A new generation of street artists, many with backgrounds in graphic design, emerged in Buenos Aires after Argentina’s economic crash in 2001. They have covered buildings in the city with stenciled slogans and vivid, cartoon-like characters—some political, some purely aesthetic—that are generally viewed as art, not vandalism. Graffitimundo’s walking tour introduces travelers to these artists in the hip Palermo neighborhood. WHAT YOU’LL DO: Visit five studios, plus showrooms, public spaces, and galleries that feature the original works of street artists; talk with such artists as Tec, Jaz, and the “rundontwalk” stencil collective about their latest works, painting techniques, and the city’s graffiti history. HIGHLIGHTS: Create your own graffiti artwork under the guidance of a street artist (at an additional cost). Pick out a street-style painting to bring home. Chat with local artists at Hollywood in Cambodia, a graffiti gallery and bar. Graffitimundo, 54/9-11-36-833- 219, three-hour tour from $20. Photo courtesy of Graffitimundo. This appeared in the December/January 2010 issue.

by Javier Gover, As Told To Bridget Gleeson Name: Javier Gover Age: 32 Neighborhood: Palermo Viejo, Buenos Aires, Argentina Occupation: In 2007, Javier founded the magazine Wicked to help promote his native city’s underground art and music scene, particularly in and around Palermo Viejo, the barrio where the scene he covers got its start. This story appeared in the September/October 2011 issue. Photo by Graciela Cattarossi. There are two different sides to Palermo Viejo, in Buenos Aires: one that conforms and another that pushes boundaries. The mainstream side is full of conventionally fashionable restaurants, bars, and boutiques. The other side is what we call el under, or the underground, which celebrates art that’s authentic, original, and full of life. I remember that back in the ’80s and ’90s, Palermo Viejo was an edgy place. My parents didn’t want me to go there because I could get my sneakers stolen right off my feet. But I was intrigued by the neighborhood’s dark side. At that time, Palermo Viejo was a hub of alternative music and street art. It was also the place where film studios first set up shop. I remember rave-style parties, like the famous La Nave Jungla, and raging all-night bars like Podesta. These events, and everyone who went to them, helped shape the neighborhood’s underground scene. Since then, some of these people have translated their creative vision into successful small businesses, such as the owners of Home Hotel or the designer Mariana Cortés of the label Juana de Arco. But many others don’t have a voice. That’s why I started Wicked. The magazine is an expression of emerging art, music, and literature in Buenos Aires. Palermo Viejo is especially rich with artistic talent. I like the neighborhood’s smaller galleries that support up-and-coming artists, such as Turbo Galería, This Is Not a Gallery, and Hollywood in Cambodia. I also love the vibrant murals on the city streets. Look for them around Godoy Cruz and Juan B. Justo Avenue. Writers and philosophers gather at bars on the south side of Plaza Serrano. Stroll around any block and you can find some of the neighborhood’s charm—the bikers and skaters, people walking their dogs, beams of sunlight shining down on corner cafés. At night, I go to parties where all kinds of people can interact. At those under events, there isn’t one accepted style—there’s room for everyone as long as they come with open minds. There are music performances in the bathrooms, body painters, and circus performers swinging from the ceilings while the crowd dances below. One time I wore a hollowed-out computer monitor on my head to a party just because I felt like it. First-time visitors to Buenos Aires might need to ease into the scene by going first for vodka cocktails at Olsen or for Peruvian-Japanese food and sake at Osaka. They’re expensive but original. The way I see it, if you’re going to spend money, you might as well go to the coolest places. And the coolest places are in Palermo Viejo. See all of Javier Gover’s favorite places in Palermo Viejo:El Mercado de las PulgasHome HotelIl Ballo del MattoneOui OuiJuana de Arco

The sun sinks behind the foothills of the Andes as I gallop on horseback toward the riverbank. My horse splashes into the rushing water, and I cling to the reins with frozen fingers. In the distance, smoke curls up through the evening sky. It’s a sign that I’m nearing Tipiliuke Lodge, the center of the sprawling Estancia Cerro de los Pinos, a cattle ranch in northern Patagonia. After several hours of exploring mountainous, wind-whipped terrain and barreling through apple orchards, I’m ready to lounge in front of the crackling fire. When I arrive at the lodge, a deer-hunting party made up of physicians from Buenos Aires is already on a second round of cocktails. I’m instantly spotted. “¡Che, gringa!” they call to me. “Vení, ¡tómate una copa!” (“Come, have a drink!”) Within a minute, a portly ophthalmologist pours me a pisco sour and our hostess, María José Tiemersma, walks in with a huge wooden tray of smoked wild boar and salmon. Like me, the hunters have returned from the far corners of the 48,000-acre estancia, or ranch, a patchwork of pine forests and bare hills crisscrossed by the Chimehuín and Quilquihue rivers. French-Argentine pioneer Jacques de Larminat settled here in 1909. Today, his descendants and a team of gauchos run the estancia, which is home to several thousand cattle and three herds of horses. Since 1997, María José and her husband, Kevin, have managed the lodge. Argentine estancias abide by a certain old-fashioned decorum: Regardless of the day’s activities, everyone arrives at the evening meal looking perfectly put-together. I notice my dirt-caked boots and slip away for a quick soak. My room’s vaulted ceilings, hardwood floors, and wrought-iron bed hint at its homestead history; while fine cotton sheets, vases filled with pink roses, and the bathroom’s oversize claw-foot tub suggest a romantic retreat. I pour aromatic salts into the bath and relax in the warm water as candlelight flickers around me. I’m freshly scrubbed when I take my seat at the long wooden dining table, but I feel unsophisticated next to the glamorous María José. Draped in a cream-colored shawl, she presides over the meal with warmth and humor, making sure no glass goes empty throughout the courses of homemade linguine, braised pork, and chocolate soufflé. I awake before dawn the next day for a fly-fishing lesson. Martín, my instructor, outfits me with a pair of rubber waders and leads me by the hand into the Río Chimehuín. “Keep your eye on the shadows. There are fish resting in the river’s coolest, darkest places,” he says. After hours of standing silently in waist-deep water, I feel a yank on the line. To our shared surprise, I’ve hooked a 21-inch salmon. (Full disclosure: Martín had to reel it in.) At lunchtime, the guests reconvene on a stretch of lawn bordered by towering pines. A traditional Argentine asado always includes steaks and red wine, but at Tipiliuke the barbecue is a more elaborate affair. Under a white tent, other novice anglers pass the chorizo while the hunters laugh about their fruitless pursuit of a wild boar through the forest. As we socialize, the grill man roasts large cuts of chivito (goat). The meat—like the pork and beef we ate earlier—was raised on the estancia. It’s a reminder that despite the crisp linens and gleaming silver, we’re still on a working ranch. I might not have broken a sweat, but after playing pioneer for a day, I’m ready for a Malbec-induced siesta. A Tipiliuke Lodge, Estancia Cerro de los Pinos, San Martín de los Andes, Neuquén Province, Argentina. tipiliuke.com. 54/11-4806-8877 ext. 101. From $370 per person, including airport transfers, all meals and drinks, winetasting, and horseback riding. Photo courtesy of Tipiliuke Lodge. This appeared in the January/February 2011 issue.  See more working ranches:Las Casitas del Colca, Arequipa, PeruCortijo El Sotillo San José, Andalucia, SpainBorana Ranch & Safari Lodge, Laikipia, KenyaEcho Valley Ranch & Spa, Clinton, British Columbia

I’ve attended quite a few professional tango shows over the years, but I’ve always wondered where you can see the best tango in the world on any given night. Rojo Tango—"a mix of love, passion, madness and glamour"—at the high-fashion Faena Hotel in Buenos Aires might be it. The room is really small. Maybe 50 people are sandwiched around tiny cafe tables between the 10-piece band and short stage. Grab a seat by the band or right upfront so you’ll feel like you’re almost part of show. With the accordian player directly behind me, the lights go down and the show begins quietly with one couple. Then two and three. As the music crescendos, four couples are spinning wildly without bumping into each other or flying into the crowd. The intimacy of the space mixed with the frenzy of the dancers is overwhelming. When one male dancer whipped around his partner and spun her almost violently downward, he caught her inches before she hit the hardwood floor. The crowd exhaled in one collective gasp at the combination of emotional abandon and physical precision. The world’s best tango partners dance together, and only together, for many years to reach this level. Rojo Tango feels like the purest result of that collaboration, unadorned with the theatrics and hubris surrounding the mass market tango shows elsewhere around town. You have to pay a little more here, but this is one of those times when it’s worth the splurge. You will never look at two people dancing the same way again.

Walk through ‘Mercado de Pulgas’ the local antique/flea market and you'll find some amazing furniture and lamps. Philippe Starke seems to have drawn all his water from this well. Cushiony leather sofas in white, bright red lamps in all shapes and sizes and old record players from a few centuries ago. I even spotted a resin unicorn.

by Javier Gover, As Told To Bridget Gleeson Wander through an old-fashioned flea market filled with unusual lamps, old Atari games, and cool radios. The items here have been preserved in perfect condition and the prices are fair. Av. Álvarez Thomas and Av. Dorrego, 54/(0) 11-5382-6234 This story appeared in the September/October 2011 issue. Photo by Graciela Cattarossi. See all of Javier Gover’s favorite places in Palermo Viejo.   

Winemaker Santiago Achával of Achával-Ferrer says that the boutique wineries Gimenez Riili and Caelum provide a family-style experience. At Gimenez Riili, try the 2009 Gran Reserva malbec. Caelum serves homegrown pistachios to accompany the wines. This appeared in the May 2013 issue.

One of the best ways to experience some of the most interesting food Buenos Aires has to offer is to follow the private dining trend going on now. There’s a few restaurants that offer top notch cuisine with a more intimate and authentic feel by providing set menus that have been carefully thought out and come straight from the chefs hands. Cocina Sunae explores different Asian flavors in an intimate setting. From the moment I arrived I was blown away by the decor in the house and the colorful artwork that was all around. The fact that I was in the chefs actual home made the entire situation incredibly charming. There were about 6 or 7 tables and they were, at one point, all full. We started with crispy and tasty beef and pork wontons. Then we got deeper into the hole with fresh Vietnamese hand rolls. By that point I was anticipating something amazing just based on how good the appetizers were. I had the Filipino inspired adobo chicken and Manny had the red curry shrimp with vegetables. The flavors we experienced last night were truly special and Christina herself would pop out of the kitchen from time to time to make sure everything was going smoothly or explain what the dish you were eating was. And what of the amazing fried banana with green tea ice cream? It was talking to me and blowing me kisses! The menu is pre-fixed and changes every 2 weeks, which gives you a perfect excuse to return with a smile and an empty stomach.