In the southern part of Buenos Aires, you will find one of the most picturesque places in all Argentine, with its own history, its customs and its colourful brightly painted houses built out of corrugated sheet metal: el Barrio de La Boca, the neighbourhood of the (river) mouth, the first port the city ever had.

Its particular and characteristic buildings and customs reflect the notable influence of the European immigrants, mainly Italians from the city of Geneva, that settled here during the great immigrant wave that swept Argentina from 1860 till 1930.
"La Piccola Italia", the small Italy, as it is also called, is ripe with Mediterranean style. It permeates everything, from its cuisine, which is served up in traditional canteens, to its architectural style.
In the XIXth century it was a settlement of Genovese sailors and stevedores, a happy crowd, from which a fraternal society grew up, the cradle of many a poet, musician and painter, amongst other famous persons.

They all spoke zeneixe, the particular dialect of the Genovese, as if they were still living back there. They were hardworking people and very fraternal, as a matter of fact they set up several community charity organisations. Later the area received a sprinkling of Greek, Polish, English and Turkish immigrants, but without losing its Genovese flavour and preponderance. Its aspect, so different from the other barrios in the city, was dominated by low houses built of wood, with roofs and walls made out of corrugated zinc, all painted in bright colours, all probably leftovers from the paint used to paint ships.

Originally the modest houses were built as pile dwellings, with a boat tied up at the entrance or door, in order to get around in times of the frequent floods in the area. The multi coloured canteens are also typical of this area. They are commercial outlets for typical Italian food and fish, and there is always music and dancing, which draw big crowds of tourists.

In 1870 La Boca became a formal barrio by decree, and in 1882 a group of enthusiastic youth, after a labour conflict, tried to declare the independent republic of La Boca.

The original paved stone streets are still around together with the ship cemetery, the sand silos, the naval stores as well as some small coffee shops on la Vuelta de Rocha street, in front of Riachuelo (the stream), where one can still find the old bridge "Puente de la Boca", which served as an inspiration to the painter Quinquela Martín, and other notable painters over the years.

This colourful place is also the headquarters of one of the most important and oldest football (soccer) clubs in the country: Boca Juniors, founded in 1905. At the corner of Brandsen and the Del Valle Iberlucea streets, rises the imposing and mythical Bombonera, the club stadium. In the main hall of the sport complex, one can find original paintings made by Quinquela Martín.
From the boulevard, bordering the Riachuelo, one can see the rows of abandoned ships and boats as well as the bridge Nicolás Avellaneda. We recommend that you visit La Boca in daytime when it takes on a life of its own and Sundays are always good days because of the many activities for tourists that take place then.

Attractions in La Boca