From its beginnings as a smuggling port to its glory days as the world’s wealthiest city, Buenos Aires has a vast mix of vibrant and eclectic neighbourhoods. Some are well known, but others are less frequently explored. Come with us as we take you to some of these wonderful sites and neighbourhoods, away from the historic centre of Buenos Aires.
To read about the more traditional sites in the city’s historic quarter, visit our post A Guide To The Top Sites In Buenos Aires.
San Telmo Neighbourhood
Pastel heritage buildings decorate the streets in the lively neighbourhood of San Telmo. Begin your exploration of Buenos Aires’ oldest barrio (neighbourhood) by walking down Defensa Street and let your camera guide your way. Even though it is usually busy with tourists, the area hasn’t lost its laid-back feel.
A great time to visit is on Sundays when a market takes place on the streets near Plaza Dorrego.
Some of the old apartment complexes and mansions in San Telmo have been converted into mini-shopping malls. Many of their historic details have been retained, giving their shops picturesque settings. As well as these unique buildings, you will find dozens of cafes and restaurants in the neighbourhood’s heritage buildings, making it a great place stop for lunch.
San Telmo is walking distance from Casa Rosada, so on the way don’t forget to visit the ornate Basilica San Fransico de Assisi and the more humble Santo Domingo Convent.
La Boca
One of the most popular barrios in Buenos Aires is La Boca. First settled in the late 1800s by poor and working-class immigrants, mostly from Spain and Italy, today it is a tourist hotspot.
Its name translates to The Mouth, because of its location where the Matanza-Riachuelo River empties into the Rio de la Plata. That location is partly responsible for the multi-coloured buildings we see today. The original tenement houses were built of sheet metal or wood and coated in leftover paint from the nearby river barges.
Over time, La Boca had fallen into disuse, but in the 1950s, a local artist and a few remaining residents revitalized the area by repainting the homes and apartments in bright colours. When we visited 20 years ago, Caminito was one of the only streets with colourful buildings. Today, though, it covers a much larger area, so that a few blocks in every direction have joined in the fun.
Not only do they have bright buildings, but they have also added whimsical characters to their balconies and roofs. We saw more than one caricature of Messi, as well as Maradona, Evita, the Pope and many others.
This neighbourhood has another claim to fame. In the late 1880s, the Tango was born in La Boca’s seedy bars, dance clubs and brothels. By the 1920s, Tango was no longer confined to this gritty neighbourhood, but spread across Argentina before becoming all the rage in Europe.
If you want to see a tango performance, La Boca is the place to be. Several bars have tango shows and live music, but this is mostly an afternoon attraction. The neighbourhood is unsafe at night, so tourist restaurants and bars close around 5:00 pm
We visited La Boca on our previous trip to Buenos Aires. At that time, the Caminito was one of the only decorated streets. Here are two pictures of the buildings to see the difference over 20-plus years. As you can see, the first building has barely changed. The second shows not only more colour, but also more people.
Use the slide to compare the images; ones from 2026 are on the left, and from 2003, on the right.
Recoleta Neighbourhood
Recoleta Cemetery
Graveyards may not be everyone’s idea of a vacation destination, but that’s because you haven’t seen Recoleta Cemetery. As soon as you enter, the elaborate tombs, aligned in dozens of long rows, will leave you in awe. Their façades are adorned with a variety of features, including pillars, engravings and stained glass. It was the roofs, though, that continually grabbed our attention. From angels, statues, gargoyles and crosses to steeples and domes, you won’t find the same rooftop twice.
Since 1822, Buenos Aires’ elite have been buried here, with the most famous being Evita Perón. She rests in her family plot, the Duarte Mausoleum. Between its location in a very tight row and its polished black stone, it is difficult to photograph.
Basilica of Our Lady of The Pillar
Beside the cemetery is the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar (Basílica Nuestra Señora del Pilar). The modest building dates to 1732 and was built as a Franciscan monastery. Although renovated many times, it still displays some of the original design features, including the bell tower, altar and liturgical furnishings.
Palace of Running Waters
Located in the Balvanera neighbourhood, Palace of Running Waters (Palacio de Aguas Corrientes) is worth a side trip after visiting Recoleta Cemetery. We were stunned when we first laid eyes on the palace and think it is possibly the most beautiful public waterworks building in the world.
Built in the late 1800s to house the city’s drinking water, they didn’t just build a reservoir; designers crafted a work of art. In addition to the 400,000 ceramic and terracotta tiles made by Royal Doulton, its exterior walls are adorned with a variety of ornaments, lights and the coats of arms of Argentina’s provinces.
Part of the building is now open as the Water and Sanitation History Museum (Museo del Agua y de la Historia Sanitaria), but guided tours are only in Spanish. It’s a little out of the way from other neighbourhoods, but it is more than worth a visit.
Basílica de Maria Auxiliadora y San Carlos
Another side trip to take after visiting the Recoleta Cemetery is to the neighbourhood of Almagro, where you’ll find Basílica de Maria Auxiliadora y San Carlos (Basilica of Mary, Helper of Christians and St. Carlos). Based on its location down the street from a soup kitchen and its bland exterior, you may not think this church is any different from the others, but just wait until you see its interior.
We gasped when we stepped inside. Red and white striped pillars lead your eyes up to the many blue domes that decorate the ceiling. When your eyes come back down, they’ll rest on the glittery altar in front.
The side halls are two-storied. The lower level has peach domes and blue striped pillars, while the upper level matches the central nave. Between the nave and these side halls are teal coloured arches, each with a monument to the stages of the cross.
This church is highly decorated, but not in a gaudy or tacky way. It is, in fact, absolutely breathtaking and is one of the most beautiful buildings in Buenos Aires.
Retiro Neighbourhood
San Martin Park
Located in the Retiro neighbourhood is the small park named for The Liberator, José de San Martín. The park is much smaller than we expected, but it features a large monument to the country’s hero and to fallen soldiers.
You won’t be long in Argentina before you read or hear the name José de San Martín. He is a national hero, credited with leading revolutions against Spain and achieving independence for Argentina (1812), Chile (1818), and Peru (1821). For this, he is often referred to as The Liberator. We will take you to many monuments dedicated to him as we travel through Argentina and Chile.
San Martin Palace
Across from the park is an enormous mansion that once belonged to a wealthy Buenos Aires family and was named Anchorena Palace. The elegant building is divided into three residences for the extended family, each with its own mansard roof, multiple small balconies and elaborate arched entryways. The palace was built in the Beaux-Arts style when the French influence in Buenos Aires was very strong.
Torre Monumental
Located a block away, the picturesque Monument Tower (Torre Monumental) celebrates the 100th anniversary of the May Revolution.
Retiro Mitre Railway Station
Across the street from the tower is the colonial Retiro Mitre Railway Station (Estación Retiro Mitre). The building is nice, but there are a lot of homeless and beggars in the area, so many will not feel comfortable visiting. It is the only place in the city where locals warned us to be careful with our camera and phones.
This is the train station you will use when taking the train to Tigre Delta. You can read about it in our post Day Trips to Buenos Aires: Tigre Delta and Colonia del Sacramento.
Puerto Madero
The old warehouses that line the edge of the Rio Darsena Sur have been reinvigorated. Half of them are university buildings, but the other half are pubs and restaurants with patios looking out to the canal. We dined at Puerto Madero 20 years ago when it was much less developed. At that time, we looked across the water to empty fields and industrial buildings, but today, the skyline is filled with modern skyscrapers. Even with these changes and its increased popularity, it is still a great place to dine.
Palermo Neighourhood
The barrio of Palermo is known for its many green spaces, patios and safe streets. The first thing we noticed was the sycamore-lined streets, which are not only beautiful but also kept us protected from the hot summer sun. The shaded streets led us to Plaza Serrano, where cafes take over the sidewalks.
In addition to the main square, its surrounding blocks are home to the colourfully decorated Pasaje Russel (Russel Alley), small public gardens and quiet squares that give Palermo a community feel.
Buenos Aires Botanical Garden
Located in Palermo, Buenos Aires Botanical Gardens are, unfortunately, more like a large park than a diverse display of plants. The main difference from it and other city parks is that it is gated, so there are no street people inside. It is a nice park, but it is difficult to call it a botanical garden.
Entry is free; Opening Hours – 8am – 7pm. Nearby are several more large parks, including: The Rosedale Garden, Japanese Gardens and Parque Tres de Febrero (February 3rd Park).
Evita Museum
The museum is housed in a lovely heritage building that the Evita Foundation has owned since the 1940s. Eva Perón (Evita) captured the hearts of Argentina during her marriage to President Juan Perón. She was a strong advocate for women’s and workers’ rights and is credited with helping women gain the right to vote. The museum has a display of Evita’s clothing and personal items.
Entry is $8 USD; Opening Hours – 10am to 5pm
Historic Coffee shops
Buenos Aires is home to a variety of fabulous coffee shops, many dating to their glory days in the early 20th century. Since we couldn’t revisit the most famous, Café Tortoni due to long line-ups, we sought out other unique coffee shops in the city.
El Ateneo Grand Splendid Bookstore – In a city of wonderful coffee shops, how does one stand out from the others? Take a 1919 grand theatre and convert it into a bookstore and coffee shop. They have made good use of the original theatre features, including the upper balconies now lined with bookshelves, and the painted ceiling. Even the luxury balconies have been converted into private reading rooms.
The stage is now a busy coffee shop, and although it is operated by Havana Coffee, a chain restaurant, it still keeps the atmosphere of this wonderful old building. Located in Recoleta, you could stop by for a coffee and desert after visiting the cemetery.
La Puerto Rico Café – This café isn’t as flashy as Café Tortoni, but it has a nice ambience, and old-style features as well as very good coffee. La Puerto Rico is located a few blocks from Plaza de Mayo, so it’s a good alternative to Tortoni.
Clásica y Moderna – A block away from El Ateneo is another library and cafe. We tried to visit Clásica y Moderna, but unfortunately, it was closed over the holidays.
Note – Prices are listed in USD because the rate of inflation in Argentina is so high that as of 2026, any fees listed in pesos would be inaccurate within a few months. Many restaurants don’t list prices on their menus, or if they do, they have been written over many times as the value of the peso drops. Apart from hotels, most business will only accept payment in Argentine pesos.
Buenos Aires is located in the centre, right of the map. It is an interactive map, so you can zoom-in, or click on a marker for a link to our post from that region.
Click on the link to read our Tips For Visiting Buenos Aires.
Click on the link to read our Travel Tips For Argentina.
To read more of our adventures in Argentina, click here.
Coming Next – Day Trips From Buenos Aires: Tigre Delta and Colonia del Sacramento
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