Ideal places to enjoy mate outdoors in Buenos Aires

Located between the neighborhoods of Caballito, Almagro, and Villa Crespo, it’s one of the most iconic parks in our city. On weekends, it's packed with people having picnics, strolling with family or pets. During the week? The same! You’ll find many people exercising in the mornings and running groups throughout the day.

Where to settle in Parque Centenario for mate? We recommend entering via Patricias Argentinas, next to the Argentine Astronomy Association, and walking a bit to the lake, near the carousel and the solar system-themed playground. Right there, lay down your blanket, take out your mate, and enjoy the view of Eduardo Rubino’s “Winged Victory” sculpture.

Tip: Around the corner is the Natural Sciences Museum, which is amazing.

Where: Between Diaz Velez, Patricias Argentinas, Leopoldo Marechal, and Ángel Gallardo avenues.

Amidst bars, restaurants, and clothing stores, you'll find Plaza Armenia. A green oasis in the heart of Palermo, surrounded by cobblestone streets and roads without traffic lights. You can enter the plaza from Armenia Street and sit by the fountain to enjoy mate without a hitch.

There’s a kids’ playground, making weekends a bit noisy. Still, it might be worth sacrificing some peace to enjoy the artisan fair, which is also there on Saturdays and Sundays, and is a great plan.

Tip: Around the plaza, there are some benches to set up a picnic.

Where: Between Armenia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Malabia streets.

Right at the corner of Coronel Díaz and Las Heras Avenue, just a few meters from the street, there’s a giant bench (literally, like a plaza bench but with a very tall backrest) that's ideal for mate. The great thing about this spot is that there are many nearby bakeries to buy something delicious for your snack.

This bench is also perfect for taking photos. However, if you prefer greenery, you can lie down anywhere in the park with a view of Av. Las Heras.

Tip: It’s a bit creepy, but you should know that before the park, there was a prison in this area until the 1960s.

Where: Between Las Heras and Coronel Díaz avenues, and Jerónimo Salguero and Juncal streets.

Next to the University of Buenos Aires Law School is this park. Many don’t know its name, but they recognize it because it’s home to the Floralis Genérica sculpture, the huge steel flower located on Figueroa Alcorta Avenue.

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Now that you know the spot, the Parque Naciones Unidas offers plenty of green space to enjoy mate while gazing at the flower.

Tip: The Floralis Genérica sculpture points toward the sky, has 6 petals, weighs 18 tons, and is 23 meters tall.

Where: Between Av. Figueroa Alcorta, the railroad tracks, the UBA Law School, and Brigadier General Juan Facundo Quiroga street.

Better known as the Bosques de Palermo, this park is so vast that we could write a separate article about all the hidden spots. For now, we’ll focus on El Rosedal.

Filled with flowers, it’s an incredible park to spend the day with or without a picnic. We recommend sitting among the thousands of roses and enjoying mate in the sun.

Tip: Don’t miss the famous Andalusian Patio and the Greek Bridge, both located inside the park.

Where: Between Sarmiento, Pedro Montt, Iraola, and Infanta Isabel avenues.

As mentioned earlier, this park is so large that many spots are left out, but without a doubt, the area near the Galileo Galilei Planetarium is a must.

As night falls, all the lights turn on, creating a movie-like view: we recommend walking along Sarmiento Avenue at night to appreciate the fabulous panorama. But back to mate—beside the spectacular planetarium structure is an artificial lake, which is the perfect spot for a picnic.

Tip: The dome of the Galileo Galilei Planetarium is 20 meters in diameter and can display up to 8,900 fixed stars and constellations.

Where: Sarmiento Avenue and Belisario Roldán street.

With a river view, nothing can go wrong. This recommendation is in the Vicente López district, about 20 kilometers north of Buenos Aires. Once here, we suggest heading to the Municipal Ecological Reserve, exploring it, and then sitting under the trees with a river view to enjoy mate.

The best part? It's one of the few places along the coastal walk that has shade, so take our advice.

Tip: There's a myth that a fairly large lizard lives in the reserve. We've seen it, so it's no myth. Go see if you can find it.

Where: Between Paraná Ave., Darwin Ave., the train tracks, and the river.

You’ll find this plaza in the Caballito neighborhood, right on the border with Flores. A bit further from Buenos Aires’ most touristy areas, it’s ideal for a unique picnic.

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It’s one of the largest plazas we have, and since it's not so central, most of the visitors are locals, with few tourists around. At Plaza Irlanda, you’ll find plenty of people exercising, walking, or making the most of the public spaces: ping pong tables, a basketball court, and a soccer field.

Tip: Across from the plaza is a spectacular castle, an emblem of the neighborhood that has been operating as a school for decades.

Where: Between Gaona Ave., Donato Álvarez Ave., Neuquén, and Seguí streets.

Full of trees and corners to place a blanket and spend the afternoon, for many, this is the most beautiful plaza in Buenos Aires. If the plan is to enjoy some peaceful mate, we suggest entering via Libertador Avenue and sitting toward the center of the plaza, away from the city noise.

One of the city’s most emblematic fairs takes place in this plaza, every weekend and holiday from 10 AM to 8 PM.

Tip: Across from Plaza Francia is the National Museum of Fine Arts.

Where: Between Pueyrredón Ave., Libertador Ave., Luis Agote, and Ricardo Levene streets.

It’s located across from Paseo de las Américas, which is huge, but not there. Perhaps popularly known as Plaza Sucre, it’s the ideal green space to relax on a Sunday afternoon.

This plaza is comfortable for relaxing, and it’s not too big, making it perfect for families with children, as you’ll never lose sight of them. Surrounded by bars, food won’t be lacking if you run out of water for the mate or cookies.

Tip: In the center of the plaza stands “The Reader’s Dream,” a sculpture of a reclining head with closed eyes. It was supposed to be an installation with sound and lights, but it was abandoned and left unfinished.

Where: Between Sucre, Figueroa Alcorta Ave., Echeverría, and Castañeda streets.