Las Cañitas is an exclusive thriving part of Palermo. This six blocks square (and growing) at the north-end of Palermo, is perfect for discovering all that Buenos Aires has to offer. Although compact, this former slum is a newly discovered gem that has a fabulous young ‘hip’ nightlife, great clubs and culturally diverse restaurants. You can find everything - Chinese, Thai, Japanese (sometimes in the same restaurant) or great Jewish and Eastern European cuisine hidden amongst some of Buenos Aires’ newest apartment buildings.

Visitors can reach every point in Buenos Aires easily by bus route 152 that goes down Avenida Santa Fe and arrives in Recoleta in 10 minutes and El Centro (downtown) in 25 minutes. Subte (subway) stations near Las Cañitas are on Line D: Ministro Carranza, Palermo and Plaza Italia and take approximately 15 minutes to arrive in El Centro. These times are estimates and depend on traffic and time of day. A quick tip, plan breakfast and your high tea at peak transport times as it stinks!

Las Cañitas has a relatively peaceful history starting out as vast green acres used by horse owners and jockeys to prepare their horses for races at the grand Palermo hippodrome. Equestrian activities have been popular in Buenos Aires for over 100 years as compatriots introduce their prizewinners to Porteños ready to bet. This long-standing tradition continues today and visitors can watch the matches for free.

In the 1950’s, Las Cañitas became home to a military training base and many military families took residence there. While the military presence is long gone, visitors with a sharp eye can recognize the old military hospital, church, school and regal estates that brought elegance and pomp to this sleepy pasture.

Close to the polo fields and a short walk from Palermo's famous parks, Las Cañitas is a relaxing place to stay with convenient access to wider Buenos Aires. At night, the crowd is young and professional, and you do not feel that you are in a throng of Buenos Aires’ tourist traps. For those who like to mingle with the high-society, a visit in November or December will place you right in the middle of the Argentina Open Polo Championship where national celebrities and polo athletes socialize until dawn.

As Las Cañitas grows, so do the real estate opportunities. Many of the newer Buenos Aires apartment blocks have both swimming pools and gyms, and many younger property owners have invested in this lesser known part of Palermo and tend to use tasteful neutral décor and modern furnishing to ensure you have a very comfortable Buenos Aires Stay.

Read our guide to the Las Cañitas’s monuments and main tourist attractions

Read our guide to best restaurants and resto-bars in Las Cañitas Buenos Aires