When you’re traveling to Argentina there are a few things you absolutely know you’ll be doing. You’ll likely attend a tango show, you’ll probably eat some of the country’s world-famous steak, you might catch a soccer match and you’ll definitely take a lot of pictures. If you’re short on time then you might be happy to learn that the historic neighborhood of La Boca is where you can do all of those things in one place.
If you’re a futbol fan you might already be familiar with the neighborhood as it’s where the Boca Juniors Stadium is located. Known also as “La Bombonera” (or “chocolate box”, on account of its design) the area where the stadium was built used to be a manure production facility. This time, however, we’ll be focusing our attention on the other heavily-frequented part of La Boca: the famous El Caminito.
El Caminito is a one-block long “street museum” that is also one of the most tourist-friendly and picturesque spots in town. Featuring a wide assortment of vendors and artisans selling their wares, everything from Boca Juniors paraphernalia to kitschy illustrations, colorful knick-knacks to high-end goods, the street is a fantastic one-stop shop for a condensed, hyper-concentrated version of the Argentine experience. Want to experience an asado? Pick up a bondiola sandwich or a choripan from one of the several carts that line the streets. Want to see a tango show? There are street performers who’ll put on a pretty impressive show for you for the price of a small tip. Want to take a photo with Diego Maradona? Well, he’s probably not around, but there are a number of unnervingly-proportioned life-sized mannequins for you to pose with and even an impersonator there from time to time!
La Boca, and El Caminito specifically, has an interesting history. It was the neighborhood were many poor immigrants took up residence and used leftover ship construction materials. The various unused paints from the dock workers were used which created a multicolored neighborhood. Caminito became famous as the inspiration for the famous 1926 tango of the same name by composer Juan De Dios Filiberto. The General Roca railway line that used to run through the neighborhood closed down in the 1950s, and artist Quinquela Martín led the efforts to revitalize it. He painted the houses bright colors once again and urged the city to declare the street an open-air museum, which they did in 1959.
El Caminito is loosely used to describe a 4-5 block wide area in the port of La Boca. It’s a fun area to explore the nooks and crannies*. El Caminito is technically only the namesake street, but there are several locations you should see while in the area and if time permits:
1. PROA: A private contemporary art museum with both permanent and rotating exhibits
2. Cafe La Perla: A “cafe notable” or classic, early 1900’s cafe still serving up beers, snacks and coffee.
3. Benito Quinquela Martín Museum
4. Boca Juniors’ La Bombonera stadium and museum. Open to the public except on Boca game days.
5. *Highlighted in yellow is the “safe” area of La Boca. It should be relatively obvious, as the touristy offers decrease it is time to turn around.
*Word to the wise: Though it is a popular tourist destination which borders on an open air market you must be very careful not to stray too far off El Caminito itself. La Boca is an economically disadvantaged neighborhood and muggings are common outside the stadium and Caminito areas. Be very careful with what you carry, stay where the crowds are, keep an eye on your belongings and for the love of God do not wear a River Plate shirt. This is the ultimate soccer rivalry, and you’re setting yourself up for some abuse.
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