Skirting the border of Argentina and Uruguay, Buenos Aires lures visitors with its blend of European charm and South American flair. Comprised of wide boulevards, neoclassical architecture, and a cache of avant-garde museums, this sophisticated city has earned its title as "the Paris of South America." But don't think of its resemblance as anything other than a marker of its ancestry. Fashionable and friendly residents—known as porteños—have customized the city, from their colorful art-laden barrios (districts) to their world-class soccer (fútbol) stadium to their street-side tango sessions.

You can do more than just join artists, dancers, and enthused soccer fans in this cosmopolitan capital. Shop San Telmo's boutiques, explore the National Museum of Fine Arts, meander through the ornate Recoleta Cemetery, or catch a horse race at the Palermo Hippodrome. Just save time to enjoy the simple pleasure of sipping a cafecito (espresso) and snacking on churros (fried dough strips) at a cozy café, taking a romantic stroll along Palermo Woods' Rose Garden Walk (Paseo del Rosedal), and staying up late to revel in the sultry tango sessions that give the city its evening zest.