Buenos Aires Puerto Madero

Occupying a thin strip of land east of the city center, Buenos Aires’ newest barrio is also one of its ritziest. Originally developed in the 1880s to replace Boca as the city’s main port, Puerto Madero quickly proved too small to handle the city’s massive cargo traffic and had to be abandoned just 10 years after completion. The new port, Puerto Nuevo, was built farther north up the river in Retiro . The area sat unused for decades, but in the last 20 years it has undergone a transformation. Today, real estate prices here are among the highest in the city, and the converted warehouses and developments that surround the four diques (docks) at its center are packed with sleek and expensive restaurants and lofts. Puerto Madero Este, located east of the docks, is undergoing even more massive development, and new high-rise apartment and office buildings are continually being added. Though a bit corporate, the barrio is great place to wander, if only for the sense of space lacking in many other crowded parts of the city and the mercifully stench-free waterfront walkways.

Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur. Less than a mile from the city center lies one of Puerto Madero’s most surprising sights: a fully protected ecological reserve right on the banks of the Río de la Plata. Though this small area of land had long been clear of wildlife, a landfill once located here was abandoned in the early 1980s, leaving Mother Nature to her own devices. A wide variety of plants and animals, particularly waterfowl, quickly took over, and the area was declared a reserve in 1986. Now the several well-maintained trails that wind through the expanse of marshy grassland provide hikers and bikers with an excellent escape from the noise, pollution, and frantic pace of the city—you can see skyscrapers nearby, but they seem a world away. Neither of the reserve’s two entrances are particularly convenient or served by public transportation, but it’s not too difficult to walk here. The northern entrance is located east of Dique 4. To get to the southern entrance, the more easily accessible one, walk down Vera Peñazola, the eastern extension of Estados Unidos, wedged between Diques 1 and 2, and keep heading east for 1km. On some, unpredictable days, the trails are closed to bikers—call ahead for more information. (Reserve office Tristán Achával Rodríguez 1550. ☎4315 1320/4129. Open Tu-Su Apr.-Oct. 8am-6pm, Nov.-Mar. 8am-7pm. Guided tours Sa-Sa 10:30am and 4pm. Free.)

Puenta De La Mujer (Women’S Bridge) . This beautiful, modern pedestrian bridge, which spans Dique 3, was designed by Santiago Calatrava and unveiled in 2001. The span is in a characteristic Calatrava bridge style, technically referred to as a cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge. We’ll put on our architect hat and try to explain it for you: the bridge has a single, tall beam on one end from which several support cables run. Most cable-stayed bridges have two beams on each end, so this crossing seems to defy gravity. With its phallic, solitary point jutting up into the air, it can be a fun game to try and guess why the bridge has its name; it looks more like an unfinished harp to us.