Shopping in Buenos Aires

Do You Like Bargain Shopping?

The collapse of the peso has resulted in unbelievable bargains for the medical tourism traveler in Buenos Aires, a city already famous in Latin America for its shopping. From premium quality leather (which isn’t really a surprise considering the amount of beef they consume here – twice as much as Americans) to antiques, the city has it all, and most of it at bargain prices. A happy after-shock of the economic crash of 2002 was the sudden creative impetus that local artisans and designers suddenly began to receive. Until the crash, Argentineans had little interest in home grown art or fashion, preferring instead to jet off to the US to stock up on the latest fads, while those who could afford it headed to Paris to pick up the latest names on the art scene. When the economy crashed as resoundingly as it did, thousands were pushed below the poverty line, and even the middle class couldn’t afford any of their posh habits anymore. Women turned to local designers for chic trends, while collectors looked to native artisans and craftsmen for the newest conversation pieces. This has led to a renaissance of sorts in the local industry, and manufacturers are hardly able to keep with the renewed demand for home grown products that “La Crisis” has thrown up. 

Retail Districts

The Calle Florida and Calle Lavelle Avenues of Microcentro are lined wall to wall with shops selling shoes, jewelry, and leather ware, all at prices that are as low as 50 percent of those in the United States. If there’s one thing that no medical tourism traveler should leave Buenos Aires without, it’s the leather ware. The quality is unmatched, and the prices of jackets, shoes, and bags get better as you head out into the leather district in Palermo. Recoleta is where the city’s crème de la crème shop (think Champs-Elysees in Paris), and it’s lined with the finest European couture houses, antique galleries, and upscale boutiques. For local arts and crafts, especially those that celebrate tango, head to the studios that line San Telmo district.

With prices being what they are, a medical tourism traveler in Buenos Aires could sleep on 350 thread count sheets, dine at the finest restaurants, drink gallons of bubbly, and still have enough change left over for a dozen pairs of soft leather-skin boots, a few stylish shawls, and a center piece (or four) for his coffee table.

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