Alright, so this post is probably more of a service to the internet at large than to anyone who reads this blog regularly. The local Buenos Aires government has thoughtfully prepared twelve different free audio tours covering various neighborhoods in the city, in Spanish, English and Portuguese. I can vouch that the English-language ones are quite nice, and charmingly accented as well. I’m planning on taking the Spanish-language versions for a spin later this week to practice my Spanish-listening skills, so I’ll get back to you on that.
You can download the tours for free in mp3 format to play on any portable audio player. Alternatively, if for some reason you hate having money, there’s a phone number you can call to listen to any of the audioguides on your mobile phone at the touch of a button. Mobile phone rates here in Argentina are not nearly as obscene as they were in Europe, but a 40 minute call still starts to add up. Plus, if the choice is between “no cost” and “cost”, I’m guessing most people will opt for the former.
However, the BA government has done a rather poor job of promoting their audioguides. If I hadn’t been tipped off to their existence, I probably never would have found them. Google searches (at least on English-language google.com) for Buenos Aires audiotours turn up mostly a variety of commercial sites and blogs, not the governmental site. Consider this post my meager bid to try to improve the Porteños’ PageRank.
A noble cause.