Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires sits right on the Rio de la Plata, and cruise ships dock in the city centre near the Benito Quinquela Martín terminal. A free shuttle runs to the heart of downtown, where the obelisk on Avenida 9 de Julio, the world's widest avenue, is hard to miss. The Teatro Colón opera house, a block off the avenue, runs guided tours even on port days. Taxis are metered, reasonably priced and easy to flag down. On Sundays, the antique market at Plaza Dorrego in San Telmo is the place to be, with tango dancers performing between the stalls. La Boca's brightly painted houses along Caminito make for good photos, though the neighbourhood is best visited during the day. For steak, a parrilla like Don Julio in Palermo is worth the queue. The city's Line 1 subway still runs original wooden carriages from 1913, and they are as creaky and charming as you'd expect.