

If you want to stay in a hostel and socialize with other travelers, go for Viajero Buenos Aires. They have activities every day and a great location. There are private rooms too, but it’s probably mostly suited for younger people (<35).

Other areas of Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires has loads of other areas that are also great to stay in.

They are:

• Microcentro
• Puerto Madero
• Retiro (southern part only)
• Monserrat
• Villa Crespo
• Caballito
• Belgrano
• Núñez

Of these, Microcentro is an obvious choice due to the presence of many hotels + the great location.

But our favorite alternatives are actually Villa Crespo and Caballito. Two world-class areas with a more local feel. It seems that the local Porteños love these areas, and they are not as crowded with tourists as Palermo and San Telmo. So we definitely recommend staying in Villa Crespo or Caballito for a more authentic experience. You’ll find fewer historical sights but many modern attractions and activities.

Belgrano and Núñez are great for long-term stays (like if you want to live in Buenos Aires for months) since they are calm and safe areas, in comparison to many of the other neighborhoods. But for a short-term tourist stay, they may be a bit less interesting.

Neighborhoods to avoid

So after going through the best areas and neighborhoods, it brings up the next question – which ones should you avoid?

You can pretty much avoid any area that hasn’t been recommended in this article so far. Not necessarily because they are dangerous – it can also be because they don’t have as much to offer, or because they are too far away from the main tourist attractions in the city center. Or maybe some of them are dangerous. That’s sometimes the case.

There are some sketchy areas like Barracas and certain sections of La Boca. While Barracas should generally just be avoided, La Boca can be fine if you know where to go. So if you want to visit La Boca, sure – do it with a tour and it’s pretty safe. But staying there for the full duration of the trip and potentially booking accommodation on a street that you don’t know? That might be too much of a risk, and then it’s better to choose an area that’s known for being safe.

As mentioned before, Retiro can be a good area – if you choose the southern half. In that part, there are many nice hotels and attractions. But the northern section has a bad reputation and isn’t recommended for tourists.

Then you have other central areas like Balvanera, which is fine during the day, but locals say it can be risky at night. You could probably make it work, but with so many great alternatives around it, why not choose one of the top areas?

Conclusion

Where to stay in Buenos Aires? It’s not an easy choice because it depends on your preferences.

If you wanna live centrally and in an upscale area with many attractions nearby, go for Recoleta. It’s usually the best for most first-time visitors. A little expensive too, but worth it.

Palermo is the mainstream option that most visitors choose. The area has great nightlife and many attractions during the day as well. The hotel selection is decent, but there are even more Airbnbs – so if you want a holiday apartment, Palermo is the best option.

Love history and old neighborhoods? Go for San Telmo, it’s historic and nice, and unlike its southern neighbor La Boca, San Telmo is generally pretty safe.

If neither of these options appeals to you, then look into other areas such as Puerto Madero (a rich business area) or Villa Crespo (an extremely popular area among the young locals).

No matter what area of Buenos Aires you choose, we wish you a wonderful stay. Check out our other Argentina articles if you need more inspiration or practical tips for the world’s best country.