Attractions in Buenos Aires
Cementerio de Recoleta (Recoleta Cemetery)
A cemetery as a sight is probably not what a tourist imagines, but La Recoleta, founded in 1822, is famous as the final resting place of Maria Eva Duarte Perón or Evita.
The tomb is easy to find if you follow the guided tours or look for a large number of flower wreaths. The populist view of the epitaph on Eva’s grave, “Volveré y seré milliones” (I will return and be in millions), did not make it popular among the descendants of the Porteños high society, who were buried around them.
The cemetery also contains the graves of writers, scientists, national heroes and former presidents, which show a variety of architectural styles.
Address: Calle Junín 1790, Buenos Aires
Telephone: (011) 48 04 70 40
Opening hours:
Daily between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Free guided tours in English at 11 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays (only in good weather).
Entry fee: No.
Disabled access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Jardin Japonés (Japanese Garden)
The Jardin Japonés is one of the most beautiful open spaces in the city and is a wonderful contrast to the noise and bustle of the metropolis.
The garden was opened in 1967 as a gift from the Japanese emperor. It is a quiet park with Asian shrubs and trees that are beautifully laid out around a small carp pond.
It serves as the center of the fairly large Japanese community and the Japanese restaurant is well worth a visit.
Address: Avenida Casares 2966, at Avenida Figueroa Alcorta, Buenos Aires
Phone: (011) 48 04 49 22
Opening times: Daily 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Website: http://www.jardinjapones.com.ar
Entry fee: Yes.
Disabled access: No
UNESCO: No
La Boca
This barrio is best known for its soccer team, the Boca Juniors, for which the legendary Diego Maradona played, but also for its colorful houses made of wood and corrugated iron.
These houses were built and painted by the Italian immigrant families. They got hold of the materials and the color at the regional port where they worked. In the most famous street, Calle Caminito , are the most beautiful of the painted houses, where artists, street artists and tango dancers come and go every day.
The colorful district has had a huge impact on Benito Quinquela Martín (one of the most famous artists in Argentina). His works are exhibited in the Museo de Bellas Artes Quinquela Martín.
It is also worthwhile to see the changing exhibitions of Argentinian artists in the modern Museum Fundación Proa .
The working class area in La Boca is now a popular destination for artists and tourists. However, visitors should avoid staying in the less touristy areas because the risk of being robbed is relatively high.
Address: Buenos Aires
Entrance Fee: No.
Disabled access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Museo Evita
The museum was only opened on July 26, 2002, the 50th anniversary of Evita’s death. It tells the life story of Eva Perón by using a moving mix of personal items, clothes, photographs and captivating audiovisual representations.
Eva Duarte was a famous theater actress and became one of the most revered and ashamed characters in Argentine history when she married Colonel Juan Domingo Perón, who was elected President in 1946.
Evita used her position by improving the rights and living conditions of the working class. Her life ended suddenly when she died of cancer in 1952 at the age of 33.
Evita’s life is the subject of numerous books, films, and a musical, but this museum largely bypasses the cult of her persona.
Address: Calle Lafinur 2988, Buenos Aires
Telephone: (011) 48 07 03 06
Opening hours:
Tue-Sun and public holidays 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Guided tours at 4 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Website: http://museoevita.org
Entrance fee: Yes.
Disabled access: No
UNESCO: No
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
The airy Museum of Fine Arts is housed in a neoclassical red brick house in the Recoleta district. It exhibits both European paintings and sculptures as well as a full collection of Argentine art.
In the basement, galleries are dedicated to impressionists such as Renoir, Monet, Degas, Pissaro and Sisley. In addition, works by Rubens, Rothko, Pollock and a selection of well-known artists will be shown together with the world-famous Argentine artist Lucio Fontana. Visitors can also expect loan exhibitions from international museums.
Address: Avenida del Libertador 1473, Buenos Aires
Telephone: (011) 52 88 99 00
Opening hours: Tue-Fri 12.30pm-8.30pm, Sat-Sun 9.30am-8.30pm.
Website: http://www.mnba.org.ar
Entry fee: No.
Disabled access: No
UNESCO: No
Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA)
This ultra-modern building was built to house the Costantini collection of Latin American art and is a welcome addition to the city’s cultural landscape.
The museum, which opened in 2001, continues to promote the appreciation of Latin American art from the early 20th century to the present day. Many Argentine artists are shown here, including Xul Solar, Benito Quinquela Martín and Antonio Berni. Brazilian and Uruguayan works are also on display as well as a famous self-portrait of the artist Frida Kahlo.
This light and airy gallery also has space for changing exhibitions, a sculpture balcony, a gift shop, a library and a nice café.
Address: Avenida Figueroa Alcorta 3415, Buenos Aires
Telephone: (011) 48 08 65 00
Opening hours: Thurs-Mon and public holidays 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., Wed 12 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Website: http://www.malba.org.ar
Entry fee: Yes.
Free entry on Wednesdays and daily for children under 5 years.
Disabled access: No
UNESCO: No
Museo de Bellas Artes Quinquela Martin
The Quinquela Martín Fine Arts Museum in Buenos Aires, housed in a neoclassical, red-brick house in the Recoleta district, shows European paintings and sculptures and a full Argentine art collection. Galleries on the ground floor are dedicated to impressionists such as Renoir, Monet, Degas, Pissarro and Sisley. The museum owns paintings by famous artists such as Rubens, Rothko and Pollock as well as the works of the internationally known Argentine artist Lucio Fontana. Visitors can also visit temporary exhibitions of Argentine art on loan from other international museums.
Address: Avenida Don Pedro de Mendoza 1835, Buenos Aires
Telephone: (011) 43 01 10 80
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 11 am-5.30pm.
Website: http://www.mnba.org.ar
Entry fee: No.
Disabled access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Plaza de Mayo
If Buenos Aires has a center, it’s the Plaza de Mayo. It is located in the historical heart of the city and is surrounded by the most important shopping streets and commercial areas.
The Plaza de Mayo is a large public square with gardens, fountains and statues. On one side is the last surviving colonial government building, the Cabildo, which was built in 1748. In 1810 it was at the center of the May Revolution and the museum is dedicated to the history of that time.
Casa Rosada is on the opposite side of the square. It is the pink presidential palace with a world-famous balcony from which General Galtieri, Diego Maradona, Evita and Perón spoke to the masses at various points in Argentine history.
Casa Rosada was originally a fortress that was rebuilt when Buenos Aires became the capital of the Viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata in 1776. It got its pretty pink color in 1873 when President Sarmiento wanted to symbolize the two most important parties with a mix of red and white.
On the south side of the building is the Museo de la Casa Rosada in the basement .
Museo de la Casa Rosada
Hipólito Irigoyen 219
Tel: (011) 43 44 36 00.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Guided tours: Mon-Fri 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Guided tours in the palace: Mon-Fri 5 p.m.
Free entry. Identity card or passport required.
Address: Buenos Aires
Entrance Fee: No.
Disabled access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Puerto Madero
An ambitious renovation project has turned the former port facility into a lively and popular area where you can go for a walk or eat and drink something.
Galleries, bars and restaurants are now housed in the old red brick warehouses. Old harbor cranes surround both sides of the harbor, which are connected via the Puente de la Mujer (bridge of women).
Address: Ports 3 and 4, Avenida Alicia Moreau de Justo, Buenos Aires
Entrance Fee: No.
Disabled access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur
Built on land that was wrested from the river landscape, this 360-hectare habitat is now a green park full of regional animals and plants. Paths for hikers and cyclists cross the park (there is a bicycle rental at the park entrance). There are numerous viewpoints that are ideal for bird watching.
Address:
Av Dr. Tristán Achaval Rodríguez 1550, Buenos Aires
Telephone: (011) 43 15 13 20
Opening times: Tue-Sun 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. (April-October); 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. (November-March).
Entry fee: No.
Disabled access: Yes
UNESCO: No
San Telmo
San Telmo is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city.
The narrow streets and crumbling houses underline the cultural intensity of the area. The labyrinth of streets, where cafes, bookstores, antique shops and artist studios are located, meets at Plaza Dorrego, which on Sundays becomes a market for antiques and frills in the open air.
Tango music and dance performances can be admired here and also in places like the El Viejo Almacén, which is committed to this melancholy art form. Experimental art is housed in the Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires.
Address: Buenos Aires
Telephone: (011) 43 07 66 89 (El Viejo Almacén).
Opening hours:
Plaza Dorrego: Sunday market from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
El Viejo Almacén: Daily dinner and demonstration at 8:00 p.m. Demonstration at 10 p.m.
Website: http://www.viejoalmacen.com
Entrance Fee:
Plaza Dorrego: Free entry.
El Viejo Almacén: Free entry. Advance booking recommended.
Disabled access: No
UNESCO: No
Colon Theater
The Teatro Colón is located on Plaza Lavalle and is one of the greatest opera houses in the world. A visit should even be on the schedule of those tourists who are otherwise not interested in classical music.
The building, built in the Renaissance style and designed by the Italian architect Francisco Tamburri, has received the likes of the dancers Vaslov Nijinsky and Anna Pavlova on stage. Bernstein, Strauss and Stravinsky conducted here and Caruso, Melba, Callas, Pavarotti and Domingo sang in the auditorium, which has space for 2,500 people, and tested the highly valued acoustics.
Visitors can join a guided tour. This leads through the main hall, through the artistically gilded and mirrored Salon Dorado and through the auditorium, whose dome is decorated with frescoes by Raul Soldi.
Theater entrance and ticket sales: Libertad 621
Entrance for guided tours: Pasaje Toscanini 1168 (on Viamonte 1100)
Address: Libertad 621, Buenos Aires
Telephone: (011) 4378 73 44
Opening times:
Daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Guided tours in Spanish or English: Mon-Fri every hour between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., Sat every hour between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Website: http://www.teatrocolon.org.ar
Entry fee: Yes.
Disabled access: No
UNESCO: No
Tourist offices
Secretaria de Turismo de la Nación (National Tourist Office)
There are also branches of the National Tourist Office at international and national airports.
Address: Retiro
Avenida Santa Fe 883, Buenos Aires
Phone: 0800 555 00 16
Website: http://www.turismo.gov.ar
Centro de Información Turística (tourist information)
The main tourist information centers:
Florida 100, Florida;
Dock 4, Puerto Madero;
Bus station (Terminal de Ómnibus), Avenida Antártida Argentina, Retiro;
Quintana 596, Recoleta;
Defensa 1250, San Telmo.
Telephone: 0800 999 28 38
website: http://www.bue.gov.ar
Visitor passes
Visitor passes do not currently exist.
