Buenos Aires boasts an enduring legacy and offers many historic sites worth seeing, from Plaza de Mayo to Casa Rosada (Pink Palace). All these places shed light on Argentina’s colonial past.
Recoleta Cemetery should be on everyone’s itinerary when visiting Buenos Aires. With its extravagant mausoleums – including Eva Peron’s mausoleum – this cemetery stands as an emblem of its culture and heritage.
The Obelisk
The Obelisk stands 67.5 meters high and was built to commemorate the fourth centenary of Buenos Aires being founded by Pedro de Mendoza in 1536, marking where its flag first raised for display.
The Metropolitan Cathedral is an exquisite Neo-Baroque structure featuring grand marble columns, golden arches, and beautiful statues. Inside are many important artworks as well as an exceptional Walcker organ dating back to 1871.
Casa Rosada, situated at the heart of Buenos Aires and housing Argentina’s executive branch, is an outstanding architectural landmark and must-see attraction for visitors to Buenos Aires.
La Cueva de las Manos
La Cueva de las Manos is one of Argentina’s most impressive examples of prehistoric cave paintings, boasting beautifully preserved hand stencils created between 13,000 to 9,500 years ago and dating back between 13,000-9,500 years. Historians cannot pinpoint exactly when or why their Argentinian ancestors decided to paint these stencils onto rocks but believe it may have served utilitarian reasons.
This rock shelter contains one chamber measuring 20 meters by 15 meters and its walls are decorated with hand prints, foot stencils of guanacos and abstract designs.
This rock shelter is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and should be visited between September and February for optimal weather and smaller tourist crowds, and also during festival time. As cultural heritage site, Cueva de las Manos requires careful management and preservation; accordingly, Argentina has implemented various policies to preserve it as part of their cultural legacy.
Pucara de la Alumbrera
Argentina’s cultural landscape is an intricate weave of indigenous traditions, colonial influences and waves of immigration. Stretching from the majestic Andes Mountains to the expansive Pampas landscape, Argentina offers something to please every taste and culture enthusiast.
Plaza de Mayo is one of Buenos Aires’s most famous squares and was the site of Argentina’s 1810 revolution against Spanish rule that led to independence six years later. This plaza features its namesake tower, Piramide de Mayo, as well as being home to General Jose de San Martin’s grave site.
The Manzana de las Luces (Block of Enlightenment), is a historic district of Buenos Aires known as “the Block of Enlightenment.” This historic district was home to Jesuits and intellectuals for generations; today its Iglesia de San Ignacio church stands as its oldest building; underground tunnels may have been used by troops or for smuggling during the 18th century; it also holds several former presidents’ burial places such as Raul Alfonsin and Hipolito Yrigoyen among many others.
Villa Ocampo
Victoria Ocampo’s house stands out not only due to its architecture, furniture and library but more so because of its rich literary Argentine history during the first half of the 20th century. Situated in Manzana de las Luces in Buenos Aires city center was it home to some of the city’s greatest intellectuals such as Jorge Luis Borges.
Ocampo was an extraordinary woman: journalist, feminist, political activist (opposing Eva Peron), founder/publisher of Sur and cultural promoter. Many key thinkers in modern Argentine thought would visit her home to read, discuss and reflect upon their projects.
She donated the property to UNESCO in 1973 so it would remain as a place for cultural activities, paying constant homage to this remarkable figure through concerts, courses and workshops. Visitors interested in Argentina’s history and culture must definitely pay a visit here!
