Hotels near Palermo Soho and the Bosques de Palermo

Palermo is the largest barrio in the city and splits into informal sub-districts. Palermo Soho, the grid around Plaza Julio Cortazar where Serrano meets Honduras, holds most of the independent clothing labels, leather workshops, bookshops and small restaurants. The streets are low-rise, heavily shaded and best covered on foot with no fixed plan. Shops open around 11:00 and stay open until 20:00, and dinner in Buenos Aires rarely starts before 21:30, so afternoons here stay quiet.

North across Avenida Santa Fe, the Bosques de Palermo spread over roughly 400 hectares of lakes, rose garden and jacaranda avenues. El Rosedal is free and holds more than 18,000 rose bushes under a white pergola beside the water. The Jardin Japones nearby charges a small entrance fee. Ten minutes further on, the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires at Avenida Figueroa Alcorta 3415 holds the country's strongest modern art collection, including Frida Kahlo's Self-Portrait with Monkey and Parrot.

Pro Tip: Pick up an Ecobici city bike at the Plaza Italia dock and ride the park roads on a Sunday morning, when Avenida Figueroa Alcorta and much of the Bosques close to traffic until early afternoon.