Barrios de Buenos Aires

NEIGHBORHOODS OF BUENOS AIRES

The neighborhoods of Buenos Aires are like members of a family: each one has its own personality… Let's see what we discover.

RECOLETA

Let's start with the first of Buenos Aires' neighborhoods. The sophisticated Recoleta neighborhood reminds me why I love Buenos Aires…parks, cafés, restaurants, and museums—all in one place.

This would be a nice route through the neighborhood:

For anyone who wants to enjoy it away from the tourists, I recommend coming at sunset, when the museums and the cemetery have closed. Intendente Alvear Park and the surrounding area turn into a giant workout area where dozens and dozens of porteños run, do push-ups, and push themselves in all sorts of ways.

And while we're at it, the most photogenic spots are emptying out

This is the Floralis Generica, a flower made of stainless steel whose petals close at sunset and open in the morning.

But I suppose the real reason we all come to this neighborhood is to visit the Recoleta Cemetery.

A small city in its own right, where the only thing that doesn’t rest in peace is pride. Every mausoleum, every tomb, has to be bigger and more ostentatious than its neighbor’s… It seems you’re nobody in Argentina if you haven’t been buried here, and so, for example, a sister of Borges and several Argentine presidents rest within its walls.

To share a funny anecdote about the pride of being buried here, there is a very unique story featuring David Alleno, an Italian immigrant who worked as the cemetery caretaker for 30 years (from 1881 to 1910).

David had an obsession: he wanted to be buried in the very place he tended, just like the millionaires and presidents of the time. He saved every penny of his salary for three decades and traveled to his native Italy to commission a Carrara marble relief depicting himself in his work clothes, with his keys and his broom. Once the tomb was finished and his name engraved on the marble, David considered his work on Earth complete. He went to see the cemetery administrator, told him, “Now I can die,” resigned from his job, returned home, and took his own life that very night so he could break in his brand-new property.

But interestingly, the most visited grave is quite unassuming: that of Eva Perón

Flowers, prayers, various requests… the devotion to this woman in Buenos Aires is incredible; it’s as if, even in death, she continues to watch over the well-being of the descamisados

There are guided tours on Wednesdays and Fridays at 11:00 a.m., starting at 1760 Junín Street; if you happen to be there on the weekend, there’s a traditional craft market in the plaza next to the cemetery—though it’s not very “hippie” since it’s terribly expensive 😱

Not far from the flower is the National Museum of Fine Arts: great, beautiful, and—free! Impressionist painters, engravings by Goya, etc.—a great way to spend some time on a rainy day.
For more information: https://www.bellasartes.gob.ar/

To get to Recoleta, you can take buses 59, 10, or 17 from Avenida 9 de Julio or the subway (Las Heras station); you can't pay with cash on the buses—you'll need to buy a SUBE card (a rechargeable card) that's also valid for the subway (you can buy it at any subway station).

NEIGHBORHOODS OF BUENOS AIRES: DOWNTOWN (MICROCENTRO AND CONGRESO))

Let's move on to some other neighborhoods in Buenos Aires. These two are quite a bit less charming than the rest, but you can still spend an enjoyable morning there…

La Plaza de Mayo

The obvious starting point is Plaza de Mayo, home to the Casa Rosada and the city’s old Cabildo (City Hall); it is the gathering place for the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, the association of women who, wearing white scarves tied in a knot, defied Videla by demanding answers about those who disappeared during the dictatorship.

I guess I'm just unlucky, but every time I've come by here, there's always been someone causing a commotion in the square 😓

The Cabildo is one of the few remaining colonial buildings in the city

On the second floor of the Cabildo, you can enjoy a great view of the plaza, as well as a wonderful museum that provides a clear picture of the City Council’s role in the historical events of 19th-century Buenos Aires. Admission is only 15 pesos, and guided tours are available during the following hours:

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday: 3:30 p.m.
Thursday: 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Weekends: 11:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:30 p.m., and 4:45 p.m.

La Manzana de las Luces

Very close by, to the south, there is another interesting glimpse into Argentine history: the Manzana de las Luces—from a Jesuit building to Argentina’s first “parliament.”

Its origins date back to 1661, when the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) settled on this land granted by the colonial government. After settling there, the priests built the Church of San Ignacio (the oldest surviving church in Buenos Aires) and the Colegio de San Ignacio. This complex served as the most advanced educational center in the remote colonial village. The Spanish Crown expelled the Jesuits in 1767, and this complex of buildings served a wide variety of purposes: it housed the city’s first printing press, an orphanage, the National Library, the first medical school, the first bank, and even the original headquarters of the University of Buenos Aires (UBA).

One of the most entertaining activities here is learning about the network of secret tunnels built between the 17th and 18th centuries. Dug by hand into the rough underground rock, they secretly connected churches, public buildings, and the city’s fort (where the Casa Rosada stands today). Although there is still debate over whether they were used for smuggling, military defense, or the safe transport of local leaders, you can visit on your own—but you won’t learn much that way, so the best option is the guided tour, which is very enjoyable. Tour times are: 3:00 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 6:00 p.m.

When you've had enough of all the monuments on the nearby, very long Florida Street, you can go shopping, exchange money, or book a tour.

El Teatro Colón

The tour that takes you inside the Teatro Colón is expensive but a must-see. Every 15 minutes, for 250 pesos, you can take a tour of this exquisite theater; even if you’re not a theatergoer, it’s truly spectacular and the visit is very enjoyable: marble of every type and color, a tour of the VIP areas, and the auditorium, which we were told has the best acoustics in the world for opera.

PALERMO

If you want to lose yourself in the nightlife, a good option is to head north to the Palermo neighborhood. It's easy to get there by subway (Plaza Italia station) or by bus (59 or 10).

The streets between Palermo Viejo and Serrano squares are lined with expensive restaurants and boutiques, creating an exclusive atmosphere for the most refined palates…

SAN TELMO

For me, the authentic Buenos Aires experience can be found in this small neighborhood south of downtown.

During the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century, San Telmo became the most exclusive neighborhood in Buenos Aires. The wealthiest and most powerful families in politics and business settled here, but….

…In 1871, Buenos Aires was hit by a yellow fever epidemic. San Telmo, being close to the low-lying areas and the port, was one of the hardest-hit areas. Terrified of catching the disease, upper-class families fled their mansions en masse and moved to the northern part of the city (thus creating the residential neighborhoods of Recoleta and Palermo).

The enormous, abandoned mansions in San Telmo didn't remain empty for long: they were rented out by the room to the waves of European immigrants (mainly Italians and Spaniards) arriving in the country. That's how the famous conventillos (the inexpensive boarding houses of the time), radically transforming the neighborhood from an aristocratic enclave into a vibrant hub of popular culture, tango, and bohemian life.

The heart of the neighborhood is the cobblestone street Defensa Street, where on weekends, stretching across Dorrego Square, the San Telmo Fair takes place—a spectacular flea market with live music, all kinds of stalls, and a lively atmosphere

If the traveler takes a break, he or she can go eat or have a coffee at the San Telmo Market.

Following on from what we mentioned above, it opened in 1897 with the goal of supplying fresh food to the massive wave of European immigrants who were settling in the old tenement buildings in southern Buenos Aires. Fortunately, it has preserved virtually all of its original 19th-century structure, so just taking a stroll through here feels like stepping back in time.

It's open from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and in addition to being a regular market, it has antique shops and used bookstores.... The food is relatively affordable compared to the sky-high prices at restaurants. cool It's a neighborhood place, and the books and merchandise are cheap and open to some haggling (although a couple of times the shopkeepers gave me a real scolding for trying to haggle too much 😅)

Another fun way to explore San Telmo is to follow the Historieta Street which begins at the intersection of Independencia and Defensa streets and stretches 5 km to the distant neighborhood of Puerto Madero, tracing the stories of the main characters from Argentine comics

Here's a quick map of activities and places to visit (during the day) in San Telmo

So what are we doing tonight?

Let’s go back a bit in history. Thousands of European immigrants were crammed into the neighborhood’s abandoned homes. Some of them brought a very rare musical instrument from Germany called a bandoneon, which produces a very melancholic sound… and so, amid the bars and brothels of the area, the mix of the local and immigrant populations, to the sound of this instrument’s music, gave birth to the tango.

Here's a little map of some bars where you can enjoy live tango

NEIGHBORHOODS OF BUENOS AIRES: BOCA

Yet another neighborhood in Buenos Aires. If I could describe this one in two words, they would be gold and blue.

Bombonera Stadium

Gold and blue are the colors of the Boca Juniors soccer team, whose stadium is nicknamed “La Bombonera” because it resembles a box of chocolates.
When the team was founded, the original members didn't know what colors to wear, so they agreed to choose the color of the first boat to arrive at the port… and it turned out to be a Swedish boat!

The truth is, when you walk in, the stadium really is adorable—it's small but very pretty.

If you're even a little bit into soccer—even if you're not a Boca fan—check out the museum. It's expensive (44,000 pesos, about 25 euros), but it's truly spectacular. Fun fact: they won't let you in if you're wearing a jersey from another soccer team 😳

Caminito Street

The area surrounding the stadium—a modest neighborhood—has been revitalized by the presence of the stadium and one of Buenos Aires’s most time-honored tourist attractions: El Caminito.

What is the history of one of the most photographed neighborhoods in the world?

Let's go back to those conventillos the ones we mentioned earlier. Immigrants (mainly Italians) built their homes using wood and scrap metal left over from shipyards, and painted them with leftover paint discarded by the shipbuilders. Since there wasn’t enough paint to cover the entire facade, each section ended up a different color. A good example is this tenement building from 1881, which the city has taken care to preserve almost in its original condition

Building on this foundation, an Argentine artist named Quinquela, along with other artists, revitalized the neighborhood, transforming it into the open-air museum we know today: bold sculptures, old houses painted in bright colors… an entire block brimming with surprises and street art… the perfect place to get a little lost with your camera at the ready, searching for that hidden detail, that unexpected photo…

ONE DAY TRIPS: COLONIA AND TIGRE

1.- Colonia

Unless you have plenty of time—and money—I don't recommend this day trip.

The problem is that Cologne is too small and not particularly spectacular. At most, you can walk through the town’s historic center in a couple of hours, and then… what? I don’t think the visit justifies the 30 euros it costs to get there by ferry (75 minutes).

On top of that, it’s not the most authentic colonial town I’ve ever seen (anyone who’s been to Trinidad in Cuba or Leyva in Colombia will be disappointed), and it’s extremely expensive because of the strength of the Uruguayan peso.

It's a good trip to take from Montevideo, but not so good if you go from Buenos Aires

In any case, for anyone who decides to visit, I recommend buying tickets online (the companies are Barcobus, Colonia Express, and a few others) instead of through the hostel or a travel agency.

2.- Tigre

This trip is definitely worth it, if only to get away from the hustle and bustle of the capital for a bit. There’s nothing particularly spectacular about it, but to grab a bite to eat, visit the market, and take a stroll through the river delta, it’s worth traveling the 35 km that separate it from Buenos Aires.

The old warehouses that once served the port have been converted into restaurants and shops, along with a somewhat seedy casino and tours of the delta. It’s a great atmosphere for relaxing at a leisurely pace…

And that's all the neighborhoods of Buenos Aires had to offer… next stop: Puerto Madryn

I know this is a very short and not very informative post… If you have any comments and/or can provide some more information, don't hesitate to let me know!!

If you want to know more about Argentina: https://999millas.net/category/paises/argentina/

Texto y fotos : Mike !