Argentina - Buenos Aires, Puerto Madero

Puerto Madero - also known as Puerto Madero Waterfront - is the easternmost district of Buenos Aires, occupying a significant portion of the Río de la Plata riverbank. At the end of the 19th century, businessman Eduardo Madero was commissioned to ensure that large cargo ships could reach the port of Buenos Aires. In 1897 this new harbour was opened, but already ten years later the slow development and the appearance of larger ships made Puerto Madero superfluous.

Puerto Madero is not only the story of the port, but also the development that the area has gone through since the 1990s. Local and foreign investors made it into an innovative and attractive part of the city. World-famous architects were allowed to redesign the area. Skyscrapers, luxury hotels and restaurants, offices and exclusive culture centers were built in Puerto Madero.

Puerto Madero still features the marina of Buenos Aires with luxury yachts from the jet set. Along the docks old harbour cranes recall the times when Puerto Madero was a port. The elegant Puente de la Mujer (Women's Bridge) is definitely worth a picture (PiP 2). Puerto Madero has two nautical museums, one of them is housed in the Sarmiento, built in the 1890s ad a training vessel for the Argentine Navy (PiP 3)