5 Best Sights in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Tango dancers inspired the sweeping asymmetrical lines of Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava's design for the pedestrian-only Bridge of the Woman. Puerto Madero's street names pay homage to famous Argentine women, hence the bridge's name. (Ironically its most visible part—a soaring 128-foot arm—represents the man of a couple in mid-tango.) The $6-million structure was made in Spain and paid for by local businessmen Alberto L. González, one of the brains behind Puerto Madero's redevelopment; he was also for building the Hilton Hotel here. Twenty engines rotate the bridge to allow ships to pass through.

Bought from England in 1874, the oldest ship in the Argentine fleet has been around the world several times and was used in the nation's Antarctic campaigns at the turn of the 20th century. You can see what the captain's cabin and officers' mess looked like at that time; there are also displays of artifacts rescued from shipwrecks. A stroll around the decks affords views of the vessel and of Puerto Madero.

The navy commissioned this frigate from England in 1898, and meant for it to be used as an open-sea training vessel. The 280-foot boat used up to 33 sails and carried more than 300 crew members. The beautifully restored cabins include surprisingly luxurious officers' quarters with parquet floors, wood paneling, and leather armchairs; cadets had to make do with hammocks.

The late Amalia Fortabat was a cement heiress, so it's not surprising that the building containing her private art collection is made mostly of concrete. It was completed in 2003, but after-effects from Argentina's 2001–02 financial crisis delayed its opening until 2008. Amalita (as she was known locally) was closely involved in the design, and her personal touch continues into the collection, which includes several portraits of her—a prized Warhol among them—and many works by her granddaughter, Amalia Amoedo. In general, more money than taste seems to have gone into the project. The highlights are lesser works by big names both local (Berni, Xul Solar, Pettoruti) and international (Brueghel, Dalí, Picasso), hung with little aplomb or explanation in a huge basement gallery that echoes like a high-school gym. The side gallery given over to Carlos Alonso's and Juan Carlos Castagnino's figurative work is a step in the right direction, however, and so are the luminous paintings by Soldi in the glass-walled upper gallery. They're rivaled by the view over the docks below—time your visit to end at sunset when pinks and oranges light the redbrick buildings opposite. The views from the dockside café are also excellent.

Built over a landfill, the 865-acre Ecological Reserve is home to more than 500 species of birds and a variety of flora and fauna. On weekends, thousands of porteños vie for a spot on the grass, so come midweek if you want to bird-watch, sunbathe, or use the jogging and cycling tracks in peace. A monthly guided "Walking under the Full Moon" tour in Spanish begins at 7:30 pm April through October and at 8:30 pm November through March. Even if you don't speak Spanish it's still a great way to get back to nature at night; otherwise avoid the area after sunset. (There are guided daytime visits in Spanish on weekends at 10:30 and 3:30.) The main entrance and visitor center is across from the traffic circle where Avenida Tristán Achával Rodríguez intersects with Avenida Elvira Rawson de Dellepiane, a short walk from the south end of Puerto Madero; you can also enter and leave the reserve at its northern end, across from the intersection of Mariquita Sánchez de Thompson and Avenida Hernán M. Giralt.