La Boca Neighborhood, City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

La Boca is the most famous and colorful neighborhood of the city and it is probably the only place where houses, telephone posts and trees are painted with the color of football teams.
This tradition was born because this historic neighborhood was populated by poor people who did not have money to buy paint for their houses; in consequence, they used the paint of the port’s ships. That is why the houses were painted with different colors.
La Boca contains the first port of the city. It is located to the southeast of the city, near to La Plata River. This is a location of immigrants, especially Italians, so, it is also called “the small Italy”.
It presents irregular streets, some of them cobbled, as well as high side walks and houses with multicolor roofs (called metal sheets tenements) which are not inhabited.
La Boca is also a neighborhood of artists. It is the most visited location by tourists from different countries. It is common to see tango dancers on the streets, diverse artists and handicrafts too.
The best day to visit the neighborhood is on Sunday, because there are attractive activities for tourists.

WHAT TO VISIT

Museo Caminito Street

This is a pedestrian street (100 meters long). In 1959, Caminito was turned into an open air museum. Its streets show the old metal sheets tenements and ancient houses without doors, painted with brilliant and garish colors.
It was named “Caminito” by the popular tango song, made by Peñaloza and Filiberto, in 1926.
Nowadays, there are always artists that play and dance tango; as well as handicrafts that sell souvenirs related to the neighborhood and the tango.

Vuelta de Rocha

It is located on Pedro de Mendoza Avenue and Del Valle Iberlucea

These were properties of the famous Don Antonio de Rocha; nowadays, it is a ship–shaped small square, a place where the Genoeses immigrants met for remembering their native country. That is why it acquired the name of “street of sights”.
From there, it is possible to appreciate a view of Riachuelo, La Boca and The Avellaneda Bridge.

Fine Arts Museum of la Boca

It is located on Pedro de Mendoza Avenue Nº 1835

The workshop of Quinquela Martín is located here. The famous artist lived his last years in this place while he was creating his preferred work “Crepúsculo”.
National artist works of the XX century are exhibited. It also contains a room where scale models of different ships are exposed.


Theater of la Ribera – Paseo de la Ribera

It is located on Pedro de Mendoza Avenue Nº 1821

This is a theater that is located in La Boca. It was inaugurated on October 27, 1971. It contains big paintings of Quinquela Martín. It can hold up 475 seats in high stalls and 168 in lower stalls. La Riviera shopping center is situated beside it.

OLD AND NEW BRIDGE Nicolás Avellaneda

It is located on Pedro de Mendoza and Almirante Brown

It was inaugurated in 1914. It was declared National Historical Monument. It is a ferry built in an iron structure. It was the symbol of the old neighborhood and it has been the inspiration source of several works of Quinquela Martín. It was used by pedestrians, cars and tramcars.
From the Old Bridge’s base, it is possible to rent boats that cross the Riachuelo.
You can have an interesting panoramic view of La Boca, from a modern bridge.

Boca Juniors Athletic Club

It is located in Brandsen Nº 805

“La Bombonera” was remodeled in 1996. It is the head office of the most popular team of Argentina. It can hold up to 60.000 spectators and it was inaugurated in 1940.

Mural

It is located in Almirante Brown Nº 36
On the façade of an old metal sheet tenement, there is a mural with a typical scene of La Boca neighborhood that includes: objects and draws, sculptures and paintings, balconies and its bizarre celebrities as Aníbal Troilo a large accordion player, the famous Diego Maradona and Benito Quinquela, a painter of La Boca.

Yellow House

It is located in Almirante Brown Nº 401
It is a replica of the Admiral Guillermo Brown’s house. Nowadays, inside it, the Historical Naval Studies Department and Browniano Institute are situated.

Nuestra Señora de los Inmigrantes Church

It is located in Necochea Nº 312

It is a work of the architect Luis Lanari; it was built in honor to immigrants who arrived to Argentina, especially, those who settled in La Boca.
In the church, there are several special objects such as a low relief of Roberto Capurro and the glasses of some famous artists.

Ghost’s Tower

It is located on Almirante Brown Avenue and W. Villafañe

It is an Art Nouveau building, a work of the architect Guillermo Álvarez. It is located in La Boca neighborhood. A legend of La Boca tells that the last floor is habited by a painter’s ghost who committed suicide in that place.

Banchero Pizzería

It is located in Almirante Brown Nº 1200

It was inaugurated on March 28, 1932 by Agustín Banchero, an immigrant. This traditional pizzeria of Buenos Aires created the popular pizza “La fugazza” with cheese. Now, it has several branches in the city.

San Juan Evangelista Church

It is located on Olavaria Street Nº 486

It is a work of the architect Pablo Vesania. It was inaugurated in 1872. It is a traditional parish of La Boca. In 1877, the Salesian congregation was in charge of the church. The first chapel was built in 1859.

Volunteer Firemen’s Barracks

It is located on Brandsen Street Nº 567
The institution was founded on July 2, 1884 by Don Tomás Liberti.
The firemen had a significant intervention during the epidemics of yellow fever and flood as a result of the Riachuelo´s overflowing; besides they participated in the extinction of frequently fires in the material houses. It is the oldest one in its category in Latin America.

Volunteer Firemen’s Small Square

It is located between Lamadrid and Garibaldi

The square is located on a vacant lot over one of the ends of El Caminito (in front of Riachuelo). It has an amphitheater where there are street artist presentations. There, the Tourist Information Center of La Boca and The Train Station El Caminito are located.

Beeswax Museum

It is located in Del Valle Iberlucea Nº 1261

It was inaugurated in 1980; it is the unique beeswax museum of Argentina. it exhibits the works of Domingo Tellechea, in their life-size, and adapted for different screens.

La Perla Bar

It is located between Magallanes and Del Valle Iberlucea

It is one of the most traditional bars, it is located in an art galleries zone. It is 115 years old. It contains antique dealers and exposition rooms, as well as a museum where bohemian artists exhibit their paintings.

Proa Foundation

It is located on Pedro de Mendoza Avenue Nº 1929

It is a non-profit-making organism that promotes cultural projects of contemporary art. It works since 1996. It presents international exhibitions and it organizes conferences about current art.
In the first floor, there is a terrace where you can have a panoramic view of El Riachuelo; in the second floor, there is a reading place.

Pedro de Mendoza Primary School and Museum

It is located on Quinquela Martín

Pedro de Mendoza Avenue Nº 1835

It was inaugurated in 1933. It was constructed on the ground of the painter Benti Quinquela. The building has a primary school, an Argentinean art museum and a theater; there are also a house and a workshop. The painter decorated the rooms with murals.

Cantinas

It is located on Necochea Street, between Suárez and Brandsen

In La Boca, there are the famous Italian bars which are opened until late hours in the morning. The pasta and seafood restaurants present diverse specialties. It is possible to hear a lot of music and observe dances and joy.