Biking in Buenos Aires

Touring Buenos Aires on a double decker bus or walking is one thing. Traversing a big city on a bike? That took some thought before opting to give it a try. It was the lure of the cloudless skies and mid-seventies temperatures, the adventure of trying something new, and our love for biking that pushed us to do it.

We walked to Plaza San Martin to meet Bike Tours Buenos Aires. With several "routes" to choose from which go twice a day in the morning and the afternoon, we opted for the "Recoleta and Palermo" one. It was Sunday morning which seemed like a quieter day to go biking on what are usually busy Buenos Aires streets and on the bike paths in Parque Palermo. Bikes are provided - no gears necessary as the terrain is totally flat. Helmets, water, and a guide are part of the package. We set out with Jaime in a bright yellow jacket as our guide. One other young couple, tourists from Sao Paulo Brazil joined us. Jaime spoke perfect English but after having to translate for the Brazilians we all settled on Spanish which Brazilians can function in and we can understand perfectly.

The route begins at the statue of Jose de San Martin, "the liberator" of Argentina, who is as important an historical figure as George Washington. I did not realize that in addition to exercise we'd get a complete history along the biking route stopping at all the well known monuments, buildings, and sights. We did set off on Avenida Libertador which is at least 10 lanes wide however, there is a small section designated as a bike path. Jaime told us that bike paths in the city are a very new phenomenon and only finished in the past several years. He also alluded to the fact that drivers and even pedestrians are still not that aware of their use being solely for bicyclers.

As a group of five cyclers we managed well with Jaime in the lead continually checking on us to make sure we crossed the wide avenues when necessary with no one left behind. Argentine drivers are not respectful of pedestrians much less bicyclers even at designated crossings at stop lights. It only seems to be when an Argentine is behind the wheel of a car, bus, or truck that he is in a hurry. All others in the city that are not driving live life at a very tranquil pace.

As we biked north and east of the port area and the Rio de la Plata we were in the largest and the greenest Buenos Aires suburb known as Palermo. It is also the most upscale area with million dollar homes built close together on shady quiet back streets, that date back to the early twentieth century. Many were bought years ago and are still used as foreign embassies and ambassador residences. We rode past the American Ambassador's residence which is in the exact location where it was in the 1950's when I lived here. I remember being taken to Christmas parties and 4th of July celebrations at the embassy residence over fifty years ago.

Palermo was so large that as it grew it was divided into Palermo Chico, Palermo Soho, Palermo Hollywood, Alto Palermo, and Palermo Viejo . Not only are there elegant homes but large avenues lined with expensive apartment buildings that are 20 stories high, very large well kept parks, the Botanical Gardens, the Zoo, as well as the Palermo Race Track built in the mid 1800's and an elegant Polo Club with a manicured grass polo field used for polo matches later on in the year.

Sunday morning the streets in the center of Palermo park district are closed to traffic during the day so that residents can enjoy the park for outdoor activities. From our bikes, we saw Argentines of all ages jogging, roller skating, bicycling, walking, picnicking, feeding the ducks in the big lake and simply enjoying the outdoors. We saw women of all ages walking around in bright melon colored T-shirts that said La carrera de las chicas (Women's race). Later we read in La Nacion newspaper that 5,000 women had participated in a 5 km. race through the park organized by Nike along with the Argentine Heart Association. I would have signed up just to get the classy T-shirt!

El Rosedal or El Jardin de las Rosas or the Rose Garden is the centerpiece and highlight of Bosques de Palermo or Palermo Woods area of the park. We stopped for a 15 min. break, parked the bikes, and walked the winding red gravel paths through more than 5,000 different rose bushes and 1200 species of roses in every imaginable color. To come upon this in the middle of Palermo is a complete surprise and reminiscent of the magnificent rose gardens in England. The rose garden was designed by the French landscaper Carlos Thays (who designed many of the major plazas, botanical gardens and zoo) in 1914. The garden is bordered on one side by a beautiful lake with geese and ducks and small boats. A large white Grecian style bridge goes across the lake and provides the entry way to the rose gardens. The garden is maintained by the municipality of Buenos Aires and is pristine with freshly painted benches, many waste receptacles and immaculate restrooms. It is like the gem in the center of the entire Palermo area which covers 7 square miles.

Jaime stopped at several more of the significant statues along the way including another San Martin, one of Evita Peron, Carlos Pellegrini, and Bartolome Mitre, a former president of Agentina. We headed back to Recoleta by the famous cemetery and church which we now consider our "home" neighborhood. Then along streets we walk daily, crossing the 20 lane widest Avenida 9 de julio to the plaza where we had started. The three and a half hour bike ride around Buenos Aires on a Sunday morning has become one of the highlights of our month long visit in Buenos Aires. How could we have even hesitated to think that a bike tour might not be the another way to be view a city?