San Telmo is the picturesque bohemian barrio of Buenos Aires.  Walking the tree lined, cobbled stone streets, with their imposing colonial style buildings lit up by faroles (gas lights), you often feel transported back in time - San Telmo, to many, is the passion and romance that brought them to amazing Buenos Aires.

A 20- minute walk to Plaza de Mayo in El Centro, San Telmo is very close to all points of interest. By bus, to El Centro, hop on the 24 to arrive in about 10 minutes, take route 61 to reach Recoleta in 30 minutes and route 152 to arrive in Palermo in 35 minutes. Subte line E runs near San Telmo and station Independencia connects to El Centro in less than 7 minutes. Please note that these times are estimations and depend on traffic on the road and time of day. A quick tip, plan breakfast and your high tea at peak transport times as it stinks!

San Telmo, the oldest district (barrio) in Buenos Aires, was the site of the first permanent settlement in 1580 and is a great Argentinean historical centre, not much has happened in Argentina that this barrio could not recount.  San Telmo gets it names from Pedro Gonzalez Telmo who was a Spanish Franciscan monk Canonised in 1741. Known for catching fish in his hands, protecting ships, he is the Patron Saint of Portuguese and Spanish sailors. In 1806, Britain at war with France and its allies (Spain), felt Buenos Aires an easy prize, a small expeditionary forced landed and managed to form a bridgehead for a wider invasion. The war in Europe weighed heavily on Great Britain and in 1807; the British were forced down the streets of San Telmo by fierce hand-to-hand combat and by women, slaves and children aiming burning oil and scalding water projectiles, small arms and cannon fire from the rooftops and balconies. The British retreat to ships is legendary and their defeat and Spain’s demise were both the catalysts for the birth of Provinces of the Rio del la Plata – click here to read the history of Buenos Aires and Argentina.

Buenos Aires’ richest immigrants originally settled this barrio. Their great sense of style and wealth is still very much alive in the wonderful Quintas (large colonial style houses) that today house the most eclectic array of high quality antique shops and arts and craft galleries. 

Much like the rest of Buenos Aires, San Telmo has its share of beautiful plazas. Plaza Dorrego is the main square and hosts a fabulous fair on Sundays. Here visitors can find San Telmo’s best restaurants, tango galore, musicians playing native instruments and artisans who flock to demonstrate the city’s colourful bohemia.

San Telmo’s other main plaza is Parque Lezama. It has a monument to Pedro de Mendoza (one of early founders of Buenos Aires), and is a smashing green space with huge sculptures and an amphitheatre.

Filled with multicultural families and fruit markets, San Telmo might remind you that you are, in fact, in South America. It is a fantastic mix of old and new and is one of Buenos Aires’ most laid-back barrios.

Do not leave San Telmo without going to The British Bar (Bar Britanico) at the corner of Brasil and Defensa Streets, El Viejo Almacén, in Independencia and Balcarce Streets, El Federal, at the corner of Peru and Carlos Calvo Streets and the Parroquia de San Pedro Telmo.

San Telmo Apartments for Rent Buenos Aires

Read our guide to the SanTelmo ’s monuments and main tourist attractions

Read our guide to best restaurants and resto-bars in San Telmo Buenos Aires