Lonely Planet Buenos Aires Read online

  AHangouts Just a couple of streets away from the tourist restaurants of El Caminito is the atmospheric neighborhood joint Café Bar Roma, where the local señoras have been meeting for a café con leche (coffee with milk) and a gossip since 1905.

  Getting There & Away

  ABus Take buses 33, 64 and 29 from Palermo and the Center; they all end up at El Caminito.

  Lonely Planet's Top Tip

  The new tourist information booth runs a free walking tour in English on Wednesdays at 11am (reserve online).

  Best Museums

  A Fundación Proa

  A Museo Benito Quinquela Martín

  Best Places to Eat & Drink

  A Il Matterello

  A El Obrero

  A Proa Cafe

  A Café Bar Roma

  TOP SIGHT

  El Caminito

  The colorful houses of La Boca's most famous street are a magnet for visitors, who come to snap photos of tango dancers and buy souvenirs. It's certainly geared toward tourists, but don't be put off; this block-long cobbled walk does have its charms, including the various bas-reliefs, tiled artworks and fun sculptures dotted around the self-styled 'open air' museum.

  A Neighborhood of Genoese Dock Workers

  The great wave of European immigration to Argentina from 1876 to 1925 brought workers from the docks of Genoa in Italy to the port of La Boca, where they found work at the shipyards. Here they constructed tenement shacks using corrugated zinc and other materials found discarded at the shipyards and brushed the makeshift houses with leftover paint from the ships. It was in the shared patios of these brightly colored conventillos (tenements) in La Boca that tango music first emerged.

  Enter Benito Quinquela Martín

  By the 1950s, much of the colorful tenement housing was being replaced with drab housing blocks. Local artist Benito Quinquela Martín, who had made his name with his dramatic paintings of the port and its workers, wanted to preserve the essence of the neighborhood to which he owed so much. He joined forces with a group of friends and neighbors to rescue some of La Boca's historic tenements and reconstruct them to create an open-air museum in 1959. The name Caminito (or 'little path') comes from a 1926 tango song by Juan de Dios Filiberto (look for the lyrics on a wall plaque), which tells of a love lost.

  Quinquela Martín's house and studio have been turned into an excellent museum, but you can get an idea of his style on Caminito. Look for a small tiled reproduction of his Día de Trabajo (Day of Work) on a green wall and a much bigger one of his Regreso de la Pesca (Return from Fishing) at the end of the street, both by Ricardo Sánchez.

  Don't Miss

  ATiled reliefs

  AConventillos (tenements)

  ASculptures of famous Argentines

  ATango dancers

  Practicalities

  A MAP GOOGLE MAP

  AAv Don Pedro de Mendoza, near Del Valle Iberlucea

  Ag33, 64, 29, 168, 53

  JESS KRAFT / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

  1Sights

  El Caminito Top Sight

  MAP GOOGLE MAP

  oFundación ProaGALLERY

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %011-4104-1000; www.proa.org; Av Don Pedro de Mendoza 1929; AR$50; h11am-7pm Tue-Sun; g33, 64, 29)

  Only the most cutting-edge national and international artists are invited to show at this contemporary art center, with its high ceilings, white walls and large display halls. The innovative installations utilize a wide variety of media and themes, while the rooftop terrace cafe is the most stylish place in La Boca for pausing for a drink or snack as you take in the spectacular views of the Riachuelo.

  oMuseo Benito Quinquela MartínMUSEUM

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %011-4301-1080; www.buenosaires.gob.ar/museoquinquelamartin; Av Don Pedro de Mendoza 1835; AR$30; h10am-6pm Tue-Fri, 11:15am-6pm Sat & Sun; g33, 64, 29)

  Once the home and studio of painter Benito Quinquela Martín (1890–1977), this fine-arts museum exhibits his works and those of other Argentine artists. Quinquela Martín used silhouettes of laboring men, smokestacks and water reflections as recurring themes, and painted with broad, rough brushstrokes and dark colors. Don't miss the colorful tiles of his former kitchen and bathroom, his hand-painted piano and the sculptures on the rooftop terraces; the top tier has awesome views of the port.

  In keeping with the museum’s maritime theme, there’s also an excellent permanent collection of painted wooden bowsprits (proas), which are the carved statues projecting forward at the front of ships.

  Museo de la Pasión BoquenseMUSEUM

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %011-4362-1100; www.museoboquense.com; Brandsen 805; museum only AR$160, museum & guided tour AR$180; h10am-6pm, guided tours hourly 11am-5pm; g29, 53, 152)

  This high-tech fútbol (soccer) museum chronicles the history of the boisterous neighborhood of La Boca and its famous soccer team Boca Juniors with displays on the club's idols, championships and trophies and, of course, the gooooals. There’s a 360-degree theater in a giant soccer-ball auditorium and a good gift shop. It's worth paying the few extra pesos for the stadium tour, which includes the chance to step onto the pitch. Located at La Bombonera stadium, three blocks north of El Caminito.

  Museo del CineMUSEUM

  (Cinema Museum; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.buenosaires.gob.ar/museodelcine; Agustín R Caffarena 51; AR$5; h11am-6pm Mon & Wed-Fri, 10am-7pm Sat & Sun; g130, 86, 8)

  This small museum is housed in the former accommodations block of the electricity plant that is now the Usina del Arte. It contains the original posters (painted by hand) for some of the first films to be screened in Argentina back in 1917, as well as props, cameras and the model tram used in the 1953 film Dock Sud.

  CIUDAD EMERGENTE

  If you're in town in September, don't miss the Ciudad Emergente ( GOOGLE MAP ; http://festivales.buenosaires.gob.ar/2016/ciudademergente/; hSep). Held at the Usina del Arte, this six-day festival highlights the best of BA's up-and-coming musicians, artists, film-makers and designers with a program of free events, concerts and shows.

  5Eating

  oIl MatterelloITALIAN$$

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %011-4307-0529; Martín Rodríguez 517; mains AR$200-260; h12:30-3pm & 8:30pm-midnight Tue-Sat, 12:30-3pm Sun; g29, 53, 152)

  This Genovese trattoria serves up some of the best pasta in town, including perfectly al dente tagliatelle alla rúcola (tagliatelle with arugula), and tortelli bianchi con burro foso al aglio (pasta pillows stuffed with chard and Parmesan in a burned garlic sauce). For dessert there’s a great tiramisu. Take a taxi here at night. Also in Palermo ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %011-4831-8493; Thames 1490; mains AR$230-290; hnoon-4pm & 8pm-1am Tue-Sun; g140, 39).

  El ObreroPARRILLA$$

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %011-4362-9912; Agustín R Caffarena 64; mains AR$175-360; hnoon-4pm & 8pm-midnight Mon-Sat; g130, 168, 29)

  The same family has been running El Obrero since 1954, and a number of famous people have passed through over the years, including Bono and Robert Duvall (check out the photos on the walls). You’ll also see old Boca Juniors jerseys, antique furniture, old tile floors and chalkboards showing the day’s specials and standard parrilla fare. Take a taxi.

  Proa CafeCAFE$$

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %011-4104-1003; www.proa.org/eng/cafe.php; Av Don Pedro de Mendoza 1929; mains AR$92-170; hcafe 11am-7pm, kitchen noon-4pm Tue-Sun; g33, 64, 29)

  Chef Lucas Angelillo presides over this airy eatery, located on the top floor of Fundación Proa (free access). Stop in briefly for a fresh juice and gourmet sandwich, or stay longer and order a meat, seafood or pasta dish. Don’t miss the rooftop terrace on a sunny day – you’ll get good views of the Riachuelo, hopefully without its corresponding scents.

  LA BOCA & THE RIACHUELO

  From the 1880s onwards, La Boca became home to poor Spanish and Italian immigrants who settled along the Riachuelo – the sinuous river that divides the city from the surrounding province of Buenos Aires. Most of them worked at the docks or in the numerous meat-packing plants and warehouses h
ere, processing and shipping out Argentinian beef. After sprucing up the barges, the port dwellers splashed leftover paint on the corrugated-metal sidings of their houses, unwittingly giving the neighborhood what would become one of its main claims to fame.

  However, La Boca's other leftover industrial materials have also found their way into the river. Decades of untreated sewage, garbage dumping and industrial wastes have taken their toll, and today the abandoned port’s waters are trapped under a thick layer of smelly rainbow sludge. In recent years rusting boat hulks have been removed and other efforts to clean the river have taken place, but progress has been slow and the waterway remains one of the most polluted rivers in the world.

  6Drinking & Nightlife

  The sidewalk tables at El Caminito's restaurants are a pleasant place to sink a cold beer on a sunny day (if you don't mind sharing the space with tango dancers and camera-toting tourists). Come sundown, it's best to move on; La Boca is not the kind of neighborhood to head to for a night out on the town.

  Café Bar RomaCAFE

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %011-4302-1354; Olavarría 409; mains AR$70-110; h7am-9pm Mon-Fri, 8am-9pm Sat, 9am-8pm Sun; g33, 64, 152)

  Join the locals for a merienda (afternoon snack) at this wonderfully atmospheric bar with exposed brick walls. It's been a neighborhood favorite since 1905 and the tango singer Carlos Gardel once performed here. Order a café con leche (coffee with milk) and medialunas (croissants) and pay at a cash register that looks as old as the bar itself.

  PRACTICAL TIP

  LA BOCA WARNING

  La Boca is not the kind of neighborhood for casual strolls. Don’t stray too far from the riverside walk, El Caminito and La Bombonera Stadium, especially with expensive cameras. Be discreet, stick close to the busier streets and you should be fine.

  3Entertainment

  oUsina del ArteCONCERT VENUE

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.usinadelarte.org; Agustín R Caffarena 1; g130, 86, 8)F

  This former power station has been transformed into a spectacular concert venue in an effort to regenerate a somewhat sketchy area of La Boca. It’s a gorgeous red-brick building complete with scenic clock tower and the two concert halls have top-notch acoustics. Nearly all the art exhibitions, concerts and dance performances here are free; check the website for upcoming events.

  oLa Bombonera StadiumSTADIUM

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %011-5777-1200; www.bocajuniors.com.ar; Brandsen 805; g29, 53, 152)

  Seeing Boca Juniors play at La Bombonera is one of the world's top spectator sports experiences, especially if the game happens to be the 'superclasico' derby match against River. Tickets are hard to come by – it's best to go via an agent like LandingPadBA (http://landingpadba.com). You can see the stadium during a visit to the Museo de la Pasión Boquense.

  On match days the streets around La Bombonera are a sea of yellow and blue (the colors of Boca's strip, inspired by the flag of a Swedish ship back in 1905). Across the neighborhood, the impassioned voices of match commentators drift out from TVs and radios, above the sound of the fans singing and cheering at the ground; when Boca scores you'll be sure to know about it.

  Estadio Luis CondeBASKETBALL

  (La Bombonerita; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.bocajuniors.com.ar/deportes/noticias-deportes-basquet; Arzobispo Espinosa 600; tickets AR$100; g29, 168, 33)

  Basketball is popular in Argentina and – like in the soccer league – one of the top teams is Boca Juniors. You can see them play at the Bombonerita; check the website for upcoming games.

  Teatro de la RiberaTHEATER

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %011-4302-9042; http://complejoteatral.gob.ar; Av Don Pedro de Mendoza 1821; g33, 64, 29)

  This small, colorful theater, funded by the late painter and La Boca resident Benito Quinquela Martín, was built in 1971 and is now used mostly for tango performances and concerts. Even if you're not attending a show, pop into the lobby to see artworks by Quinquela Martín and an upright piano painted by the artist.

  MARADONA & MESSI

  Born in 1960 in abject poverty in a Buenos Aires shantytown, Diego Armando Maradona played his first professional game before his 16th birthday. Transferring to his beloved Boca Juniors, he continued to prosper. After a good showing at the 1982 World Cup, he moved to Europe. Here, his genius inspired unfashionable Napoli to two league titles, and in 1986 he single-handedly won the World Cup for a very average Argentina side. In the quarter-final against England, he scored a goal first with his hand – later saying the goal was scored partly by the hand of God – and then a second one with his feet, after a mesmerizing run through the flummoxed defense that led to its being named the Goal of the Century by FIFA.

  But the big time also ruined Maradona. Earning huge sums of money, he became addicted to cocaine and the high life. A succession of drug-related bans, lawsuits and weight issues meant that by his retirement in 1997 he had been a shadow of his former self for some years.

  Since his retirement, overdoses, heart attacks, detoxes, his own TV program and offbeat friendships have all been par for the course in the Maradona circus. Most unbelievably of all, he was chosen to manage the national team: the highlight in a colorful spell was – after qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa – his triumphant suggestion that his critics could pleasure him orally. Nevertheless, those numerous touches of magic in the number 10 shirt have sealed his immortality. To many Argentines, the hand of God and the hand of Maradona are one and the same.

  Every talented Argentine since has been dogged with the label ‘the new Maradona,' but these days there’s one who’s the real deal. Rosario-bred Lionel Messi, a little genius who runs at defenses with the ball seemingly glued to his feet, has been captivating the world with his prodigious talents and record-breaking goal-scoring feats for Barcelona and, increasingly, for the national team. Many shrewd judges consider him better even than the great Diego, and his humble off-field demeanor is certainly an improvement. If he manages to inspire the albiceleste to win the World Cup again, it will truly be the Second Coming.

  Andy Symington

  7Shopping

  On El Caminito street vendors sell sketches, paintings and prints of tango dancers and iconic city scenes, while from Thursday to Sunday further stalls are set up selling arts and crafts as well as souvenirs – don't expect top quality or bargain prices. At La Bombonera stadium, fans of Boca Juniors soccer club can buy all the team shirts and branded paraphernalia they could ever want; you can enter the shop without a ticket to the attached museum.

  Feria de Artesanos CaminitoMARKET

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Caminito & Mendoza; hnoon-6pm Thu-Sun; g33, 64, 29)

  In addition to the stalls selling drawings and paintings every day along Caminito, from Thursday to Sunday homemade crafts and tango-themed goods (as well as souvenirs and tat) are also sold at this small and lively crafts fair. Meanwhile, tango dancers and buskers compete for your attention.

  Retiro

  Sights

  Eating

  Drinking & Nightlife

  Shopping

  Sports & Activities

  Retiro

  Neighborhood Top Five

  1Plaza San Martín Wandering around this grand square and getting an eyeful of the impressive surrounding buildings.

  2Palacio Paz Touring this opulent mansion, once Argentina's largest private residence at 12,000 sq meters.

  3Museo de Arte Hispanoamericano Isaac Fernández Blanco Checking out the amazing silverwork at this under-the-radar museum.

  4Museo Nacional Ferroviario Viewing the train memorabilia at Argentina's national railway museum.

  5Florería Atlántico Ending the day with a cocktail at this speakeasy bar.

  Explore: Retiro

  Retiro is a small, compact neighborhood most easily seen on foot. Wander around the Plaza San Martín area, perhaps touring a mansion or two – just double-check the visiting times as they're very limited. The museums around here also tend to be open just in the afternoon and closed on Mondays, so
plan ahead if you want to visit them. Join the crowds on pedestrian Calle Florida and follow it down into the Center; Reconquista is another pedestrian street that isn't quite as crowded and is better for taking a lunch or coffee break, as there are many restaurants with sidewalk tables there.

  From here you can head over to the pretty street of Arroyo. The Museo de Arte Hispanoamericano Isaac Fernández Blanco is not far from here and has a leafy garden if you need a green break. Continue west, crossing Av 9 de Julio into Recoleta; you're now on upscale Av Alvear. As you follow this route you'll see plenty of gorgeous art-deco buildings built by European immigrants decades ago.

  Local Life

  AHanging Out Sip a coffee or down a drink at one of the neighborhood's many cafes or bars catering to thirsty businesspeople.

  APicnic On a sunny day, grab a to-go lunch and head to Plaza San Martín's grassy lawns to join the locals out for some fresh air.

  AShopping Feel the bustle (and hustle!) of porteño crowds on Calle Florida, which starts near Plaza San Martín and heads south.

  Getting There & Away

  ABus Take bus 59 from Recoleta and Palermo; buses 22, 45 and 126 from San Telmo; bus 150 from Congreso.