Buenos Aires, One Barrio at a Time: La Boca

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by Danny de la Cruz[/x_text][/x_column][x_column bg_color=”” type=”3/4″ style=”padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; “][x_text]In the first part of my travel series of getting to know the barrios of Buenos Aires, Argentina, I started with the exclusive Recoleta neighborhood. This time, we’re moving to the other end of the city and exploring La Boca. While Spring may be approaching for us here in the U.S., my visit during Springtime (our Fall) in Argentina is one of the best times to go, so now is the time to plan. 

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While discovering the city of Buenos Aires, one of the most colorful barrios (neighborhoods) I had a chance experience is La Boca. This is home of the Boca Juniors, one of two soccer teams for the country and the famous El Caminito Street.

I have to confess, I’m not a soccer fan but when in Argentina…

We pulled up to the stadium and had a chance to explore the grounds and the museum of Argentina’s most successful team. Whether they are the best, well, you’ll have to debate that with the fans of their rivals, River Plate. I’m wouldn’t touch this debate with a 100 foot pole!

Even though there wasn’t a game on this day, the fans that were visiting were as passionate about their team as ever. Fans of all ages peered out onto the field while taking photos and just savoring the moment. While we were standing in the bleachers and admiring the grounds, a large group burst into song and got everyone fired up  in the stadium.

Legend has it that the colors of the Boca Juniors are based on a match with an opposing team who had similar colors. The loser would have to give up their colors and unfortunately, the Boca Juniors lost and decided to select the colors of the flag of the first ship that sailed into its harbor. Can you guess the country with blue and yellow in their flag? The answer is at the end of this article.

After viewing the field, we moved inside to the museum with large monitors capturing winning moments, photos of players and fans, and of course, a display with all the trophies through the years.

A short distance from the stadium is El Caminito, famous for the painted houses along this street — actually, it’s really just an alley since it’s strictly a pedestrian walkway.

A short stroll later, we made it to the end of the street and came across a slew of Tango dancers grabbing tourists and posing with them for photos. Remember, nothing is ever free so if you want to “strike a tango pose”, be ready to pay up. We made a turn to the right and found another colorful street lined with shops and restaurants. Several restaurants had tango performers and singers to entertain diners. There was just so much to see that it was truly an explosion for the senses.

Answer to the question above: Sweden. Were you right?

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