Out in Belgrano, this handsomely landscaped park covers one of the city's few hills and was once the limit of the Río de La Plata. Old-timers pass the afternoons playing chess beneath the giant ombú tree, while dog owners unleash their pets downhill in the gated dog run.

The 18th-century Basílica de Santo Domingo prominently marks the approach into San Telmo. This Dominican church (also known as the Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Rosario) has a long and colorful history. On its left tower, you'll see the replicated scars of shrapnel launched against British troops who holed up here during the invasion of 1806.

Built in 1725, this was the original seat of government and the birthplace of the struggle towards independence from Spain. Its current arcade, built in 1940, is a restoration of the original 11 arches that stretched across the width of Plaza de Mayo until they were demolished to make room for Av de Mayo and Av Julio Roca. Inside, a small museum offers a fine view over Plaza de Mayo.

Taking up the whole east side of the Plaza de Mayo is the pink façade of Casa Rosada (Pink House), the presidential palace where Evita famously energized adoring crowds from the balcony during the 1940s. Around the southern side of the building is Museo de la Casa Rosada, which houses the catacombs of the Fuerte Viejo, an 18th-century colonial ruin.

Completed in the 1820s, the austere neoclassical facade of BA's most important cathedral makes for an odd entrance into the splendid Baroque interior. The church has a beautiful rococo main altar and contains the mausoleum of General San Martín, Argentina's greatest independence hero. Outside, an eternal flame burns in his honor.

Just behind Galerías Pacífico and across from the Centro Cultural Borges is this pretty, out-of-place church. Santa Catalina was founded in 1745, when it became Buenos Aires' first convent. Today it is a church, and a peek inside reveals beautiful gilded works and a Baroque altarpiece created by Isidro Lorea, a Spanish carver.

Built on the site of provincial governor Juan Manuel de Rosas' former estancia (traditional grazing estate), the city zoo makes for an excellent wander with the kids. Over 350 species are represented at this zoo, including an elephant house, aquarium, monkey island, petting zoo and large aviary; white tigers have been bred here.

If you combined a Moroccan souk with a Latin American flea market, this is likely what you'd get. Wandering through the huge indoor market you'll find every thing from fabulous '60s pop relics, clocks and lamps to jewelry, furniture and Ferris wheel seats. Everything is dusty, prices are steep, and tourists are few.

If there's one art museum you don't want to miss, MALBA is it. Opened in 2001 and housing the private collection of Argentine multimillionaire Eduardo Costantini, MALBA is home to exceptional works by Latin American greats including Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, and Argentines Antonio Berni, Xul Solar and Emilio Pettoruti. Temporary exhibits are almost always exceptional as well.

Saint or tyrant, this is museum is all about the adoration for Eva (Evita) Perón. It's a highly educational walking tour through her life, with nice touches such as video montage set to tango electrónica - a nice break after admiring all her fabulous gowns. Information is available in English.

It's impossible to imagine BA without the Obelisco. Towering 68m (223ft) above the oval Plaza de la República, it was inaugurated in 1936, on the 400th anniversary of the first Spanish settlement on the Río de la Plata. After major soccer victories, fans transform the intersection into a celebration ground.

Buenos Aires' premier zoo lies outside the city limits and makes for a delightfully laid-back afternoon stroll. Over 200 species of animals, including tigers, pumas, various reptiles and a pygmy hippo, roam the natural and handsomely landscaped enclosures - it makes for a fairly guilt-free zoo experience.

In 1916, BA's British community donated the 76m (249ft) Torre de los Ingleses (a miniature Big Ben) to the city. During the Falklands War of 1982, the tower was the target of bombs; since then, the name of the plaza in which it stands has changed from Plaza Británica to Plaza Fuerza Aérea Argentina (Argentine Air Force Plaza).