Continue north along Avenida Cerrito to the majestic Teatro Colon at Libertad 621 (00 54 11 4378 7132; .ar), Buenos Aires' opulent opera house TAKE A RIDE The underground or "subte" was opened in 1914 The flat fare is 70 cents (15p). More than 100 bus routes, known as "colectivos", criss-cross the city 24 hours a day, also charging around 70 cents (15p). Marooned in the centre of the traffic at the junction of Avenida Corrientes is Buenos Aires' most iconic symbol: the 221ft Obelisk , built in 1936 to commemorate the founding of the city four centuries earlier. Patagonia Chopper, Aeroparque Jorge Newbery, Terminal Sur (00 54 11 4795 6410; .ar) offers helicopter tours of the city taking in the river, Palermo, Retiro, Puerto Madero and La Boca Tours start at £30 per adult TAKE A HIKE Start at the Plaza Dorrego. Continue north along Calle Defensa, past all the antique shops that line it. Turn right along the Avenida 9 Julio, a multi-lane highway, which most Portenos (locals) boast is the widest avenue in the world. At the centre is the Piramide de Mayo, erected in 1811 to celebrate the first anniversary of Buenos Aires' independence from Spain.

On the right is the "Casa Rosado" or Pink Palace - made famous by a waving Colonel Peron and Evita on its first-floor balcony Continue along the grand Avenida de Mayo. You'll soon reach the heart of the city, the Plaza de Mayo , which has seen its fair share of demonstrations and social unrest. TAKE A VIEW To get a real idea of the scale of Buenos Aires, fly over it. A cheaper alternative, but no less fashionable is 1555 Malabia House at 1555 Malabia Street (00 54 11 4831 2102; .ar).

This self-styled "designer B&B" is a historic house in Palermo Viejo immortalised in the writings of Jorge Luis Borges Doubles start from £67. Under a twinkling Southern Cross, we sip a vanilla rhum arrang?nd digest our impressions of the Gallically-sanitised tropical paradise. CHECK IN The Alvear Palace at Avenida Alvear 1891 (00 54 11 4808 2100; ) is a spectacular building dating from 1932 It has recently played host to the King and Queen of Spain. Loisuites Recoleta Hotel at Vincente Lopez 1955 (00 54 11 5777 8950; .ar) is a modish hotel in Recoleta Doubles cost from £220 including breakfast. Doubles start from £310 including breakfast and the services of a butler. Another office at the Retiro Bus Terminal at Avenida Antartida Argentina, Calle 10, opens Monday to Saturday 7.30am-1pm. The city's borders are the river Plata to the east and the Riachuelo river to the south, while to the west it's contained by Avenue General Paz.

The heart of the city concentrates around the Plaza de Mayo. Nearby is the dock area of Puerto Madero and the colonial-style San Telmo Further south is La Boca This is where Buenos Aires was founded in 1536. To the north are the leafy districts of Recoleta and Palermo. The city's main tourist office, Centro de Informacion Turistica , is at the intersection of Avenida Diagonal Roque Saenz Pena and Calle Avenida Florida (00 54 11 4311 0528; ) It opens Monday to Friday 10am-1pm and 2-5pm.