What’s with the terrible sidewalks in Argentina?

Potentially the worst sidewalks in the world are located in Buenos Aires. Porteños (locals from BA) would struggle to legally have me retract this statement. From above, the streets of BA appear lovely and very picturesque – they are tree lined and when the Jacarandas are in flower it rivals Japanese cherry blossom season. If you choose to walk down a suburban street, or one of the larger avenues in the city centre then be forewarned. Keep your eyes open and wear sensible shoes, sidewalks are uneven, littered with potholes, missing tiles, & treacherous when wet. I honestly don’t know how women wear heels here…maybe they are just born with stronger ankles that the rest of us.

Most if not all sidewalks are paved with tiles, they are mismatched, are rarely uniform and often overgrown with grass. Homeowners can choose their own style of tile and here in lies the root cause of the problem – nobody wants to spend money to fix their part of the sidewalk. Like most public facilities in Argentina, the project is budgeted for but no budget is ever set aside for maintenance…things just degrade over time.

Be aware of the “surprise” tile!

What’s a surprise tile you ask. Well I’ve classified them into 3 categories for you. The first tile is the one that may seem obvious (and hence not surprising) to you is the tile that’s edge is raised just high enough above it’s neighbours for you to catch your toe or instep on. Trust me, this one has teeth and will catch you off guard. The second tile is the more stealthy of the the bunch – it is the loose tile that is still in its place but it hides a nasty secret. When it is wet, water will pool under this guy and when you unsuspectingly stand on it, you’re more often than not greeted with a surprise splash up the back of your leg. The third is the most obvious, but also most forgotten, the polished tile. It’s usually found at the entry gate (maybe a step) of more upmarket houses. You can easily slip on this one after you’ve built up level of self confidence on rougher surfaced tiles…it’s deadly when wet, especially if you’ve chosen your footwear poorly.

They are quirky, have their own charm and uniquely Argentinian. At least they are not pouring bitumen on them like they are doing in Australia.