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Caminito Street Museum is unique to Buenos Aires

Caminito is an “open-air” Street Museum and a traditional alley located in La Boca. This Buenos Aires’ neighborhood is famous for its colorful houses, its tango, and its soccer team.

Caminito(Spanish for “little walkway” or “little path”) was named after a 1926 tango song composed by Juan de Dios Filiberto, which tells of a love lost.

Caminito Argentina 28

A bit of background

In the 1800s there was a small stream flowing into the Riachuelo River. After the river dried up, tracks for the Ferrocarril Buenos Aires y Puerto de la Ensenada were installed at the site. Along Garibaldi Street, you can still see the disused tracks. Later, when the railroad closed in 1954, the area where Caminito once was became­­ a landfill and an eyesore. Inspired by the tango song, Benito Quinquela Martín helped to create Caminito in 1955 by adding color and later (1960) a theatre stage.

Travel Tips

  • Country: Argentina
  • Currency: Peso ($) (ARS)
  • National language: Spanish 
  • Time zone: UTC−3 (ART)
  • Driving side: right
  • Visa: A 90-day free visa is available to several countries

Things to do

  • Take a stroll through Buenos Aires’ famously colorful Caminito street museum.
  • Have something to eat or drink at one of the many restaurants. Some restaurants also have tango dancers performing while you eat. A photo of two of the dances will cost you a few pesos (at your own discretion) as a gratuity fee.
  • Buy work from local artists.
  • Take photos of the figures of Juan and Eva Perón, Che Guevara, and soccer legend  Maradona, who wave down from balconies.
  • See the Statue of General Don Jose de San Martin who was an “independence” leader in Washington, D.C., USA. He led the liberating army across the Andes. As the founder of Argentine independence, his name represents the American ideal of democracy, justice, and liberty.

In conclusion, Caminito Street Museum may appear to be a tourist trap, but it’s not. We enjoyed meandering the alley without being pushed to buy something. 

If I should ever have the opportunity to go back, I would within a blink of an eye! 

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Map, location(s) & directions

International airport

The nearest airport to La Boca is Buenos Aires Jorge Newbery (AEP)

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