A family adventure in Buenos Aires

“When the asado is good, we applaud.” The table erupted in cheers as our cooks for the night, Santiago and Nacho, grinned. They’d been standing at the grill for hours, only leaving its side to present boards piled high with steaks, ribs, flanks and sweetbreads.

My family and I were in Argentina’s capital for a friend’s wedding, and the asado (barbecue) hosted outside their apartment was the first of many chances that I had to explore city life with locals. As the cheering continued, I checked on my 21-month-old, who was sleeping in his buggy, tired from a day of exploring La Recoleta. Not only had the wedding given my family and I a chance to explore Buenos Aires authentically, but it offered a way to see how child-friendly the city really was.

“It’s a cliché to say Buenos Aires is the ‘Paris of Latin America’. French influences exist but there are many layers,” said our guide, Juan, as we strolled May Avenue. We’d joined him for a lesson on the city’s history, and we were in good hands. He, like all of the guides at Oriunda Travel, is a local academic.

Juan stretched out his arms, indicating the width of the street. He explained how many of the colonial buildings were knocked down to create this Parisian-style boulevard.

“Much of the Old City was destroyed after Argentina gained independence in the 19th century, as the people didn’t want the memory of colonialism,” said Juan. But some relics of this era survived, including the city’s many churches and the Baroque building housing the Cabildo Museum.

He led us into the Metropolitan Cathedral, where the late Pope Francis used to lead mass as the Archbishop of Buenos Aires. Despite the exterior’s Neoclassical facelift, its Baroque interior revealed older roots. Juan distracted my child by counting stars on the tiles as we gazed at its splendour.

In the neighbourhood of La Boca, it was hard to believe this was the same capital. Gone were the muted tones of Plaza de Mayo, replaced with rainbow-hued houses said to have been painted by their former fishermen residents using leftover boat paint. Their exteriors were famously captured by local artist Benito Quinquela Martín.

Back in the 19th century, this area was a centre for immigration. It is also the home of the iconic football club Boca Juniors, whose founders were descendants of Italian immigrants. To this day, Boca supporters are known as Xeneizes, a corruption of a word in the Ligurian dialect meaning ‘Genoese’.

We strolled the popular Caminito street to the sound of bandoneons, stopping to watch tango dancers while vendors played peek-a-boo with my son. Juan soon veered down quieter streets, keen to show us where and how today’s La Boca residents lived.

“There are 8,000 roses here,” explained our guide, Agostina of Argentina Family Travel by Say Hueque, as she stooped to smell the flowers with my son. We were in the Rosedal de Palermo, designed by French landscape artist Carlos Thays in the 19th century. Agostina pointed out a ceibo, whose crimson blooms are the national flower of Argentina.

Nearby was another example of Thays’ work. The 6,000 or so species of trees and plants in his namesake botanical garden provided welcome shade as we paused at sculptures, a herbarium and an Art Nouveau greenhouse. On its doorstep was the more untamed EcoParque, a former zoo that has been reinvented as a conservation area for native wildlife.

While gazing up at the Casa Rosada (presidential office), remember to look down. Painted on the floor around the Pirámide de Mayo are white headscarves symbolising those worn by the ‘Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo’, who protested against the military dictatorship of the 1970s after their children were ‘disappeared’. They wore these headscarves to symbolise their children’s nappies. The matriarchs are also depicted in some of La Boca’s many murals.

I didn’t realise until it was too late that many of the city’s museums are closed on Mondays. Some of these government-owned institutions, including the Cabildo and National Museum of Fine Arts, also offer free entry. The city is home to many child-friendly museums, too, such as the interactive Children’s Museum and the Participatory Science Museum. Even the Teatro Colón, one of the world’s best opera houses, offers some activities for kids during the school holidays.

The parks aren’t the only peaceful spots in this busy city. Recoleta, an area of Parisian-style buildings where many Porteños retire, offers respite from Buenos Aires’ busier neighbourhoods.

We certainly felt like we were in Paris when staying at Hotel Club Francés. This former social club for prestigious French residents is now a boutique stay that has kept its 150-year-old glamour intact thanks to its original features and artworks.

From here, we headed to La Recoleta Cemetery. While my son busied himself balancing on the loose cobblestones, we studied the tombs of notable Argentinians, including former presidents and national icon Eva Perón. We refuelled at Fervour, where I feasted on a grilled sole the length of the plate. This restaurant is famed for its steak, but I was saving myself for that evening’s asado.

I’d arrived in Buenos Aires expecting a chaotic capital where I would have no choice but to keep my son strapped into his buggy. I was surprised to find a city of vast green spaces offering respite from the busy neighbourhoods. For the parent of an energetic toddler, it offered a nice balance. And much like a good asado, I wanted to clap my hands in appreciation.

Read next: 9 great things to do in Argentina