3 Best Sights in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Like the bonsais in the nursery within it, this park is small but perfectly formed, and maintained by the Argentine-Japanese Cultural Foundation. A slow wander along the arched wooden bridges and walkways is guaranteed to calm frazzled sightseeing nerves. A variety of shrubs and flowers frame ornamental ponds that are filled with friendly koi carp—you can actually pet them if you feel so inclined (kids often do). The restaurant, where you can enjoy sushi, adzuki-bean sweets, and tea, overlooks the zen garden.

The Museo Histórico Nacional (National History Museum) sits in the shade of enormous magnolia, palm, cedar, and elm trees on the sloping hillside of Parque Lezama. Bronze statues of Greek heroes, stone urns, and an imposing fountain shipped from Paris hint at former glory. Patchy grass, cracked paths, and unpainted benches are a nod to more recent times. A monument in the northwestern corner celebrates conquistador Pedro de Mendoza, said to have founded Buenos Aires on this spot. Watching over the park are the onion-shaped domes of the Catedral Santísima Trinidad Iglesia Ortodoxa Rusa (Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church) immortalized by Argentine writer Ernesto Sabato in his novel Sobre Héroes y Tumbas (Of Heroes and Tombs).

Known locally as Los Bosques de Palermo (Palermo Woods), this 400-acre green space is actually a crazy quilt of smaller parks. A stroll along the paths takes you through the Jardín de los Poetas (Poets' Garden), dotted with statues of literary figures, and to the enchanting Patio Andaluz (Andalusian Patio), where majolica tiles and Spanish mosaics sit under a vine-covered pergola. Near the lakes in the northwestern part, some 12,000 rosebushes (more than 1,000 different species) bloom seasonally in the Paseo El Rosedal.

You can jog or rent bikes, in-line skates, and pedal boats. The park gets crowded on sunny weekends, as this is where families come to play and have picnics. If you like the idea of the latter, take advantage of the street vendors who sell refreshments and choripán (chorizo sausage in a bread roll) within the park. There are also several posh cafés lining the Paseo de la Infanta (running from Libertador toward Sarmiento in the park).