Biking Buenos Aires

The Ultimate City Bike Tour Review

On our trip to northern Argentina we had a chance to travel a lot with bicycles and so the bici bug hit us and we realized traveling by bike is not just healthy, cheap and ecological, but also a lot of fun and allows you to connect to a place in a completely different way.
Biking culture and ecotourism in Buenos Aires has become more popular in recent years, and it’s appeal continues to build momentum. So, when we recently returned to Buenos Aires, we were very excited to get on a bici and spend a whole day touring the city with Biking Buenos Aires (BBA).

When you’re traveling by foot around Buenos Aires, the city seems so large, but a ride through the barrios on a bici shrinks the city for a day and you get to see and experience much more in less time.
BBA promotes the two-wheel lifestyle and offers a variety of unique and interactive one-day cycling tours in English. (Spanish, Dutch and German are also offered but as private tours only).  Their 5 sightseeing tour routes include: 1. Buenos Aires street art-themed tour in collaboration with Graffitimundo that promotes the city’s urban street art and its artists; 2. Heart city tour (South City); 3. The ultimate City Tour (North & South); 4. Parks & Plazas Signature Tour (North City); 5. Arts in ArchitecTour.

We wanted to see the city from north to south and explore as much as possible, so we took the ‘Ultimate City Tour’- A full day (7 hours) tour of both the  north and south areas of the  city. The tour offers a chance to take in and enjoy Buenos Aires  sightseeings, neighborhoods, nature, culture, architectural beauties, urban landscapes and folklore … so of course we couldn’t resist!

We took the tour on a sunny Sunday morning, so there was almost no traffic and and since the city is relatively flat and has almost no hills, it was a relaxing and fun ride!

The tour began at the meeting point in the San Telmo neighborhood. We were so lucky to have the tour with our guide Jonah, also known as the King of Candy Quests and Questions. He was born and raised in Buenos Aires (so called Porteño), so it was interesting to explore and understand the city from his eyes and learn from him about the backgrounds and contrasts of the different areas we came across. Besides English and Spanish, Jonah also speaks Hebrew, which was an extra pleasant surprise for us! After we had a safety talk and a group introduction, we were ready to begin our adventure with our comfy new beach cruisers.

While leading us through the city,  Jonah kept the tour intriguing and engaging by adding in lots of humor and energy. He of course shared his extensive cultural and historical knowledge of the neighborhoods and sightseeing, and basically kept us thinking and laughing throughout the whole day. Jonah was certainly the best guide we could ask for!

Here are some of our day tour highlights:

First, we rode through the streets of San Telmo and stopped at Lezama park, located at the border of La Boca. We came across the beautiful  El Monumento a la cordialidad argentino – a friendship monument Uruguay gave to the city of Buenos Aires.

Then we stop at the Boca Juniors Stadium and from there we went to the famous Caminito in La Boca, where the art market takes place on the weekends. We stopped  here to enjoy the tango culture of the barrio and explore the colorfully painted houses and the many artisan goods. As we soaked in the sights, Jonah served us (and also showed us how to make) some traditional yerba mate along with dulce de leche and classic Don Satur sweet biscuits, which are the traditional Argentine combination with a fresh brewed yerba mate.

After La Boca , we went to Puerto Madero to enjoy the fresh air by the riverfront and to see La Puente de la Mujer (the Women’s Bridge). It was interesting to see the contrast between the new modern skyscrapers versus the old British colonial structures.

We went to Rio de la Plata for a short rest and then rolled through the surroundings of the city’s breezy ecological reserve.

We stopped for lunch and had delicious bondiola and choripan sandwiches from the kiosk parillas on Costanera. Jonah gave us a few surprises along the way, but of course I won’t give away all his secrets. However, one of the best surprises was at this lunch: fernet mixed with cola, which is one of the most popular alcoholic drinks in Argentina.

We had a stop at the beautiful Plaza de las Naciones Unidas, and then we headed to the famous elegant Recoleta Cemetery where Evita’s tomb amongst many other historical figures are buried. Just outside the cemetery, we stopped for a walk around Plaza Francia where the artisan market takes place on Sundays.

After just a few more blocks we arrived to the Statue of General Jose de San Martin,  Argentina’s National Hero. This is where we took our group photo to “officially” mark this amazing day.

And finally we cycled to Plaza de Mayo, the famous political center of Argentina, and the most important historical site in Buenos Aires used for ceremonies, rallies, and protests.

After covering 26 km ride we were exhausted but happy, although pretty sad the tour was over!
Biking through this colourful, complex and fast-paced city was an exciting adventure. Although we’ve been in Buenos Aires in the past, our tour with BBA introduced us to new parts of the city that we’d never seen before.

Biking Buenos Aires offers visitors a unique chance to absorb and discover the city’s landscape, sounds, smells, and rhythms. Whether you’ve just arrived at Buenos Aires for the first time  or been traveling here for a while, this tour is simply not to be missed!

*Special thanks to Lucas Bois for his inspiring photography.