The areas to avoid in Buenos Aires as a tourist are Barracas, Retiro, Constitucion, and Balvanera.
In this article, I’ll cover some of the areas to avoid when visiting Buenos Aires and some useful tips for your trip. But remember, this is based on my experience, living there and visiting for a couple of months.
If you want to work remotely, I suggest you read this guide for three months in Buenos Aires to get more information.
Areas to avoid in the city
Whether you are travelling for a visit or you’re living temporarily, there are some areas that as a foreigner I would avoid:
- Villa Rodrigo Bueno, Puerto Madero.
- Villa o asentamiento Lamadrid, La Boca, near Caminito.
- Asentamiento Saldías, near Recoleta and Palermo.
- The neighbourhoods: Barracas, Retiro, Constitucion, and Balvanera
All of these areas mentioned above are places where, as a tourist, you wouldn’t go because everything there’s to see, it’s downtown.
These are neighbourhoods where you really don’t need to go. You can go to Puerto Madero, but to be on the safe side, avoid walking in the Rodrigo Bueno area. As you can see in the map below, Puerto Madero is a big area so there’s no need to head to Barrio Rodrigo Bueno if you’re visiting as a tourist.
We listed things to do in the most popular neighbourhoods like Palermo, Puerto Madero, Belgrano, and San Telmo.
Our Recommend Travel Insurance for Buenos Aires is Safety Wing
Is Buenos Aires dangerous for foreigners?
As in any other major city, you should take precautions when visiting. From my own experience:
✔️ If you’re going out at night and are planning to come back late, take a taxi or Uber.
✔️ Be careful when using your phone in the street. If you need to text or use your phone, find a place where you won’t be standing in the middle of the sidewalk. You can go to a café or shop or stand at the entrance of any building.
✔️ Do not carry valuable objects, such as expensive jewellery or watches.
✔️ Avoid walking alone at night, especially in areas you don’t know well.
If you want to read more information about safety in Buenos Aires, you can have a look at this article where I go into a bit more detail.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re visiting Buenos Aires for your vacations or you’re working remotely for a couple of months, stick to the areas where you feel safe and there are things to do, or in places where you can go and ask for help in case you need it.
On my last visit, I spent a little over two months in Palermo and went to Puerto Madero, Recoleta, San Telmo, Devoto, Belgrano, and Microcentro (downtown) and I had no problems at all.
You can read about how safe these neighbourhoods are here:
📌 Palermo
📌 Recoleta
📌 Belgrano
I even went to Greater Buenos Aires (the area outside CABA) where I’m originally from, and I took all the necessary precautions and nothing happened to me.
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