Serenity in Buenos Aires: nature spots you can visit with kids

Natural, green spaces abound in this busy city

Buenos Aires lived in my imagination for months before I arrived. 

I scoured YouTube and Instagram and took in tree-lined streets and colonial architecture. Based on my inputs, I formed my own mental pictures and held them close until I arrived late one Saturday evening, touching down at Ezeiza International Airport just after 10pm.

Back then, I didn’t expect to spend a substantial portion of my six months in the city in its natural, open spaces. (I also didn’t expect to experience such a strong sense of belonging and fall so deeply in love with the place; that’s a long story for a different post. But this is Buenos Aires - it surprises and seduces.) 

While it’s a big city, Buenos Aires is packed with parks, gardens, and playgrounds. Large swaths of green provide pause and escape all over CABA (Autonomous City of Buenos Aires), and you’ll honestly find some sort of natural environment in every barrio (neighborhood).

Las Heras Park

It’s Saturday afternoon in June and the heat in Buenos Aires isn’t unpleasant, just unanticipated. I came ready for winter, thick jackets and grey skies but that was…not happening.

So we left our 1st-floor apartment in Palermo, walked into the street in search of something to do. Buenos Aires can never be accused of starting too early but it was after midday and the city was getting busy. 

And this is what led me to Las Heras Park, one of the largest parks in the city. Here Porteños (Buenos Aires residents) and visitors congregate to sip mate and spread picnic blankets across the lawns. At the one end, football fields are busy - teams take one another on in friendly competition. Sunbathers relax on loungers, reading or enjoying the heat.

Children play in the playground, while others choose ball games on the grass. There’s a large skating rink where amateurs and professionals perform for onlookers, and if you’re in the mood you can even get a workout on the gym equipment.

While Las Heras is one of the larger, more well-known parks, there were so many in the city. Some come with play equipment, carousels, and synthetic turf for ball games. Others are simpler, offering wide open spaces for ball games and play  - many parks land somewhere in between.

Aside from the typical activities, some will also offer other activities, like painting or bubble play.

The big surprise for me was this: parks are full till quite late. Coming from Cape Town, it’s highly unusual to see any child (or adult, really) in a park once the sun sets. In Buenos Aires it’s the norm to find families in parks until it’s pitch dark, though there’s lots of lighting. .

One of the special things about Argentina is its friendly people. And you’ll likely experience this typical Argentine warmth at one of the many parks in Buenos Aires. My son often started playing football with a group of kids. We didn’t often meet English speaking children (he ended up making one English-speaking friend who took on the role of introducing him to the other children) but he usually played with a whole range of kids.

Buenos Aires Ecopark

Back in 2016, the 140-year old Buenos Aires Zoo shut its doors and it all seemed kind of sinister. 

Think: multiple animal deaths and reports of staff negligence. 

Yet, years later and the site’s been transformed into a safe house for animals at risk and a center for conservation education. Buenos Aires Ecopark is a surprise in Palermo, one the city’s largest neighborhoods. It’s surprisingly insulated for being so central. You honestly feel removed from the hum of cars and buses  - and general congestion around the area  - once you’re inside the park. 

The park is laid out neatly with green spaces and ponds. As mentioned, there’s a massive emphasis on conversation and education. Posters and interactive displays tell young visitors about different animals and their habitats. 

The Ecopark is also a wildlife rescue center, receiving 400 animals each year, who have been injured, orphaned, or trafficked. In addition to free roaming animals, some wildlife live in enclosures too.

We spent an afternoon visiting the park and had the opportunity to view animals, like giraffes and flamingos.

At the other end, there’s also a huge playground and carousel.  You can buy food at food trucks in the park and just outside the entrance. 

Costanera Sur Nature reserve 

Like any good nature reserve, the Costanera Sur ecological reserve has woodlands, ponds, and hundreds of bird species.

Secret paths run off from the main route, leading you to views of lakes and secluded picnic spots. Birds bob on the surface of the water and chirp in the generous mass of trees overhead. 

One thing you don’t expect is for this piece of nature to be in the middle of the city. The noise of one of Latin America’s busiest cities has been shut out as you meander through the reserve. If you don’t catch sight of the tops of skyscrapers in Puerto Madero, you’ll almost feel like you’ve left the city behind for a faraway nature spot. 

People come here to walk, run, cycle and have picnics on the grass. We spent about an hour wandering through the reserve but you could easily spend a half-day here.  

I didn’t know this before I went but you can book an English tour here visitasguiadas_recs@buenosaires.gob.ar. 

Japanese Garden 

In 1967, Crown Prince Akihito and Princess Michiko of Japan officially inaugurated the Japanese Garden. Designed by the local Japanese community and later given to the Municipality of Buenos Aires, the garden is a gift from the Japanese Government; a thank you to Argentina for being so welcoming of Japanese immigrants. 

More than a half century later, the garden is immaculate. Depending on the time of year you visit, you’ll see cherry blossoms, azaleas, violet water lilies. Bridges crisscross the garden and fish swim in an array of ponds. You won’t be short on photo opportunities. 

The garden seems perpetually busy - there are usually long lines so best to go early or during the week if you can manage it. 

I’ve only covered the places I where spent most of my time in while living in Buenos Aires. There are other places as well like the Botanical Gardens.