Which South American capital's name comes from Spanish for 'Good Airs'?

Which South American capital’s name comes from Spanish for “Good Airs”? The answer is Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Buenos Aires literally means “Good Airs,” though “Fair Winds” is often a more natural translation in this historical context. The name is connected to devotion to Santa Maria del Buen Aire, or Saint Mary of the Good Winds, a title associated with a Marian sanctuary in Cagliari, Sardinia.

Spanish explorer Pedro de Mendoza used the name when he founded a settlement on the Río de la Plata in 1536. That settlement was abandoned after conflict with Indigenous peoples, but Juan de Garay established a permanent settlement in 1580 and preserved the name in a much longer formal title honoring the Virgin Mary. The shorter form Buenos Aires became common during the 17th century.

The name is sometimes mistakenly explained as a comment about the city’s pleasant weather. The traditional story is more specifically maritime and religious: sailors invoked the Virgin of Buen Aire for favorable winds during voyages. Buenos Aires is also commonly called CABA, short for Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, distinguishing the autonomous city from Buenos Aires Province.