La Boca - Buenos Aires - page 227

DON'T MISS…
» The tiled reproductions of Benito Quinquela Martín's artwork on El Caminito's walls.
» Exploring the inside of some conventillos (tenements) - such as the one at Magallanes 861.
PRACTICALITIES
» MAP
» Av Don Pedro de Mendoza, near Del Valle Iberlucea
This block-long cobbled walk does have its unique charms, though, like the various
bas-reliefs and sculptures dotted about. And there are the super-colorful tenement shacks,
covered in corrugated zinc and originally brushed with leftover paint that Genoese immig-
rants begged off ships. Surrounding streets also offer souvenirs, and restaurants with
pleasant sidewalk tables.
Caminito (or 'little path') was named after a 1926 tango song by composer Juan de
Dios Filiberto and lyricist Gabino Coria Peñaloza (hunt for the lyrics on a wall plaque),
which tells of a love lost. This song inspired Benito Quinquela Martín, La Boca's most
famous artist, to help create Caminito as the neighborhood's main landmark in 1955.
Quinquela Martín mostly painted dark scenes of the barrio's port on the Riachuelo and
its workers. His house and workshop have been turned into a museum and are worth a vis-
it, but you can get an idea of his style on Caminito. Look for a small tiled reproduction of
his Dia de Trabajo (Day of Work) on a green wall and a much bigger one of his Regreso
de la Pesca (Return from Fishing) at the end of the street, both by Ricardo Sánchez.
At the end of Caminito is a small plaza with a mural depicting past struggles of the
neighborhood, such as the dangerous task of volunteer firemen and the faces of La Boca's
'disappeared' during the military regime. There are also other themes, such as Aztec fig-
ures and local fútbol heroes.