Buenos Aires Guide
Puerto Madero
Almost more water than land, Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires' newest and glossiest barrio, centres on a defunct port directly to the east of Monserrat. Here four enormous diques, or docks, run along the Río de la Plata, connecting on either side to the Dársena Sur (Southern Wharf, near Boca) and the Dársena Norte (Northern Wharf, near Retiro), from where ferries depart for Uruguay. Lining these docks – which officially number one to four, Dock One being the most southerly – are a series of restored brick and iron warehouses, originally used to store grain on its way from the Pampas to points around the world, and now converted into a voguish mix of restaurants, luxury apartments and offices. While this dockside development is upmarket and somewhat lacking in colour, it's nonetheless a pleasant place to stroll, and there are far worse ways to spend a lazy summer afternoon than sitting on a veranda here, sipping a clericó, watching yachts bob on the water and enjoying the gentle breeze off the river.