Argentina’s capital makes a great gay getaway. Foxy people, amazing food—and it’s affordable!

Here’s an enduring memory from a week spent in Buenos Aires: Sitting on a rooftop patio with nine friends (a mix of Argentines and Americans) on a gorgeously warm Saturday night as a late summer breeze (it's early March in the Southern Hemisphere) cools us, as we drink very cheap and very good Argentinian Malbec, talk, swap cigarettes and snap endless digital photos. This languid experience comes after a huge meal of grilled steaks, chicken and sausages which accompanied our fresh sliced tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms and onions, cheesy and buttered garlic bread, and countless other snacks and accompaniments. The patio is just another great thing about the completely cheap apartment we've rented for the week. It's a sprawling multi-room affair with high-ceilings, a large backyard garden and huge airy kitchen - and which is almost criminally inexpensive given that we're in Palermo Viejo, the Buenos Aires equivalent of New York's Soho.

And therein lies the appeal of a trip to B.A. Long, sensual nights of food and drink and socializing, either here at our rental digs or out in the city, where an endless slew of cafes and bars lure you well into the night (with dinner typically starting at 11pm) with their casual, foxy charm. And that relaxed appeal is what makes Buenos Aires a must-visit destination. Sure there are sites to see (Evita's Casa Rosada, the madly intricate and loopy Recoleta cemetery, great shopping - for antiques or fashions), but the bonus of time spent in Buenos Aires is its Euro-meets-Latin American vibe of savoring the good life. Sleep in, shop a little, have a drink, and save up your energy to go out dancing... But don't stress too much about anything. You're not spending enough money to cause you concern and there's no place more fabulous you need to be. Just being in Buenos Aires is pretty darn fab enough. Even something as simple as a cheap taxi ride across town becomes a visually rich journey through shady and tree-lined streetscapes, which plays out like a romantic and sun-dappled cinematic montage. Buenos Aires’ beautiful citizens (called Portenos) sweeten the deal. They're charming and easy on the eyes. As one friend of mine put it, reflecting on the locals after his trip: "Green eyes, chocolate hair and dark skin. They all dressed like they just stepped off a sailboat; preppy and scruffy at the same time." And yes, most of them speak just enough English (but often not too much) to make it all perfect.

Gay life in Buenos Aires is rich - and engrained in the cityscape as well as it is in New York or San Francisco. It's a given and no big deal. There are lively bars, thumping dance clubs, late night drag shows--and you're likely to see gay folks at any stylish restaurant or lounge, intermingling with their straight counterparts, too.

A trip to Buenos Aires (go while it’s winter in the Northern Hemisphere and you'll hit a sultry summer down south) may just be the best gay getaway possible. Then you can come back and rave deliriously like I've just done.