La Boca is just south of San Telmo and Puerto Madero. It is a great favourite of Buenos Aires’ visitors famed for picturesque, brightly coloured houses of wood and corrugated iron with caricatures of famous Argentines. The streets are alive withtango, street performers and more recently, La Boca has become the city’s bohemia.
To get to La Boca from El Centro (downtown) take bus route 24 to arrive in 20 minutes, from Recoleta take route 10 to arrive in 30 minutes and from Palermo take route 12 to arrive in 35 minutes. Please note these times are estimates and depend on time of day and traffic on the road. There is no subte (subway) near La Boca. A quick tip, plan breakfast and your high tea at peak transport times as it stinks!
La Boca is a very old part of the city where settlers from Paraguay and northern Argentina first founded a permanent settlement at the mouth (boca) of the Riachuelo River that flows into the Rio Del La Plate. La Boca was the first port of Buenos Aires and the population grew steadily in the XIX century from an inflow of immigrants from Italy. Here, they say that the tango was born, on the neighbourhood streets under dim faroles (street lamps).
This is a great neighbourhood for a day sightseeing. The is one main tourist hub here called El Caminito (the Little Stroll) where locals replicate the original rowdy street life with soulful tango musicians, artisans selling local art and craft and street performers who range from the most chic and acrobatic tango dancers, to some of the strangest, wonderful and outlandish crazies to perform anywhere.
There are some great photo opportunities and a visit to La Boca is necessary. The ideal schedule would be arrive around 11h00 on a Saturday or Sunday and then taking off to San Telmo for a wander around the street market and antique shops, and then on to Puerto Madero for a late lunch and an early evening walk along the diques (docks).
La Boca has an even greater claim to fame; La Bombonera (J.F Armando) Stadium, home to Boca Juniors, is located in La Boca and Boca Juniorsis one of the most successful football teams in South America. If you are a football fan do not leave Argentina without seeing a football match – you will be held hostage by tides of pure emotion, and beaten back and forth by wretchedness and euphoria. Even ‘football widows’ enjoy Argentine football matches.
We claim on this website to ‘tell it like it is’ - La Boca, apart from the main tourist street during daylight hours is not a place for unaccompanied visitors, it is dangerous, although parts of La Boca were slowly gentrifying, we recently find this barrio more dangerous than in the past. We have many requests for apartments in La Boca from Argentines who want to be close to their folks and knowing the area they make an informed decision. Taxi to and from your door if staying in La Boca.
La Boca Apartments for Rent Buenos Aires
Read our guide to the La Boca’s monuments and main tourist attractions
Read our guide to best restaurants and resto-bars in La Boca Buenos Aires
