Like traveling to any other big city in the world, it’s always a good idea to learn a bit about the place you’re visiting. Before talking about safety, here are some useful facts about Buenos Aires:
- In 1880 Buenos Aires became the capital of Argentina and due to its rapid progress in the late XIX it was known as a metropolis by the name of ‘La Paris de Sudamérica’.
- Because of its avant-garde tendency, it was the first city in Latin América that opened a subway line.
- Buenos Aires city is divided into 14 neighborhoods called ‘comunas’. The most popular among tourists are: Palermo, Puerto Madero, San Telmo, Belgrano and Microcentro.
- In all these neighborhoods you can see historical buildings and monuments, parks, theatres and famous restaurants and cafés.
- Buenos Aires city is also the most populated city in the country, with around 3,075,646 people.
- In the city, there’s also the world’s widest avenue, called ‘Avenida 9 de Julio’. It has 14 car lanes and it’s 3 km long, it’s definitely worth crossing it! If you have the time 😉
How safe is Buenos Aires?
As you can see from the information above, Buenos Aires is a city that keeps on growing and innovating. The number of tourists and digital nomads interested in coming to Buenos Aires is increasing due to the number of cool things to do in the city.
When asking locals, opinions are divided. Some people say it’s not safe at all whereas others, like me that I’ve lived here for many years (I was born and lived in Buenos Aires) and come to visit every once in a while, think it’s relatively safe.
Some people have been victims of pickpockets, especially in busy places like ‘Caminito’, Microcentro or other neighborhoods.
Petty thefts such as pickpocketing and bag-snatching are common for tourists and locals. From my own experience, many years ago I got robbed once, but it was coming back home from college at 11 pm at night on a Monday near a train station. Although this may sound uncommon, the robbery went smoothly and they just took my phone (which was a very old one!)
However, when visiting a city that has more than 3 million people in 203 km² (just the city, CABA, excluding Greater Buenos Aires), it’s very important that you take all the necessary precautions as in any other city.
Is Buenos Aires safe for American tourists?
According to a statement by the US embassy, most often victims of theft or non-violent robbery, especially within tourist neighborhoods like La Boca or Recoleta.
In a recent Safe Cities 2021 report by The Economist Intelligence Unit, Buenos Aires is listed on an average position (39 out of 60) in the category of Personal Security, just above Sao Paulo, New Delhi, and Mexico City.
It’s in the 34th position on the Overall score, above cities like Dubai, Beijing, and Istanbul.
Here are some safety precautions when visiting Buenos Aires city:
- Keep purses, backpacks, laptops, and luggage safe, especially on public transportation, at airports, bus terminals, and restaurants. In restaurants, keep your bag in your lap and not on the chair or floor.
- Use bags that hang across the front of your body so that you can have your hand on the bag and see it at all times, especially in crowded areas like markets or fairs.
- Do not wear flashy or expensive jewelry and watches or expose cameras, cell phones, or other expensive technology devices.
- Lock your passport in the hotel safe or your luggage and carry a photocopy of it.
- Do not carry large amounts of cash, and use ATMs inside of banks or (for a far better exchange rate) use Western Union agencies. Here you can see how to exchange money in Buenos Aires.
- In case of a robbery, do not resist. Hand over what is being asked of you to avoid a violent situation.
- If going out at night, call a taxi or take an UBER. Avoid standing by the bus stops or taking the subway when there’s no one else around, as you could be putting yourself at risk.
As you can see on this list below, Buenos Aires city is listed in the 39th position (average) in the category Personal Security, above cities like: Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Bogota and Istanbul.
Safest cities in South America
According to the Safe Cities 2021 report, none of the South American cities are listed in the top 10 of safest cities.
However, Santiago (Chile), Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) were listed the top three safest cities in Latin América.
At the bottom of the list, Quito (Ecuador) and Caracas (Venezuela) in the 44th and 58th positions.
The city of Buenos Aires has launched an Integrated Public Safety System that has a 24hs surveillance system in parks and streets within the city.
To know more about safety in touristic neighbourhoods here are recommended articles: 👇
📍 Is Palermo safe? What areas to avoid and visit!
📍 Useful tips when visiting San Telmo and the market
📍 Puerto Madero, one of the safest neighbourhoods to visit in Buenos Aires city!