Buenos Aires

Sprawled amid a horizon-filling expanse of pampas and the muddy vastness of the Rio de la Plata estuary, Buenos Aires may at first seem daunting. However, get under its skin and you'll find a colourful hotchpotch of vivacious barrios (neighbourhoods), each with its own distinct personality, but all with a distinct European edge.

That's because the ancestors of most porteños - as the BA locals are known - arrived from Europe in the 19th century, bringing with them a love of food, culture and good living that continues to permeate the city.

Head to the centre for a taste of café culture on Avenida Corrientes before taking in bustling Plaza de Mayo with its line-up of significant buildings, including the pink-hued presidential palace, Casa Rosada. Nearby, the city's seven-storey opera house, Teatro Colón, offers behind-the-scenes tours by day and world-class opera, ballet and music performances by night.

Southwards, bohemian San Telmo dishes out a rich serving of porteño passion in its many tango bars. But for passion at its rawest nothing beats La Boca on match days. In this tough southern port barrio, home to Diego 'hand of God' Maradona's old team Boca Juniors, fútbol reigns supreme, and houses - and even trees - are painted the team colours.

The north is where rich Buenos Aires spends its time, in leafy Palermo with its trendy bars and restaurants, and in the grand mansions of plush Recoleta. Here you can also join the pilgrimage in the Cementerio de la Recoleta, a grand necropolis with tombs to rival the stately homes nearby, to the grave of Argentina's most famous first lady, Evita Peron. The intensity of Evita-worship you'll witness is a city sight all on its own.