9 Reasons Not to Study Abroad in Buenos Aires

Mate is a type of tea - a herbal infusion with lots of caffeine in it, prepared by packing a few spoonful of herbs in a gourd with hot water and sugar. It’s hot but you can also have it cold like an iced coffee by adding juice. Mate is believed to bring many nutritional benefits and is rich in antioxidants. It can also help you concentrate (for example if you’ve had a little too much fun at one of those craft breweries we mentioned earlier).

Argentina has a huge mate drinking culture - and the introverts among you will be terrified to learn that mateada (the practice of sharing mate by passing a gourd with a straw around a group of friends) is sacrosanct.  Drinking mate is a communal activity in Buenos Aires - it’s all about sharing and bonding with other people. So, you might feel a little shy at first, but you’ll make so many friends around a gourd of mate, we bet you’ll grow to love it.

Football culture in Argentina is just as sacred as the mateada (if not more), and there are deep Shakespeare-esque rivalries between clubs. Boca Juniors and River Plate, for example, are sworn enemies -  the Argentine equivalent of Spurs vs Arsenal or Capulets vs the Montagues. They both come from the same working class neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, and they can’t stand the sight of each other.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the city which has produced two Nobel Peace Prize winners offers a broad range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees taught in Spanish or English, many exchange programs and personalized short courses.

Home to 40 universities and 28 language centers, it boasts nine internationally ranked universities, including Universidad de Buenos Aires, Universidad de Palermo, the Universidad Austral and Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina Santa María de los Buenos Aires (UCA).

Argentine beef is among the best in the world, but Buenos Aires eateries have many more treats to offer. Inspired by Italian and Spanish cuisines, local dishes take inspiration from different influences.

A particularly delicious treat, you must try Argentine pizza, which bears some resemblance to the Chicagoan deep dish. With Argentine mozzarella cheese dripping down its inch-high crusts, it usually comes garnished with green olives, dried chili flakes and a touch of tomato. It’s very cheesy. Some pizzerias sell it by the slice to eat on the go  - which definitely hits the spot on a night out.

If, like many people, you’re not in touch with your feelings and can’t dance to save your life, moving to the birthplace of tango might be dangerous. Tango is one of those dances you really have to pour your heart into, and no talented tango dancer can ever make up for their partner’s chaotic or clumsy footwork.

The Costanera Sur on the coast of the River Plate is Buenos Aires’s answer to Central Park and a godsend for exhausted porteños. Its enormous 350 acres of green are open every day except Monday - which is ideal when you fancy a break or a jog.

It’s home to three lagoons, 300 species of native and exotic birds, as well as mammals, reptiles and amphibians, plus 500 species of native plants and trees. Entrance and guided tours are free and bikes are available for hire. It’s almost too much nature for one person to experience.

OK, so maybe Buenos Aires is actually pretty great. Find out more about studying here.