Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A Day in San Telmo
and La Boca
Morning
Start your day with a
strong coffee at San
Telmo's
Bar Plaza
Dorrego
(see p77)
. Stroll
north on Dorrego, wander-
ing in and out of antiques
stores and art galleries as
you go, and stopping at
the
Mercado de San
Telmo
(see p19)
to buy
fresh fruit. Then explore
the subterranean tunnels
and ruins at
El Zanjón
before resurfacing to visit
Casa Mínima
(see p73)
.
Head one block east and
turn right. You are now on
Balcarce. Soak in this
street's colonial façades as
you wander back to
Plaza
Dorrego
and then onto
Parque Lezama
, visiting
the
Iglesia Nuestra
Señora de Belén
(see
p19)
en route. At Parque
Lezama, enjoy a steak
lunch at
Lezama
(see
p77)
, followed by a stroll
of this lovely park.
Afternoon
Puente Transbordador
of Río Riachuelo, the river that
separates the Buenos Aires
metropolis from Gran Buenos
Aires, the poverty and crime-
ridden belt that rings the city's
limits. Designed to transport
pedestrians, cars, and trams
across the river, it was replaced
in 1939 by the Puente Nicolás
Avellaneda, which now stands
directly behind it. The bridge has
appeared in numerous tango-
themed films as an evocative
icon.
d
Map H6 • Pedro de Mendoza,
cnr. Almirante Brown
)
El Zanjón
El Zanjón (meaning “creek”
in Spanish) is a 19th-century man-
sion and archeological jewel. The
house was built in the 1840s for
the Miguens family and later
converted into a
conventillo
(tenement house), but it is what
lies beneath it that is special. The
building's foundations conceal
the ruins of colonial houses,
built by early settlers on the
banks of two creeks that once
converged at this spot. Tunnels
built in the 19th century to cover
the creeks for hygiene reasons
run alongside the ruins. The site
can be explored on stylized and
fascinating tours.
d
Map F3
• Defensa 755, San Telmo • 4361-3002
• Tours (1 hr tour, reservations only):
11am-2pm Mon-Fri, 1-6pm Sun
• Adm • www.elzanjon.com.ar
Taking the No.29 bus from
San Telmo, hop off at the
end of the line in La Boca.
Glance north and see the
Puente Transbordador
; a
tango twirl south is
El
Caminito
(see p73)
.
Explore this open-air
museum, drinking in the
colorful houses and
browsing the artists'
wares before turning right
on Garibaldi. Walk three
blocks to
La Bombonera
(see p73)
. Take a stadium
tour, stop by the
Museo
de la Pasión Boquense
,
and then head back the
way you came. Back at the
port, gorge on modern art
at
Fundación Proa
(see
p73)
before returning to
San Telmo. End your day
with dinner and tango at
Patagonia Sur
(see p77)
.
75
Avoid wandering around the foot of the Puente Transbordador -
it is a crime hot spot.
