I'll always come back to San Telmo

We've come and gone from Buenos Aires a few times now and stayed in different neighbourhoods. On our first weekend we headed to Palermo with the intention of taking full advantage of its thriving club and bar scene. This suburb is one of the city's trendiest. Full of young bohemian-types, the streets are lined with boutique shops and stylish cafes, and the nightlife is pumping every day of the week. My Mum would say this place has panache.

San Telmo, on the other hand, doesn't have the panache factor. The streets are comparatively dirty, the neglected buildings are smeared with graffiti and wafts of dog poo are constant. Many homeless people congregate in surrounding parks and some say it's not the best place to walk around in at night. But that's San Telmo and we keep coming back. Once you get past its superficial lack in aesthetics, you fall for its character. Whether its the funky Sunday antique markets, the ubiquitous street performers, impromptu jazz quartets, or amazing steak houses, there's something about this place that brings us back each time. It's the only place where I've noticed people walking along the footpath singing audibly as they go! There's something in the air.

Conveniently, it's also crawling with hostels, so there's never a shortage of options in that department. It's close enough to the slightly tacky Centro if we need a department store (and far away enough to avoid altogether). A hearty walking distance from the colourful La Boca and the modern Puerto Madero, to me, this is the place to be. Long live San Telmo!