Are you asking yourself the question is Buenos Aires safe or not?
Whether backpacking in Buenos Aires or visiting on vacation, if you think you’ll be moving around the city frequently, one of the most important things to know is that you’ll be safe when you get there.
Everyone deserves the chance to travel and enjoy themselves, but if you don’t know anything about the country or the city or even specific stops along the way, it can be difficult.
Hence why you may be wondering about safety in Buenos Aires.
I spent many months walking around the different neighborhoods in this city and will share some of my insights with you as we go.
Is Buenos Aires Safe?
This guide zooms further in than we did when looking at things to do in Buenos Aires to look at some of the safety issues you may be faced with.
Providing you follow some of the tips noted below, though, you should not have any safety issues here as a backpacker or traveler in the city.
Things to Know about Buenos Aires
You should know that this is a very densely populated area and after comparing Buenos Aires vs Mexico City there were similarities.
Also, understand that the cost of living in Buenos Aires is very high compared to other parts of the country.
There are a whole lot of people who live in Buenos Aires (which makes sense since it’s the capital).
There’s also a whole lot going on in this area, including several big tourist destinations. That makes it a pretty popular place for both locals and tourists alike.
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Safety in Buenos Aires: What to Avoid
As a tourist, knowing where to go and where not to go is imperative as you’re going to have a little crime to watch out for when it comes to your safety in Buenos Aires.
Here are some of the types of risk one may encounter:
- Pickpocketing (High risk)
- Scams (High risk)
- Mugging (High risk)
- Unlicensed Taxis (Medium risk)
- Female Travelers (Medium risk)
- Natural Disaster (Low risk)
- Terrorism (Low risk)
So, if you’re traveling soon and maybe looking for things to do in Buenos Aires alone let’s first break this safety issue down a little and look at the different types of risk you’re going to have.
High-Risk Events
Pickpocketing, scams, and muggings are a rampant problem throughout the city, and they’re things you’re going to want to take precautions against, whilst getting to know the tourist attractions in Buenos Aires.
Watching where you go and how you carry things like money and valuables is going to be extremely important.
You want to make sure your money is secure.
For safety in Buenos Aires wear clothes that have pockets with buttons and zippers rather than carrying a wallet in an open pocket or even carrying a purse.
Medium Risk Events
Unlicensed taxis pop up anywhere that there is a lot of traffic.
You are going to do the best by calling the service directly and ordering a taxi rather than just getting into a taxi you see on the street.
You never know who they work for. And while some unlicensed taxis are just looking to make money, some can be dangerous.
Women traveling alone can have some risk in this area, though most often this is going to happen at night.
As a result, women should be vigilant and take precautions to avoid less populated areas on their own for better safety in Buenos Aires.
Low-Risk Events
Natural disasters and terrorism can happen anywhere, but there is a very low risk of these things happening here.
If you’re worried about safety in Buenos Aires you probably don’t need to be as concerned about this.
Floods can happen, but they don’t happen too often, and terrorist events haven’t happened yet.
When it comes to safety in Buenos Aires the best thing that I can tell you is just to be aware. Watch out for your surroundings.
Whilst in Buenos Aires take basic precautions that include:
- Pockets with buttons or zippers for valuables
- Not showing off valuables
- Not flashing money
- Watching the activity around you
- Not traveling alone
By working with these few basic steps you’re going to be setting yourself up for a safer and more enjoyable trip.
Safety in Buenos Aires isn’t hard to come by, you just need to know what you’re doing.
Safety Tips for Buenos Aires
After living in the city of Buenos Aires for a few months I became familiar with the following neighborhoods:
- Recoleta
- Palermo
- Las Cañitas
- Puerto Madero
- Plaza San Martín
- San Telmo
- Belgrano
- La Boca
- Microcenter
As a visitor to the city whether you are passing through for the day or spending more time here, it is likely that you’ll be spending some time in one of these neighborhoods.
Now you’re aware of some of the events that could quite easily (or not so easily) happen, I invite you to look at my Buenos Aires safety tips.
I have written these tips to help you avoid the likelihood of being a victim of petty or low-level crime in the city.
Dan’s tips for staying safe in Buenos Aires:
- Trust your gut, if somewhere gives you a bad feeling – don’t go.
- Avoid large crowds as much as you can – you never who awaits.
- Don’t hang around the same place for too long.
- Consider where you are located at all times – poverty is rife here, so .
- When deciding where to stay in Buenos Aires use accredited hotels.
- Don’t flaunt your wealth or your fashion – it only draws attention to you.
- Avoid getting drunk or in ‘party mode’, especially around large crowds.
- Keep a low profile when passing back steets and off-key zones
- Avoid getting into conversations in the street at night.
Although some of this advice may seem like basic common sense to some to others it’s not.
Many people who I talk to just don’t realize how one simple thing like taking a wrong turn on a street or stopping for a stranger can lead to a disaster.
Buenos Aires: Is it Safe?
The purpose of this article is to help you feel more intelligent and be confident about your trip to Buenos Aires.
Following some of these tips will help you to avoid the usual upset or worries that might make your trip to South America seem dangerous.
I have also written about safety in South America after repeated backpacking trips through the continent of the years.
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