Calle Florida

Buenos Aires' commercial main vein
Noteworthy for: This pedestrianised street was once the city’s smartest shopping strip with a subsidiary of London’s Harrod’s (1913) and the glamourous Galerias Pacifico.

Word to the wise: Watch out for pickpockets, who routinely lurk around street performers.
Crowded with commuters, loitering teenagers, street artists, vendors selling their wares and slow-moving tourists lost in the midst of it all, Calle Florida is hardly a tranquil shopping experience. The focal point of Centro, the southern section is home to international chains, gaudy cafes, mobile phone kiosks and exchange bureaus.

As you walk north towards the Plaza San Martin the quality improves and you will find some decent shoe stores, jewellers and leather merchants, until you reach the Galerias Pacifico, which remain a stunning landmark offering shopping of the most luxurious variety.