Things to Do & Must-See Attractions in The Pampas

The ritzy Recoleta neighborhood draws visitors in the numbers for a wander through Buenos Aires’ up-market residential streets and public parks.

For most visitors, the main attraction is the Recoleta Cemetery, an ornate necropolis so large it’s like a mini city of states and marble sarcophagi. One of the most famous tombs is that of Eva Peron (Evita).

The enclave also attracts thousands of people for its weekend crafts market, held on Plaza Francia outside the Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar.

Museums and art galleries, lovely plazas and parklands are another feature of Recoleta.

Meaning retreat in Spanish, the Retiro neighborhood was named after a Spanish governor’s country retreat built in the area during the late 17th century. Located in northeastern Buenos Aires, Retiro is a study in contrasts. The barrio got its start as one of the capital’s wealthiest neighborhoods, evidenced by the belle epoque embassies, five star hotels and high end retailers scattered throughout the neighborhood. On the other hand, Retiro is one of Argentina’s busiest transportation hubs with throngs of people always passing through, and is also home to the overcrowded and under-serviced neighborhood known as Villa 31.

A highlight of the neighborhood (and of the entire city of Buenos Aires) is Plaza San Martin. This park located opposite the Retiro train terminal is surrounded by some of the city’s most impressive architecture. Shoppers flock to Avenida Florida, a pedestrian street that runs from Plaza San Martin in Retiro to San Nicolas.

The eye-catching salmon-pink façade of Argentina’s presidential palace is one of the capital’s most iconic sights, standing proud over the city’s historic Plaza de Mayo public square. The aptly named Casa Rosada, or the ‘Pink House’, is the secondary mansion and office of the Argentine President, housing the government offices and providing the striking backdrop to Buenos Aires’ often-turbulent political history.

Erected in 1862, the Renaissance-style palace was initially to be painted white and theories abound as to hoe it got its rosy makeover, from ox blood being mixed into the paint to the then-President blending the red and white colors of opposing political rallyists. Designated a National Historic Monument of Argentina, the pink palace is perhaps most legendary for its lower balcony, from which the beloved Evita rallied the working class crowds back in 1949 – a moment that was famously recreated by Madonna in the 1996 movie Evita.

Buenos Aires’ most iconic landmark, the Obelisk, or El Obelisco, towers over the intersection of the city’s two main thoroughfares, Corrientes Avenue and the ‘widest avenue in the world’ -9 de Julio. Erected in 1936 to commemorate the nation’s 400th anniversary, the pencil-like column marks the spot where the nation’s flag was first flown – a striking 220-foot tall monument that has become a memorable feature on the city skyline. Fashioned from 1,360 square meters of Cordoba white stone, the Obelisk was designed by Tucaman architect Alberto Prebisch and features poignant inscriptions on each of its 4 faces, referencing key moments in the city’s history. Not only an important navigational landmark, the Obelisk also finds itself at the center of city celebrations and rallies, a common backdrop for sporting celebrations, political demonstrations, candlelit vigils and religious congregations.

Porteños often boast about Avenida 9 De Julio as the world’s widest boulevard, and with a width of 460 feet (140 meters) with 12 lanes of traffic, they might just be right. Construction on the avenue began in 1937, modeled after the Champs Elysees but twice as wide, and built to commemorate Argentina’s Independence Day, July 9, 1816. It wasn’t fully completed until 1980.

Neo-classical and Beaux Arts buildings line the monumental street, but it’s most recognizable feature is the iconic Obelisco that towers over a small park at the intersection of Avenida 9 De Julio and Avenida Corrientes.

The beloved Boca Juniors soccer team plays its games at Alberto J Armando stadium, affectionately known as La Bombonera (Spanish for “the Chocolate Box”). It has a capacity of 49,000 and is known for vibrating when fans start getting too antsy – either from happiness or disgust – and start jumping in rhythm.

A behind-the-scenes tour of the stadium is a fascinating look at the sport that that most Argentines live and die by and the Buenos Aires soccer team that was founded in 1905 by five boys living in La Boca neighborhood. Visit the interactive Museo de la Pasión Boquense, the first soccer museum in the Americas, and walk out on to the famous soccer field pitch, where you can close your eyes and imagine the roar of the passionate crowd.

Located in the neighborhood of San Nicolas near the center of Buenos Aires, the Catedral Metrepolitana has a history that’s nearly as long as winding as the capital city itself. The land for the cathedral was set aside beginning in 1580, although over the next two centuries the building would collapse at least a half dozen times. Constant construction and reconstruction seemed to plague the central cathedral, and it wasn’t until the middle of the 1820s that French architects were brought in to design a solid cathedral. When visiting the Metropolitan Cathedral today, you’ll find the cathedral is pieced together by segments of its various eras—a historical tour within itself that tells the city’s story. Structurally, the cathedral involves elements of Spanish design as well as Greek revival, in addition to a mosaic tile floor in classically Venetian style.

Once the tallest building in South America, the grand Barolo Palace (Palacio Barolo) might have since been eclipsed by Buenos Aires’ modern skyscrapers, but its magnificent architecture has still stood the test of time. Built by Italian architect Mario Palanti in 1923, the building’s fanciful style was inspired by Dante Alighieri’s ‘The Divine Comedy’, with its three parts representing Hell, Purgatory and Heaven.

The most famous part of the building is its central lighthouse, which looms 100-meters over the central boulevard of Plaza de Mayo and once shone a beacon that could be seen in neighboring Uruguay. Today, the Barolo Palace is open to the public by guided tour and the undisputed highlight is a visit to the top of the tower, from where the 360-degree views span Plaza de Mayo, Plaza de Congreso and much of the city.

Puente de la Mujer, or Women’s Bridge, is a footbridge in the Puerto Madero district of Buenos Aires. It was designed by the renowned Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and modeled after very similar bridges spanning the rivers in Seville, Spain and Redding, California. The prominent feature that all three bridges share is the big steel needle jutting at a sharp angle into the sky. The needle functions as an anchor for the suspension cables and holds up the entire span. According to the creator, the whole structure is supposed to show a couple dancing the tango, with the needle representing the man and the curved body of the bridge embodying the woman being lowered to the ground. Additionally, many of the streets in this Buenos Aires district have women’s names, a fact that Calatrava wanted to honor when he named Puente de la Mujer.

An interesting function of the bridge is its rotating feature to let water traffic pass through.

The Estadio Boca Juniors, locally known as La Bombonera, plays host to one of soccer’s greatest rivalries, that between porteño teams Boca Juniors and River Plate. The two floor Passion for Boca Juniors Museum (Museo de la Pasión Boquense) is housed within the stadium and chronicles the team’s history, dating back to their beginning as a modest neighborhood club in 1905. A giant soccer ball-shaped auditorium houses a 360 degree theater screens footage from a match, while jerseys, photos, trophies and other team memorabilia from the last century are on display. For an extra fee, visitors can tour the stadium, which includes a visit to the locker room and Diego Maradona’s box.

The cultural heart of the historic San Telmo barrio, Plaza Dorrego is the second-oldest square in Buenos Aires and famous for its a vibrant weekly market. Named after the soldier and two-times Governor of Buenos Aires, Manuel Dorrego, the Plaza was once the center of the city’s 19th-century residential district, until clusters of tango venues and bars sprung up around the square in the 1930s. Today the colonial square remains a lively hub of bars and cafés, with many historic venues holding tango shows and live music. Sunday is the most popular day to visit Plaza Dorrego when the square hosts the world famous San Telmo antiques market, accompanied by live musicians and tango dancers performing sultry numbers on the sidewalk. Sprawling along the adjourning Defensa Avenue, the Feria de San Pedro Telmo (San Telmo Market) offers up a colorful array of stalls selling antiques and curios alongside handicrafts, souvenirs, leatherworks, silver, tango memorabilia and local artworks.

One of Buenos Aires’ oldest public squares, Plaza San Martin is a pocket of greenery sandwiched between the central Retiro train and bus station and the lively shopping hub of Florida Av. A popular spot for picnicking locals and fatigued shoppers, the majority of the plaza is parkland shaded by ancient jacaranda and magnolia trees and including a small dog park frequented by the city’s ubiquitous dog walkers (often seen on the city streets handling a dozen or more dogs). The focal points of the park are its many monumental statues, including the Torre de Los Ingleses (English Tower), gifted to Argentina by the British in celebration of the 1810 revolution; the grand Monument to General Jose San Martín, after whom the park was named; and a poignant monument to those who lost their lives in the notorious Malvinas (Falklands) War.