Buenos Aires is known as the ‘Paris of Latin America’, and it’s not hard to see why. The streets are resplendent in architecture that appears more at home in the French ‘city of lights’ than in the sultry warmth of South America. This is where it all begins; nights start on pavement cafés which spill onto wide avenues and elegant boutiques sit cheek by jowl with the brightly-coloured houses of the barrios. Life plays out to a soundtrack of the haunting tango, resounding through the boulevards lined with South America’s best galleries, museums, theatres and designer shops. Each quarter of BA has its own identity: La Boca is famous for its vibrant buildings, tango and its football team. Plaza de Mayo is a stately green oasis in the urban jungle. Recoleta’s buildings are grand, reflected in the derelict beauty of the cemetery that shares its name, while Puerto Madero is an ode to contemporary architecture in a waterfront setting. A short drive from the capital is the pampas, home to the South American cowboy, where you can stay on an estancia and learn the art of horse riding, Latin style.