women | Wander Argentina

Nightlife for Women in Buenos Aires

It’s no wonder that Buenos Aires vies with Rio de Janiero for the title of ‘Party capital of Latin America.’ In Buenos Aires clubs often don’t open until 12:00 a.m., don’t fill up until 3:00 a.m. and party nights can easily last until 7:00 a.m.

Travelers from sleepy towns where the pub closes at 11:00 p.m., or who aren’t even old enough to drink at home (the drinking age is 18 in Argentina, and even that is ignored) can easily get swept up in Buenos Aires-style marathon party nights that end with them headed home blurry-eyed — just as others are going to work.

Amateurs entering into the Buenos Aires party scene are jumping into the deep end first. For women it’s particularly important to keep your wits as much as possible. In the huge clubs and notorious pick-up joints of Buenos Aires — some of the Irish bars of the Retiro neighborhood jump to mind — women may receive unwanted random groping from young men who can’t handle their alcohol. The best reaction is a firm reproach or even a yell, “no!’ This will attract attention and usually embarrass the man enough that he will desist.

In a quality establishment a man aggressively harassing a women will be thrown out. Don’t be afraid to inform the bartender or bouncers if a man in a bar is seriously pestering you.

If you are offered a drink, make sure it is handed to you by the bartender or cocktail waitress and not by the man who ordered it for you. Being ‘slipped a mickey’ is mostly an old urban legend in Buenos Aires, but in the last few years some area hospitals have reported a few isolated cases of patients who had been intoxicated without their knowledge by the ‘date-rape drug,’ rohypnol and possibly even scopolamine, although usually for the purpose of theft. Men are also vulnerable to this.

A Word About Drinking While Out on the Town

Most sexual crimes that occur in Argentina among foreign women do involve alcohol. Unfortunately, morality aside, the law of the jungle is: drunk woman alone=easy prey. Staying relatively sober is one of the most important things a woman can do to keep on top of things and avoid getting into an ugly situation. If you’re going to drink in excess, make sure you are with people who have your best interests in mind and won’t ditch you. In Argentina, lone drunken woman are extremely conspicuous in public at night and will inevitably draw unwanted attention.

Although the time when Argentine women sipped one drink all night long seems to be coming to an end, it is rare to see an average middle class single female here more than a little tipsy. Being intoxicated and unfamiliar with the language and customs is a dangerous combination anywhere. When in doubt, call a taxi to get home instead of using public transport.

Dating in Argentina

Ladies, keep cultural differences in mind on the dating scene. Argentine men are superficially chivalrous and charming but can come on very strong. Having your date briefly meet a couple of your friends, your housemate, or a family member before going out can do a lot to make sure they will be on their best behavior. At the very least, make sure to let a friend know where you will be going and with whom.

In Argentina, inviting a man you up to your apartment or hotel room after a date will be interpreted as a clear indication that you are ready and willing to take things further. That’s not to say that he will force himself on you if you resist advances obviously, but keep in mind that cultural misunderstandings can create some awkward situations. Prevention is your best defense: choose your dates well and clearly state your limits and expectations before your date’s inner vampire arrives on the scene. Sometimes they will take protest as a challenge and still be overly aggressive no matter what you do, but especially if you reject advances. If that is the case, just get away from him as soon as you can.

It should go without saying that it’s a very bad idea to invite a complete stranger to your home or hotel room. Traditionally, even Argentines who want to engage in casual sex don’t typically bring strangers home or go to their home but instead go to telos — hotels specifically designed for sex which are abundant throughout the country. If you do invite a man to your home or hotel, make sure you know him well enough to at least know where he lives or works.

Argentina is a relatively safe country for women to travel alone.

Argentina’s men have a reputation for freely expressing their appreciation for women passing by on the street and as being charming devils who will say anything to get what they want, but it is much more likely that a single female traveler will suffer minor harassment in public places— or petty theft— than an outright sexual assault.

Sexual assault statistics are notoriously unreliable but they can offer some insight. The latest in-depth study conducted by World Health Organization, in 2002, concluded that out of a random sample of 1,000 women in Buenos Aires, 5.8% of women had been sexually assaulted in the previous five years. This number is on par, or slightly lower, than many first world nations.

Of course there are crazy people all over the world so it is important for women traveling alone to take extra precautions.

Attire: Beware of Heels

The more modestly you dress the less attention you will receive thanks to your divine femininity —this is certainly true in Argentina. Buenos Aires and other major Argentine cities are filled with sexy, smart looking women but there is a very attuned distinction between looking ‘sexy and confident’ and ‘trampy and desperate’. Do yourself and your countrywomen a favor – if you are woman who places importance on your appearance, try to fall in the first category. As always, the less conspicuous you are the fewer problems you will experience.

If you’re going out at night in high heels or a saucy dress, make sure your date accompanies you door to door, as is custom in Argentina. If not, depending on how safe you feel in your neighborhood, consider calling a taxi or remis to get you safely to your location. This is logical for another reason — with the sidewalks in such a state of disrepair in most parts of Buenos Aires and other parts of the country, sexy shoes make you vulnerable to breaking a heel or doing a face-dive, particularly in stilettos.

Don’t Flash the Bling!

While some safety travel guides advice single women to wear a wedding ring while on the road to avoid harassment, we advice exactly the opposite in Argentina. The reason is twofold: firstly, a wedding ring will not dissuade a great many Argentine man from approaching you, secondly your beautiful ring could make you a target for theft.

In Argentina women usually receive a simple gold band by their husband when they marry. If you have a diamond wedding ring you will be instantly recognized as a foreigner and be more vulnerable to robbery. If you’re married, and traveling alone or not, consider removing your wedding ring while traveling in Argentina. Surely you’re darling hubby who gave you that shiny rock will understand that wearing that beautiful ring, particularly on the streets of Buenos Aires, is a danger.

Although it is not recommended to travel with any expensive jewelry, if you are headed to an event that absolutely calls for dressing up and you have an pricey piece of jewelry you want to wear, consider traveling with it in your purse. Once at the event head straight to the ladies room to put it on.

Avoiding Theft

To protect oneself against street theft, particularly in Buenos Aires, use an over the shoulder bag that can be wrapped around the body instead of a handbag or purse. Those that close with zippers and have flap that go over the zipper like a messenger bag are a good option, and are sold very cheaply in the Once neighborhood. Keep your money in the inner most bowels of your purse, or better yet in your front pocket or somewhere else close to your body to prevent being pick- pocketed. Some people swear by money belts, worn on the interior of your clothing. Others say that thin nylon pouches are awkward, give the impression that you are carrying tons of cash, and that the straps can easily be cut. They are somewhat extreme and rather conspicuous if spotted, but they can occasionally be useful if you have to carry a lot of cash for making a major purchase.

During the day, in higher-class neighborhoods such as Palermo there are sometimes drive by robberies -– two guys come by on a motorcycle and just grab the purse off of someone’s shoulder and keep going. Obviously this crime is virtually impossible to pull off if you’re wearing an over the shoulder bag.